Career guides
Direct answers on tickets, pay and career paths. Every fact links to its source.
Role guides
Rotational yacht jobs: how rotation, pay and leave workWhat 2:2, 3:1 and 5:1 rotation mean on superyachts, which posts and yacht sizes get it, how pay compares with 60 days' leave, and how to win one.
Sole engineer on a superyacht: duties, tickets and payWhat a sole yacht engineer does, which MCA Small Vessel tickets the job needs by tonnage and power, and how it differs from a second engineer post.
What crew roles are on a 50m yacht? Crew list by departmentA 50m yacht usually carries 10 to 16 crew across deck, interior, galley and engine. Here is a typical crew list, who does what, and 50–60m pay.
What does a head of service do on a superyacht?A head of service runs guest service on large superyachts: planning each meal, leading the service stews and reporting to the chief stew. Duties, hiring, pay.
What does a lead deckhand do on a superyacht?A lead deckhand runs deck jobs under the bosun, covers the bosun when needed and drives tenders. Duties, tickets and what it takes to step up.
What does a relief captain do on a superyacht?A relief captain takes full command while the permanent captain is on leave or ill. What the work involves, how it is booked, tickets needed and day rates seen.
What does a second engineer do on a superyacht?A second engineer runs engine room maintenance under the chief, supervises juniors and stands watch. Daily work, tickets and pay by yacht size.
What does a sole chef do on a superyacht? The solo galleyA sole chef runs the whole galley alone, feeding guests and crew, provisioning and budgeting. Duties, yacht sizes, tickets and 2026 pay by yacht size.
What does a sole stewardess do on a yacht?A sole stewardess runs the whole interior of a smaller yacht alone: service, cabins, laundry, stores and flowers, and often deck support.
What does a yacht nurse do? Duties, tickets and hiringA yacht nurse gives routine and emergency care to guests and crew, runs the medical stores and logs, and often works interior or service shifts too.Career paths
First yacht job certificates: STCW basic training and ENG1The two tickets every new crew member needs, STCW basic training and the ENG1 medical, what each proves, how long it lasts and which to do first.
How do yacht crew agencies work? Fees, checks and limitsYacht crew agencies are paid by the yacht, not by crew. The MLC rule on fees, how to register, what agents check and what they can and cannot do for you.
How does daywork work on a superyacht? A crew guideWhat superyacht daywork is, how crew find it by dock walking, agents and crew houses, what the work involves, the going day rate and how it leads to a job.
How green crew get a first yacht job: steps and timingAn honest order of steps for green crew: ENG1 and STCW first, then Antibes or Palma before the season, daywork, dockwalking and the first interview.
How to find a yacht captain position: where jobs come fromWhere yacht captain jobs come from: specialist agencies, management companies, owners' reps and networks, why many go unadvertised, and how to prepare.
How to write a yacht crew CV: what goes in, what stays outWhat a yacht crew CV holds and how it differs from a shore CV: photo, nationality, tickets with expiry dates, ENG1, dated yacht history and references.
How yachts check crew references and sea timeHow sea time on yachts is signed by the captain, verified by PYA or Nautilus and accepted by the MCA, and the errors that stall a ticket or a job.
Private or charter yacht: which should crew choose?How crew work differs on private and charter yachts: hours, guests, tips, time off and job security, and which kind of yacht suits which crew member.
When do yachts hire crew? The yearly hiring calendarYachts hire most before each season: February to May for the Med summer, October to November for the Caribbean winter. Here is where to be, month by month.
Who recruits bosuns on superyachts? Hiring explainedThe chief officer and captain choose the bosun. Here is which agencies and job boards carry bosun roles, and what tickets and skills they screen for.Salary guides
How is yacht crew pay taxed? Residence, SED and gross payYacht crew tax depends mainly on where you are resident and, for some, your nationality. How the UK Seafarers' Earnings Deduction works.
How much do bosuns earn on superyachts? 2026 payBosun pay by yacht size in 2026: US$3,500 to 6,000 a month in Northrop & Johnson's guide, with leave, rotation and the step up from deckhand.
How much do charter tips add to crew pay?Charter tips usually run 5 to 15% of the gross charter fee under MYBA guidance. The guest decides, the captain pools the cash, and nothing is guaranteed.
How much do chief stews earn? Yacht pay by size, 2026Chief stew pay in 2026 runs from US$6,000 a month on a 30–40m yacht to US$10,000+ above 80m, per Northrop & Johnson, with YPI Crew's euro figures for comparison.
How much do yacht captains earn? 2026 pay by yacht sizeYacht captain pay in 2026 by yacht size, from US$9,800 a month under 30m to US$32,800 at 80-100m, plus leave, rotation, flights and bonuses.
