How do you become a yacht crew agent?

What does a yacht crew agent do?

A crew agent fills vacancies on yachts. One Fort Lauderdale advert for a placement coordinator lists the work: getting to know candidates, reviewing CVs, interviewing, checking references, working with clients and keeping the candidate database up to date. It wants someone who can handle several vacancies at once in a busy office.

Senior posts add business development. A Fort Lauderdale advert for a head of crew placement covers running searches from the first brief to placement, agreeing the package and cruising programme, checking certificates and references, and keeping in touch with placed crew and their captains. It also includes attending boat shows and crew events and handling candidate data in line with GDPR.

Why agencies hire former crew

You cannot judge a deck CV well until you know what a bosun does on a 60m yacht in a busy charter season. Advertisers say this plainly. One US agency names knowledge of crew roles, certifications and industry requirements as a welcome extra. Another asks for recent hands-on experience aboard a yacht, or in a brokerage or management company.

The trade has worked this way for a long time. The Crew Network says its founder was a superyacht chef who came ashore and opened offices in Fort Lauderdale and Newport, Rhode Island, in 1989. A SuperyachtNews press release lists maritime recruiter among the natural shore careers for former crew, because you already know the demands placed on new crew.

How are crew agents paid?

The model varies by agency, so read the package closely. A Fort Lauderdale placement coordinator post on Yotspot, with a start date of 28 October 2026, offered 60,000 US dollars a year plus commission on placements, charters and sales. It asked for one to two years of yachting experience.

Some posts pay commission only. Ocean Earth Chefs advertised a shore-based role in Spain leading its chef recruitment desk at 50% commission on successful placements. The agency says an average placement brings 3,500 to 6,000 euros in commission. That figure is the employer's own claim in an advert, not a survey. Treat any earnings promise in a commission-only post with care until you see a track record.

What MLC rules apply to crew recruitment?

Title 1.4 of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 governs recruitment and placement services. In the UK, the MCA sets this out in MGN 475 (M) Amendment 2, published in June 2026. An agency must not pass any recruitment or placement fee to the seafarer. The only exceptions are a national statutory medical certificate, the national seafarer's book and a passport. Visa costs fall on the shipowner.

The agency must check each candidate's identity, experience, training and qualifications. It must let crew examine their seafarer employment agreement before and after signing and give them a copy. It must hold insurance or an equivalent system of protection to cover crew losses, and since amending regulations in 2026 it must tell crew about that protection. Blacklists are banned, and records must be kept for at least a year.

The UK has no mandatory licence for these agencies. The MCA runs a voluntary certification scheme and publishes a list of certified agencies on GOV.UK. Shipowners must use agencies based in a country that has ratified the MLC, or agencies that meet Standard A1.4.5. That is why agencies advertise that they are MLC compliant, and why compliance work is part of a consultant's job.

What you need

• Time on boardAdverts ask for yachting experience. One entry-level coordinator post asked for one to two years, and a head of department post asked for five years or more.
• Knowledge of ticketsYou must be able to check whether a candidate holds the training, qualifications and authorisations a post needs. MLC rules require the agency to carry out these checks.
• Recruitment experience for senior postsA head of crew placement advert asked for at least three years of yacht crew recruitment, plus some experience leading others.
• Communication and organisationAgencies want people who build relationships, take care over detail and can run several searches at once.
• Right to workShore posts need the local right to work. A Fort Lauderdale advert asked for a green card or US citizenship.
• Data handlingConsultants hold personal data on crew. One US advert requires candidate data to be handled in line with GDPR.

How to get there

1. Crew yearsBuild time on boardWork in a yacht department and learn its roles, tickets and hiring habits. Advertisers ask for this before anything else.
2. ThroughoutKeep your networkCaptains and heads of department you have worked with become the clients and candidates of a crew agent.
3. Leaving crew lifeTake a first shore postApply for coordinator or consultant posts at agencies. Shore-based recruitment consultant jobs appear on yacht job boards such as Yotspot.
4. First year ashoreLearn the compliance sideLearn the MLC Title 1.4 duties: no fees to crew, checks on identity and qualifications, employment agreement handling and record keeping.
5. Three years or moreMove into a senior or specialist deskWith a track record, consultants lead teams or run a specialist desk, such as chef recruitment.

Related pages

• Crew Recruitment Consultant role guide
• Crew Coordinator role guide
• Moving ashore: where crew careers go next

Sources

1. GOV.UK / MCA: MGN 475 (M) Amendment 2, MLC 2006 recruitment and placement
2. Yotspot: Recruitment Consultant, Fort Lauderdale (Blue Oceans Yachting)
3. Yotspot: Senior Recruitment Consultant, Fort Lauderdale (Reardon Yacht Consulting)
4. Yotspot: Recruitment Consultant, chef desk (Ocean Earth Chefs)
5. Yotspot: Crew agent and recruitment consultant jobs
6. The Crew Network: our history
7. SuperyachtNews: shore-based careers for former superyacht crew