What does rotation mean on a yacht?
Rotation means a fixed pattern of months aboard and months off, with someone else covering your post while you are away. The numbers give months on, then months off. A 5:1 is five months aboard and one month at home. A 3:1 is three on and one off. A 2:2 means equal time, and YPI Crew's tables call it equal rotation. A standard job is different. You hold the post all year and take an agreed allowance of leave, often 60 days on mid-size yachts, whenever the programme lets you go.
Do the arithmetic before you compare offers. Over a year, a 5:1 gives you about two months at home, which is close to a 60-day leave package. A 3:1 gives about three months. A 2:2 gives about six. On a 2:2 the yacht employs two people for your post, so you hand over to an equal who runs the job while you are ashore. A Dockwalk feature says rotational engineers are still paid monthly, and that benefits such as health insurance are kept.
Which posts get rotation, and on what size of yacht?
Rotation follows seniority and yacht size. In YPI Crew's 2026 tables, captains get 60 days below 40m, either 60 days or equal rotation between 40m and 60m, and equal rotation from 60m. Chief officers get 60 days or 45–60 days below 50m, then 60-plus days or equal rotation at 50–60m, and equal rotation from 60m. Chief engineers are non-rotational at 30–40m, either non-rotational or equal rotation at 40–50m, and on equal rotation from 50m. Second engineers on yachts of 50m and over, plus ETOs and pursers on yachts of 60m and over, are also listed on equal rotation.
Junior crew get less. YPI lists junior deckhands at 45 days of leave on yachts under 40m, 90 days or 3:1 rotation at 60–80m, and 3:1 rotation from 80m. Bosuns move to 3:1 from 60m. Junior stews show 60 days or more up to 80m and 90 days or more above that, with no rotation printed. Head chefs are listed on 2:2 or non-rotational from 30m. YPI's interior recruiter says most stew rotations are on private yachts of 100m and over, and that charter yachts mostly give standard leave.
How do pay and leave compare with a 60-day post?
YPI Crew's guide says a rotational salary usually carries a monthly reduction of 10 to 20%. It also says owners offer rotation to attract a larger pool of committed crew. The tables often print a single range covering both options. For example, a captain on a 40–50m yacht is shown at €8,500–12,500 a month with "60 days or equal rotation". Read that range as the full-time figure, and expect a rotational offer to come in lower.
Accounts of how big the cut is vary. A Dockwalk feature puts rotational engineer pay at about two-thirds of a full-time wage. Weigh the money against the time. On a 2:2 you are aboard roughly half the year and paid every month. A 60-day post pays more each month but keeps you aboard about ten months. Whichever you choose, the MLC floor still applies: GOV.UK says all seafarers are entitled to at least four weeks' paid annual leave.
How do you get a rotational job?
The usual route is to stay on one good yacht for a long time and move up. Superyacht Content says that equal-time rotation in a first yacht job is very rare, though not unheard of. YPI's interior recruiter lists what heads of department ask for in a stew rotation: about 18 months in the industry, with at least 12 months on one yacht, plus experience on yachts of 80m and over, extra skills such as barista, cocktails or floristry, and PDSD and Food Hygiene Level 2 already in hand.
For officers and engineers, rank and ticket count most, because YPI ties chief engineer pay to the ticket each size of yacht needs. Aim for private yachts of 50m and over if you are senior, and 80m to 100m-plus if you are junior. Rotational posts are wanted by many crew, so you will face strong competition and need good references. A Dockwalk feature also notes that many mid-size yachts are now creating permanent relief posts so crew can recharge.
What you need
- LongevityYPI's interior recruiter says heads of department want about 18 months in yachting, including at least 12 months on one yacht.
- Experience on similar-sized yachtsMost rotational posts are on large yachts, so heads of department look for time on yachts of a similar size, 80m and over for stews.
- Rank and ticketEqual rotation is mainly offered to heads of department and senior officers and engineers, and YPI ties chief engineer pay to the ticket the yacht needs.
- Extra skillsFor interior crew, skills such as barista, cocktails and floristry help a CV reach the shortlist.
- Interior certificatesYPI says stew rotations usually ask for PDSD and Food Hygiene Level 2 already in hand.
- ReferencesRotational posts draw strong competition, so a long stay and good references from your last yacht carry real weight.
How to get there
- Year 1Start on standard leaveMost first jobs come with a set leave allowance or a 5:1, which YPI calls the usual rotation for junior stews.
- Year 1-2Stay on one good yachtComplete at least 12 months on one well-run yacht and leave with strong references.
- Year 1-2Add skills and certificatesInterior crew add PDSD, Food Hygiene Level 2 and service skills. Deck and engineering crew work towards the next ticket.
- Year 2+Target large private yachtsWith around 18 months behind you, apply for 3:1 posts on private yachts of 80m to 100m-plus.
- Senior yearsMove into a senior postEqual rotation is mostly given to captains, chief officers, chief engineers and other heads of department, usually on yachts over 50m.
Open now on SuperyachtRoles.com
Related pages
Questions people ask
What does 2:2 mean on a yacht?
It means two months aboard followed by two months off, with an equal colleague covering your post while you are away. YPI Crew calls this equal rotation. Its 2026 tables mostly show it for captains, chief officers, chief engineers, ETOs and pursers on larger yachts.
Do you get paid during your time off on rotation?
A Dockwalk feature says rotational engineers are still paid monthly, and that benefits such as health insurance are kept. The monthly rate is lower than for a full-time post. YPI Crew puts the reduction at usually 10 to 20%.
Can junior crew get a rotational job?
Sometimes, though it is uncommon. YPI Crew lists 90 days or 3:1 rotation for junior deckhands at 60–80m and 3:1 from 80m, and its interior recruiter says 5:1 is the usual pattern for junior stews. Superyacht Content says equal-time rotation in a first yacht job is very rare.
Are rotational jobs more common on private or charter yachts?
YPI's interior recruiter says most stew rotations are on private yachts of 100m and over. Charter yachts mostly give standard leave because it keeps crew numbers, flights and admin down.
What is the minimum leave a yacht must give crew?
GOV.UK says all seafarers on seagoing ships are entitled to at least four weeks' paid annual leave under the Maritime Labour Convention 2006. Nautilus International works this out as 2.5 days a month, or 30 days a year, and notes that some flag states give more.
Sources
- YPI Crew: Yacht Crew Salary Guide 2026
- YPI Crew: The truth about rotational yacht jobs for Stews
- Dockwalk: Is yacht crew rotation the future?
- Superyacht Content: Yacht crew rotational jobs, good or bad?
- GOV.UK: Seafarer working and living rights, conditions of employment
- Nautilus International: annual leave for superyacht crew
