What order should you do things in?
Medical first. GOV.UK says you must hold an ENG 1 or ML5 seafarer medical certificate to work at sea, and an ENG 1 applies to anyone serving on a yacht. Only an MCA-approved doctor can issue it, and the UK maximum fee is £115. Bluewater advises getting the medical before any course, because some conditions can stop you working on a yacht. Find that out before you spend €1,295 on training.
Next comes STCW Basic Safety Training. Bluewater runs it over five days in Antibes and Palma, with fire fighting, personal survival, elementary first aid and personal safety and social responsibility, each assessed. Proficiency in Security Awareness is the fifth piece: YPI Crew lists it as part of the package, and Bluewater adds it free as an online course. YPI Crew says an agent cannot help you without the medical and STCW. Book early. In early November 2026 Bluewater's 9 November Antibes class was already fully booked, with a waiting list.
Where and when should you arrive?
Arrive before the season starts. YPI Crew puts the Mediterranean season at roughly May to October and calls February to May the best time for new crew to look, while yachts prepare and fill their crew lists. For the Caribbean season, it names October to the end of November as the peak hiring period. Recruitment carries on outside these windows, only on a smaller scale.
For a first job, YPI Crew's interior recruiter calls Antibes the place for junior crew, because most agents meet and interview there and trains run cheaply to ports from Genoa to Marseille. Palma is the other main hub. Bluewater suggests a room in a crew house for the contacts it brings. Dockwalk quotes wilsonhalligan's advice to have savings for roughly three months, covering rent, food, transport and a social life.
How should you present yourself on the dock?
Go early. Bluewater recommends 7.30am to 9.30am or 5pm to 6pm, when captains have time to talk. Dress neatly, though Elaine Lay of EL CREW CO told Dockwalk you should still be able to kick off your shoes and start work. Carry ID and a copy of your ENG1 in case you are taken on the spot. Leave crew alone during their tea and lunch breaks.
Hand over a short CV with a good photo, and aim it at the right department. A head of service told Superyacht Content that a CV for an interior post given to a deckhand rarely reaches a head of department. Clean up your public social media, because crew will look. Bluewater says land jobs count as references in your first season, and asks you to request a written reference after every day of daywork.
What does the first interview look like?
Most first jobs come through daywork. Yacrew says almost all crew start this way, paid by the half or full day, sometimes for weeks. Agents quoted by Dockwalk say a few days of daywork can change your CV and give you references. Before you start, The Crew Network advises signing a day worker agreement that sets out dates, pay and hours.
When an interview comes, Yacrew says to arrive on time and smartly dressed, with copies of your CV, certificates and references, and to learn basic yachting terms. Much of the meeting tests your personality and whether you will fit with the crew. Be honest about anything a guest could see later. Bluewater advises you to mention tattoos, even ones a uniform hides.
Pay
USD a month. Northrop & Johnson 2026 prints a flat US$3,500 a month for a junior deckhand on every size of yacht. YPI Crew 2026 gives €3,000 to €3,200 a month on yachts up to 60m and €2,800 to €3,000 on larger ones. Yacht size and experience move the figure once you have a season behind you. Refer to the Bosun & Deckhand salary guide for pay by yacht size.
What you need
- ENG1 medicalMust be issued by an MCA-approved doctor. Bring photo ID, any medication and your glasses or contact lenses. YPI Crew says it normally lasts up to two years, or one year if you are under 18.
- STCW Basic Safety TrainingA five-day practical course with an assessment for each module. YPI Crew says it is valid for five years, after which you take a refresher in fire fighting and sea survival.
- Proficiency in Security AwarenessYPI Crew counts it as part of basic training. Bluewater adds it to its STCW course as an online module.
- EnglishBluewater requires enough spoken and written English to pass the course assessments. YPI Crew asks for certificates issued in English.
- Age 18 or overYPI Crew does not place anyone under 18, because seafarers under 18 may not do night work. Daywork is also usually for people aged 18 or over.
- Right to work for dayworkThe Crew Network says a day worker agreement confirms you may legally work in that country. In the US, only citizens, green card holders and people with work authorisation may walk the docks.
- Savingswilsonhalligan, quoted by Dockwalk, advises enough money for about three months while you dockwalk and daywork.
By location
| Antibes and the French Riviera | Antibes is where most agents meet junior crew. Bluewater suggests also trying Nice, Cannes, Golfe Juan, Monaco and the Italian ports, and La Ciotat in autumn during yard periods. |
|---|---|
| Palma, Mallorca | The marinas and shipyards around the bay are gated. Bluewater advises dockwalking alone and in neat uniform, because security may ask groups to leave. Puerto Portals and Port Adriano are also worth walking. |
| Fort Lauderdale and South Florida | Only US citizens, green card holders and work authorisation holders may walk the docks for work. Dockwalk warns that working illegally can lead to deportation, and yachts in the Caribbean season mostly look for crew with a B1 visa. |
How to get there
- Before spendingDecide honestlyYacrew warns of long hours, shared cabins, little privacy and long spells away from home. Learn the roles before you choose deck or interior.
- FirstENG1 medicalBook an MCA-approved doctor. Do this before any course, so a medical problem does not cost you the course fee.
- 5 daysSTCW Basic Safety TrainingFive days of practical training with assessments. Popular centres fill up, so book weeks ahead.
- Before travelCV and agency registrationWrite a short CV with a good photo and your land references. Register with several agencies and keep checking in.
- Feb–May or Oct–NovArrive in a hubGo to Antibes or Palma for the Mediterranean season, or Fort Lauderdale for the Caribbean season if you can legally work there.
- Budget 3 monthsDockwalk, daywork, interviewWalk the docks every morning, take daywork, ask for written references and be ready to join a yacht at short notice.
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Questions people ask
Do I need any certificates before I go to Antibes or Palma?
Yes. YPI Crew says every crew member needs STCW Basic Safety Training and a recognised seafarer medical, usually the ENG1, and that an agent cannot place you without both. Get the medical first.
How long will I need to support myself?
No regulator sets a figure. The UK agency wilsonhalligan, quoted by Dockwalk, advises having savings for roughly three months to cover rent, food, transport and socialising while you look.
Can I dockwalk in Fort Lauderdale on a tourist visa?
No. Bluewater says only US citizens, green card holders and work authorisation holders may legally walk the docks and look for work in the US. Dockwalk warns that working illegally there can lead to deportation.
Do land jobs count as references?
Yes, in your first season. Bluewater says land references are fine at that stage and that hospitality, carpentry, painting or varnishing experience belongs on your CV. Ask for a written reference after every day of daywork.
Should I mention a tattoo that a uniform covers?
Bluewater advises being honest about it. A guest or owner may see it when you swim or work in swimwear, and many yachts accept small tattoos if you have told them in advance.
When is the worst time to arrive?
YPI Crew says yachts are fully crewed once guests are aboard during the season. Hiring peaks before each season starts: February to May in the Mediterranean, and October to the end of November in the Caribbean.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Seafarer medical certificates
- GOV.UK: Seafarer medical certificates, how to apply
- Bluewater: STCW Basic Safety Training course
- YPI Crew: Required qualifications to work on a yacht
- YPI Crew: The two main yachting seasons
- Dockwalk: How dayworking can help yacht crew
- Yacrew: Getting a yacht job, the recruitment process
- Bluewater: Starting out in yachting, top FAQs
- Superyacht Content: Dock walking etiquette
