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How to Work on a Yacht

Last Updated: June 4, 2023 References

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Working on a yacht is a unique, fun, and potentially lucrative way to earn a living. While it can be intimidating and challenging to get a job on a yacht, having the opportunity to work while traveling can make it well worth it. To begin working on a yacht, you can get an entry-level job that requires little to no prior yachting experience. Once you are more experienced in the yacht business, you will be able to work on a yacht in a more advanced and specialized role.

Getting an Entry-Level Job on a Yacht

• Junior deckhands generally have a good work ethic, positive attitude, ability to learn on the job and follow directions, a professional appearance, and work well with a team. [2] X Research source
• Junior deckhands are responsible for cleaning, polishing, and waxing the yacht, assisting the bosun and first mate with maintenance, and helping with general yacht operations, including line handling, navigation, passenger safety, and water sports. [3] X Research source
• Junior deckhands make approximately $27,000 per year. [4] X Research source

• While not always a requirement, having a watersports certification, fishing knowledge or expertise, and/or carpentry skills can help you get a job as a deckhand on a yacht. Having one or more of these skills may also help you earn more money. [7] X Research source
• Much of a deckhand’s work is performed on the outside of the boat. Therefore, as a deckhand, you would be doing a lot of manual labor outside. This can be helpful to keep in mind when deciding if working as a deckhand is right for you.
• Deckhands usually make between $27,000 and $55,000 per year.

• Boat attendants are responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of the ship’s interior, helping with guest management and entertainment, and assisting the crew in maintaining the safety of everyone on board. [9] X Research source
• Successful boat attendants are high-energy and good entertainers, exhibit proper hospitality etiquette while on the job, and are committed to maintaining yacht cleanliness. [10] X Research source
• Entry-level ship attendants usually make around $40,000 per year, while more experienced workers can make up to $100,000 per year on a large luxury yacht. [11] X Research source

• One of the keys to working as a chef on board a yacht is the ability to get creative with your ingredients. Once you leave the dock, you will likely only have access to the ingredients that you have on hand.
• When considering working as a chef on a yacht, it can be helpful to take into consideration the size of the yacht, the number of people typically on board, and the conditions in the kitchen. As the chef, you will be responsible for making most (if not all) the food for everyone on board, meaning that you may be spending most of your time in the kitchen.
• If you have experience or professional training as a chef, you can make between $52,000 and $100,000 per year on a yacht, depending on your level of training and the size of the yacht. If you do not have any prior experience, you can make between $36,000 and $75,000 per year as a chef on a yacht. [12] X Research source

• Crewnetwork.com and luxyachts.com are both popular yacht crew online agencies.

• If you are working on a yacht abroad, you may need to acquire a work visa. Contact your yachting company or owner to see if this applies.

Working in an Advanced Position

• Bosuns often have a specific area of expertise that helps them land the job and makes them a more valuable member of the crew, such as advanced woodworking, varnishing, rigging, or watersport expertise.
• Bosuns generally make between $36,000 and $100,000 per year.

• On smaller yachts, there is usually just one mate, called the first mate. On larger yachts, however, there may also be a second mate and, possibly, even a third mate. The second and third mates also have extensive experience, yet generally a bit less than the first mate.
• In the event of an emergency, or if the captain needs to take a leave, the mate is responsible for taking over the captain’s duties. As a result, mates need to have any required licenses or certifications for their specific type of yacht.
• Mates on a yacht typically make at least $48,000 and up to $100,000 per year. [14] X Research source

• Yacht captains must have a high school diploma or GED.
• To be a yacht captain, you will need to take a captain’s license course and pass the licensing exam.
• The captain of a yacht typically makes a minimum of $65,000 per year. Captains can make well over $200,000 per year working on a larger yacht. [16] X Research source

• Most engineering positions are available on larger yachts called superyachts. While smaller yachts will hire a yachting engineer for maintenance, they do not usually have a permanent engineer that works on-board. [18] X Research source

Expert Q&A

• Larger luxury yachts may also hire beauticians, pursers, and/or managers to provide luxury services to their clientele. [19] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• You can find job postings for positions on yachts on general job search engines, such as Indeed and ZipRecruiter, as well as specialized yachting job search engines, such as yotspot.com and yaCrew.com. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• When looking for a job on a yacht, it can be helpful for you to already have completed your Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping (STCW) certification course. This certification is not always required to work on a yacht, but it can help make you a more desirable candidate. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.luxyachts.com/crewpositions/jrdeckhand
• ↑ https://www.luxyachts.com/crewpositions/deckhand
• ↑ http://www.workonayacht.com/index.php/official-yacht-stewardess-job-descriptions-salaries/
• ↑ https://www.crewfinders.com/yachtcrewsalaries.shtml
• ↑ https://www.luxyachts.com/crewpositions/mate
• ↑ https://www.luxyachts.com/crewpositions/captain
• ↑ https://www.crewnetwork.com/Yachting-Jobs/engineer.aspx
• ↑ https://whereintheworldisnina.com/working-on-superyachts/

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How to Work on a Yacht

Table of Contents

Working on a yacht is honest and good work; it also comes with many amazing perks:

• A one-of-a-kind workspace
• The ability to make industry connections
• Opportunities to move up

Ultimately, how to work on a yacht involves tremendous dedication, along with a little luck. We can set you on the right path here and now.

