If you’re considering a career at sea, you’ll need specific certificates to work onboard a yacht. In this blog, we’ll cover everything you’ll need to kickstart your career, from compulsory qualifications to extra training courses that will impress your future employer.
The key certificates you’ll need to work on a yacht
To work in the yachting industry, the mandatory certificates requested by the vessel or management company are usually the following:
STCW Basic Safety Training Certificate
The aim of the course is to give seafarers the essential education and training in Personal Survival Techniques, Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting, Elementary First Aid and Personal Safety & Social Responsibilities, with an additional Proficiency in Security Awareness.
Once you have completed your Basic Safety Training, the Maritime Skills Academy offers a variety of maritime courses, including deck and engine simulation, marine, fire, and safety training.
ENG1 or Equivalent Seafarer Medical
To embark on a career at sea, you must be deemed medically fit and healthy. This can be completed at any MCA-approved doctor’s surgery.
Further Certificates to Improve Your Skills
It’s always a good idea to keep evolving and developing your skills. Completing any additional relevant courses that could benefit yourself or the yacht is a great way to help you progress in your career. These could include, but are not limited to:
Deck
VHF Radio
RYA Radar
RYA Competent Crew
RYA Tender Operator
PWC Personal Watercraft Proficiency
PWC Personal Watercraft Instructor
It’s also common for clients to request certification in Proficiency in Designated Security Duties and Powerboat Level II.
To improve your interior skills, Luxury Yacht Interior Training provides bespoke, tailored training and consultancy to enhance the service standards onboard Superyachts. From Yacht Mixology to Linen and Laundry Training, you can enhance your interior skills by visiting the website here.
You can read our other blogs here for more helpful information on how to get started in the yachting industry.
Yachting life can be both exciting and demanding for its crew. It offers unique experiences but also comes with its own challenges, which we will explore in this article.
Daily Routine
Work Schedule
The first challenge many face are the long, irregular hours, especially during charters. The days can start early and end late, often exceeding a typical 8-hour workday.
Suppose you’re considering joining the deck and engineering crew. In that case, be prepared to stand watch for specific hours to ensure the yacht’s safety and operation, mainly while underway. The interior crew can also be involved in Watch Duties while in port.
Duties and Responsibilities
Let’s take a closer look at the duties and responsibilities a yachting life can entail for each department on board:
Deck Crew: Handles exterior maintenance, docking, tender operations, and water sports activities.
Interior Crew: Manages housekeeping, laundry, meal service, and guest activities.
Engineering Crew: Ensures all mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems function correctly.
Galley Crew: Prepares meals for guests and crew, catering to various dietary preferences and high culinary standards.
Living Conditions
Accommodation
Crew accommodation usually consists of bunk beds in a small room, which means you’re likely to share a cabin with one or more colleagues. Space is limited, so organisation and tidiness are crucial for your living arrangements. Remember, you’ll be eating, sleeping, and living in close quarters with your colleagues, so working in harmony is essential.
Luckily, every yacht has a crew mess where you can socialise and relax. This is a communal area on the yacht where you eat your meals together and enjoy basic amenities such as a TV, a seating area, and sometimes a small library or games.
Privacy
Due to the close quarters mentioned earlier, privacy is limited. Respecting others’ personal space and downtime/rest periods is necessary and will help you get through the longer charter months smoothly.
Social Life
Camaraderie
Strong bonds often form among crew members due to the close working and living conditions. Teamwork and mutual support are vital when surrounded by the same people 24 hours a day, for weeks on end.
Off-duty activities in your downtime might include exploring port cities, beach outings, and crew parties. Socialising helps maintain morale between crew and builds strong team relationships, making you a better team onboard.
Cultural Exchange
One of the best elements of yachting life is working with people from various nationalities and backgrounds. This experience offers a rich cultural exchange as you learn to embrace cultural differences between you and other crew members. Yachting life is full of lessons that mould you into a more tolerant, respectful, and well-rounded individual.
Challenges
Physical Demands
Yachting life isn’t quite how it’s made out to be on TV… The job can be physically demanding, involving lifting heavy equipment, cleaning, and standing for long periods. You may have to accommodate demanding guests or extravagant requests, but it’s all about how you respond and deal with them.
Of course, being at sea is one of the main physical demands of a yachting life. If you suffer from seasickness, perhaps a career at sea isn’t for you. However, even experienced crew can suffer from seasickness, especially in rough seas, so it’s essential to have remedies on hand.
Looking after your Emotional and Mental Health
Long hours, high standards, and demanding guests can contribute to stress and take a toll on your mental health. But there are a few sure ways to keep you from burning out and feeling like it’s all too much.
Staying in touch with family and friends through video calls and social media helps mitigate feelings of stress and isolation. It will also help remind you of the incredible experience you’re gaining.
There are also charities and helplines for seafarers at sea who are struggling with their mental health, who provide help. To find out more about support at sea, click here.
Benefits
Travel
Yachting life isn’t all work and no play, however. The challenging tasks can be easily forgotten by remembering you’re travelling to some of the world’s most beautiful and exclusive destinations. Yacht crew often enjoy activities like diving, snorkelling, and exploring new cultures while docking in exotic cities and towns. You could be cruising the Mediterranean Sea, Caribbean, Indian Ocean, or even further afield.
Financial
An additional incentive of the job is that the yachting industry offers competitive salaries, especially for experienced crew. Senior ranks might have time for time rotational positions, meaning they receive more structured leave than junior ranks.