How much do yacht chefs earn? 2026 pay by yacht sizeYacht chef pay in 2026 by yacht size: head and sole chefs from US$5,000 a month under 30m to US$15,000+ at 80m and over, plus sous and third chef rates.
How much do yacht chief officers earn? 2026 pay by sizeYacht chief officer pay in 2026 by yacht size, from US$3,500 a month under 30m to US$12,000+ over 100m, and what the Master ticket adds.
How much do yacht deckhands earn? 2026 pay by yacht sizeYacht deckhand pay in 2026 by yacht size: junior deckhands about US$3,500 a month, specialised deckhands up to US$5,500, with cabin and meals on board.
How much do yacht engineers earn? 2026 pay by yacht sizeSuperyacht engineer pay in 2026 by yacht size: chief, second and third engineer monthly rates in US dollars, plus rotation and what each ticket adds.
How much do yacht stewardesses earn? 2026 pay by sizeYacht stewardess pay for 2026: junior, experienced and second stew monthly rates by yacht size, two agency guides compared, and what charter tips add.Shore careers
How to become a yacht charter broker: MYBA, CYBA and payHow charter brokers earn on commission, how ex-crew get started, and what MYBA and CYBA membership asks of you, with fees, years of experience and course costs.
How to become a yacht crew agent: the work, pay and MLCHow former yacht crew move ashore into crew recruitment: the daily work, how consultants are paid, and the MLC rules that bind recruitment agencies.
How to become a yacht manager: route, ISM work and payHow senior crew become shore-based yacht managers: the work done for owners, ISM and flag duties, the tickets employers ask for, who hires, and yearly pay.
How to become a yacht project manager: route and payThe route from senior sea roles, boatbuilding or the marine trade into yacht refit and new-build project management: skills, hirers and UK pay.
How yacht captains build a pension: UK and MLC rulesHow yacht captains build a pension: UK State Pension years, voluntary Class 3 National Insurance after April 2026, the MLC position and private pensions.
What does a designated person ashore do on yachts?The DPA is the shore-based link between a yacht and top management under the ISM Code. What the Code requires, the daily work, and how officers qualify.
What does a yacht charter manager do? The week and who hiresA yacht charter manager runs a yacht's charter programme for the owner: calendar, rates, MYBA contracts, broker enquiries and the link to the captain.
What does a yacht crew payroll manager do?A shore job paying superyacht crew: contracts, MLC wage rules, social security by flag and residence, and monthly pay across currencies. Who hires, and what pays.
What does an owner's representative do on a yacht build?What a yacht owner's representative checks on a new build or refit, who they answer to, how they differ from the yard's project manager, and how to get the work.
Yacht concierge: what the job involves on boardWhat a yacht concierge does in the interior department, who yachts hire for it, the skills that count, and the shore agencies offering concierge work.Crew hubs
Antibes, Palma or Fort Lauderdale for new yacht crew?Choosing a first base as green yacht crew: hiring seasons, legal right to job-hunt by passport, and which of Antibes, Palma or Fort Lauderdale fits you.
Do yacht crew need a visa to work from Fort Lauderdale?Non-US crew joining a yacht in Fort Lauderdale need a US visa: B-1 for private yachts, C-1/D for commercial ones. The rules as the State Department prints them.
Finding yacht work in Monaco: a crew guideHow crew find yacht work in Monaco: Port Hercule daywork, agency adverts, and what the Monaco Yacht Show offers crew who are looking for a job.
How long can non-EU yacht crew stay in Schengen?Non-EU yacht crew get 90 days in any 180 in the Schengen area. Here is how the count works, what the EES changed and what records to keep.
How to find daywork in Palma: yards, marinas and agenciesWhere Palma daywork comes from, when it peaks, how gated marinas handle dock walking, and which crew agencies and online boards post local jobs.
Where yacht crew stay in Antibes: crew houses and roomsWhere yacht crew stay in Antibes: the crew houses Bluewater lists, how to book a bed, what a crew house is like, and the cheaper options nearby.
Working as yacht crew in Antibes: what to expectWhy Antibes is the Riviera crew base: Port Vauban, walk-in crew agencies, crew houses, training schools, hiring months and a plan for your first week.
Working as yacht crew in Barcelona: refits and winter workBarcelona is a winter and refit town for yacht crew: MB92's yard, Marina Port Vell's 73 superyacht berths, and the passport rules non-EU crew must know.
Working as yacht crew in Fort Lauderdale: the US baseHow Fort Lauderdale works as the US base for yacht crew: refit yards, marinas, agencies, training schools, crew houses and when the winter hiring happens.
Working as yacht crew in Palma: refits, marinas, seasonWhy Palma is a major superyacht crew and refit base: STP shipyard, Club de Mar, the October-to-May refit season, and what new crew should do first.