Browse for yachts for rent on Boatsetter

1. Do your homework

Just as you had required reading while in school, work on a yacht requires understanding a lot of information about deck duties. A few books and websites can (pardon the pun) steer you in the right direction.

The Insiders’ Guide to Becoming a Yacht Stewardess and its companion website workonayacht.com are both by Julie Perry, a stewardess-turned-yacht-marketing consultant. Also check out crew -centric magazines like Dockwalk and newspapers like The Triton , along with their related websites.

2. Get your CV in order

A CV—curriculum vitae—is your resume and should summarize all relevant experience plus transferrable skills. Perry says if you grew up waterskiing or boating, be sure to mention how long you’ve been doing it. Transferrable skills, meanwhile, range from house painting to woodworking and even being a nanny to waiting tables.

Work on a yacht can and does involve maintenance skills and hospitality skills. “You really need to sell yourself on paper, or you won’t stand out,” she says!

3. Go where the yachts are

Fort Lauderdale is the Yachting Capital of the World due to the large yachts that frequent its waters and yachting businesses headquartered there. Fort Lauderdale is also the number-one location for proper training (more on that below) and housing while you job hunt.

4. Find a trainer

How to work on a yacht begins and ends with training. Everyone, whether you want to be a deckhand, a chef, or a steward/stewardess, needs STCW training at a minimum. STCW ( Standards of Training and Certification of Watchkeeping ) is internationally required for every seafarer, in fact.

Briefly, it certifies that you have a basic understanding of safety hazards at sea and can respond properly in emergencies. Bluewater and Savvy Maritime Academy are two well-respected training providers in Fort Lauderdale. Additionally, you need an ENG1 medical certificate, proving you’re fit to work at sea.

Obtain this before enrolling in training in case a medical condition could preclude you from working onboard . Find doctors who provide the exams and certificates on yachting-pages.com , a valuable resource for captains, crew, and the industry.

5. Go beyond the basics

“It’s going to make such a difference in your understanding of the industry and your confidence level,” Perry says, plus increase your chances of landing a job. She adds that most yachts and crew-placement agencies require a certificate of proficiency in security, for example.

If you want to be a deckhand, she continues, consider obtaining a tender-driving certificate. Stewards and stewardesses often enroll in wine and bartending courses, meanwhile.

6. Save money for costs

Perry strongly advises having $6,000 to $7,000 to cover at least two months’ worth of expenses in Fort Lauderdale. These include not just housing (which you can find on yachting-pages.com) but also training, transportation, and meals.

A five-day STCW basic course costs over $1,000, and an additional one-day proficiency in security course is $300.

7. Networking is key

Once you get your STCW, “it’s networking, networking, networking,” Perry says. Online bulletin boards like daywork123.com post new opportunities daily—which can go quickly, so check and register early. Another source, meridiango.com , lets you register, upload your CV, and record a video, then interview via their portal.

Training schools often lend a hand with job hunting, too. Old-fashioned dockwalking—literally walking the marinas—can land you a job as well, as can frequenting places where crewmembers hang out at night.

8. Know the rules

How work on a yacht involves adhering to strict rules about not just safety but also privacy. The larger the yacht, the more the owners and guests prioritize discretion. “If you think you’re going to be a social-media influencer while traveling around on a 200-footer in St. Tropez, forget about it,” Perry warns. Some yachts don’t permit posting pictures or details about the yacht and their movements on social media.

About Boatsetter

Boatsetter is a unique boat-sharing platform that gives everyone — whether you own a boat or you’re just renting — the chance to experience life on the water. You can list a boat , book a boat , or make money as a captain .

Put your boat to work— Start earning an avg. of $20K yearly with Boatsetter

A journalist with more than 30 years’ experience, Diane M. Byrne is the owner of MegayachtNews.com, a daily website educating American superyacht owners, buyers, and their circles of influence about the leading builders, designers, cruising destinations, and more. She founded the website in 2007 as the first, and still the only, American-focused online media outlet exclusively covering this market. It features all-original content, for real stories of real interest.

Diane is additionally one of the most-sought-after journalists for expert editorial coverage and commentary about not only superyachts, but also general boating and yachting. Her byline appears in Boatsetter.com, DiscoverBoating.com, and the magazines Luxury Guide, Ocean, Yachting, and Yachts International.

Additionally, Diane is the Chair of the U.S. Superyacht Association, having been on the Board of Directors since 2015. Outside of yachting, she’s a trustee of Sempre Avanti, a non-profit resource supporting Italian and Italian-American individuals, businesses, and organizations in the United States and Italy.

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