During charters, crew members sometimes receive very generous tips from guests. These tips are far from a £10 or £20 tip you might receive in hospitality ashore and will readily set you up for an impressive hoard of savings.
Food, accommodation, uniforms, and travel expenses are all covered by the yacht, allowing crew to save a significant portion of their earnings. This allows you to set up a sense of financial security for when you decide to move back ashore and would like to buy a house, car, or other necessities you wouldn’t need at sea.
Professional Growth
Working on a yacht develops a wide range of skills, from technical and navigational skills for deck and engineering crew to high-end service and hospitality skills for interior crew. But your skills won’t only develop in a professional sense. You might surprise yourself and decide to learn a local language to broaden your hospitality skills and allow you to communicate with guests.
As your skills develop and your sense of a career pathway becomes more defined, there are clear paths for career advancement within the industry. With opportunities to move up the ranks from junior positions to senior roles such as Chief Officer, Chief Stewardess, or Captain, each junior rank can progress into the most senior roles.
Improving Your Yachting skills
If you currently work in the interior department and want to improve your existing skills, discover the training courses Luxury Yacht Interior Training offers.
You will also need to complete STCW Training before embarking on a career at sea, which you can earn at the Maritime Skills Academy.
Life on a yacht is a unique blend of adventure, hard work, and personal growth. It offers the opportunity to travel to stunning locations, build strong professional skills, and earn a competitive salary. However, it also requires a high level of dedication, adaptability, and teamwork. Understanding the realities of yachting life helps prepare for a successful and rewarding career in the industry.
If you think you’d be suited to yachting life and would like to explore the current vacancies Viking Crew has to offer, you can view ourfull list of jobs here.
Or if this is your first introduction to the industry and you would like to find out more about making a start, we have all the information you’ll need to start on our Green Crew Pathway page, as well as some helpful information in our previous blogs which you can read here.
Congratulations, you’ve secured your first contract to work on board a yacht! You’re probably very excited and want to be prepared and make a list of what to pack. But what do you pack as a green yacht crew member?
Our comprehensive list will help you pack all the essentials you’ll need whilst working at sea.
Documents and Essentials
Toiletries and Personal Care Items
Clothing
Electronics
Miscellaneous items
Documents and Essentials
Let’s start with the important stuff, documents, and essentials.
We know it’s obvious, but you’ll need to pack your Passport (and any visas depending on your nationality). Be sure to check that your passport is up to date and has sufficient validity before it expires. Some countries won’t let you travel with less than six months until your expiry date, so if your passport expires soon, double-check the return date of your contract.
Another essential you might overlook is a medical kit. Create a small medical bag for your time at sea that includes any prescriptions, seasickness remedies, and basic first aid needs. A first aid kit will be on board, but it won’t hurt to have your own supply.
You’ll also want to bring some local currency to buy any items before waiting to be paid.
Toiletries and Personal Care Items
Regarding toiletries on board, prepare as if you’re staying in a hotel. You won’t need to bring body wash or towels as basic amenities will be provided, but you will need your toothbrush and any specialist items, such as your favourite hair products.
Another essential item provided by the yacht is a decent sunscreen. You’ll be working outside, under the direct glare of the sun, so if you’d prefer to bring your own sunscreen, that is perfectly acceptable.
Clothing
Each yacht will have a uniform that you are expected to look after and wear while working. It’s important that you always dress appropriately, as you would in any other professional setting.
Of course, you won’t always need to wear your uniform. Bring some comfortable casual wear for off-duty hours and days off. Packaging swimwear would be ideal if you’re working a summer season, and want to cool off in the sea.
When it comes to footwear, typically, shoes aren’t allowed, especially on the deck. Pack some light flip-flops, or boat shoes with non-marking soles. On your days off, you can wear trainers as you disembark and explore the beautiful towns and cities.
Sunglasses and caps are also essential when packing, as you’ll want to protect yourself from the sun.
While on board, you might be invited to events or dinners, so packing a few pieces of smart clothing will help you be prepared: chinos and a shirt or light packable dresses.
Electronics
Remember to bring a phone charger with you. Your phone will help you to stay in touch with family members or friends while you’re away from home. Bringing a power adapter for the regions you’ll be visiting is also a good idea.
There will also be opportunities on your days off or off-duty hours when you might want to watch a film or listen to music. Having headphones means that you’re not disturbing your crew mates and will allow you some privacy.
If you still have room in your luggage, why not take your laptop or tablet with you for personal use?
Miscellaneous
If books are your way of relaxing, perhaps bring an e-reader with you. Books take up space in your luggage and cabin, but an e-reader allows you to store multiple books electronically.
Personal items such as photos or small mementoes can help you feel at home when you’re hundreds of miles away.
Tips for Living on a Yacht
Now that you have a comprehensive list of all the items you’ll need as a Green Yacht Crew member, it’s still important to pack light, as space is limited. Packing your items in soft luggage instead of hard-shell suitcases will make it easier for you to store them on board. If you have a luggage bag that is easy to fold and waterproof, that’s even better!
Most importantly, you’ll be sharing this space with other crew members, so respect each other’s space. To be considerate of your fellow crew members, keep common areas, such as the crew mess, clear of your personal items.
And don’t panic if you do happen to forget some items; you can always visit a shop when you dock at a port or ask a fellow crew member if you can borrow their item if you’re desperate!
