How does a yacht CV differ from a shore CV?
Yotspot says captains and recruiters spend under 30 seconds on a first look, so the yacht CV is short and built to be scanned. It also carries personal details that a shore CV would usually leave out. Expect to give your date of birth, nationality, the passports and visas you hold, where you are now, whether you smoke and whether you have visible tattoos. Bluewater puts these in a sidebar so a captain finds them at once.
Current location matters more than it would ashore. Superyacht Content notes that captains use it to plan your flights once you are hired, and Yotspot says it decides whether you are close enough to be called for daywork. Keep it up to date each time you move port. Give one WhatsApp number that stays the same and a plain, professional email address.
The photo, tickets and medical
Yachts expect a photo. YPI Crew says it should be recent and framed from the shoulders up, with a clean background, a smile and a tidy polo or shirt. Leave out sunglasses, hats, filters, holiday shots and selfies. Bluewater suggests a white polo with the sea or boats behind you, and a file under 250 KB. Quay Crew warns against using a photo taken ten years and two promotions ago.
List your tickets with the date issued and the expiry date. Where a certificate has no expiry, give the year you completed it. Put the ENG1 in that list. YPI Crew says a seafarer medical is normally valid for up to two years, and it advises keeping an eye on the expiry date. Keep maritime certificates apart from other qualifications such as diving, wine or carpentry, so the mandatory tickets stand out.
Yacht history, sea time and references
List yachts newest first. Give the yacht name and length, your position and the start and end dates in months and years. Quay Crew says a season on a named yacht, or 2021 to 2022, tells them nothing. They need the months to judge your experience and to spot gaps. Give three to five short points on duties for each yacht. Green crew should list daywork too, with the port, the dates and the number of days worked.
The CV states your sea time, but you prove it with papers. For engineer tickets, MCA notice MSN 1859 asks for a discharge book or certificates of discharge with yacht service testimonials, or a PYA or other MCA-approved service record book. The testimonials must be signed, stamped and dated by the master or chief engineer. Your CV dates should match those papers. For references, give the captain or head of department with yacht name, position, email and phone. If your current yacht must not know you are looking, say so on the CV.
Do and do not
Do send a PDF, use one plain font such as Calibri or Arial, put yacht names in bold and name the file with your name and role. Do open with a short summary naming the job you want, and keep a separate CV for each role you apply for. Do update the CV the day you start a new job, because recruiters search by current position. Do say so on the CV if you have tattoos that show in a t-shirt.
Do not use colour blocks or decorative borders. Many CVs are printed. Bluewater and YPI Crew both say heavy design wastes ink, and YPI Crew adds that it can be hard to read in black and white. Do not keep old daywork or student jobs once you are four or five years into yachting. Do not list expired certificates or write about past jobs in the present tense. Do not use AI to inflate your experience. Yotspot puts it plainly: the industry is small, and lies come out.
What you need
- Personal detailsFull name, phone with country code, WhatsApp, email, date of birth, nationality, passports and visas held, current location and availability.
- Smoker and tattoosState yes or no for each. Bluewater says agencies will ask about visible tattoos anyway, so be honest from the start.
- HeadshotA recent head-and-shoulders photo in a polo or smart shirt, smiling, with no sunglasses, hats, filters or selfies.
- Tickets with expirySTCW modules, PDSD, food hygiene and any CoC, each with its issue and expiry date. If a certificate has no expiry, give the year you completed it.
- ENG1List your seafarer medical with its expiry date. YPI Crew says it is normally valid for up to two years.
- Dated yacht historyYacht name and length, your position, and start and end dates in months and years, newest first.
- ReferencesTwo or three, ideally the captain or head of department, with yacht name, position, email and phone.
How to get there
- Before arrivingFirst CVOne page. Lead with a summary naming the role you want, then your tickets and ENG1, then any shore work that carries over to yachts, such as hotels, fine dining, trades or watersports.
- First weeksAdd dayworkMake a yachting experience heading and list daywork with the port, the dates and the number of days, plus the main tasks.
- First seasonFirst full-time yachtAdd the yacht, length, position and month-and-year dates on the day you start. Add the captain or head of department as a reference when you leave.
- Year 4-5 onwardTrim as you progressRemove early daywork and unrelated shore jobs once yacht roles fill the page. Keep to two pages and use a separate CV for each role you target.
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Questions people ask
How long should a yacht crew CV be?
If you are new to yachting, aim for one page. Bluewater and Yotspot set two pages as the maximum, and YPI Crew calls two pages ideal for experienced crew. Wilson Halligan, writing in Superyacht Content, allows three pages at the very most.
Do I really need a photo on a yacht CV?
Yes. YPI Crew says a photo is standard practice in yachting. Use a recent, well-lit head-and-shoulders shot in a polo or smart shirt, smiling, with no sunglasses, hats or filters.
Should I put references on the CV or write 'available on request'?
Bluewater says always list them and never write 'available on request'. Wilson Halligan accepts either approach. Agencies such as Quay Crew want your current or most recent captain or head of department before they put you forward, so listing names and contact details saves time.
How should I show tickets and my ENG1?
List each certificate by name with the issue date and expiry date, and give the year of completion where there is no expiry. Keep mandatory maritime tickets in their own section, apart from hobby or leisure qualifications. Remove anything that has expired.
How do I show sea time on my CV?
Give exact month-and-year dates for every yacht so a recruiter can work out your time on board and see any gaps. For a ticket, the MCA needs documentary proof. For engineers, MSN 1859 lists a discharge book or certificates of discharge with signed yacht service testimonials, or an approved service record book.
Should I mention that I am job hunting confidentially?
Yes. Quay Crew asks crew to say on the CV if they are looking confidentially. That way the agency will not contact your current yacht without your knowledge.
Sources
- Yotspot: yacht crew CV template and interview tips
- YPI Crew: how to write a CV for yachting
- Bluewater: crafting your first yachting CV
- Quay Crew: 9 crew CV mistakes to avoid
- Superyacht Content: superyacht CV mistakes (Wilson Halligan)
- Superyacht Content: how to put together the perfect yachting CV
- YPI Crew: seafarer medical certificate (ENG1)
- Maritime and Coastguard Agency: MSN 1859 engineer certification for yachts
