Why Antibes is the Riviera crew base
Port Vauban is the reason. YPI Crew puts it at around 1,500 berths, and the International Yacht Club d'Antibes (IYCA) quay takes yachts up to 140m on long leases. Dockwalk calls it the Med's largest superyacht port. Big yachts stay here between seasons, so their crews live, train and hire here too. YPI also says the port went through a €135 million redevelopment.
Refit work happens in the same harbour. Monaco Marine runs a shipyard in the port with a 300-ton travel lift and workshops, so a yacht can do its yard period without leaving its base. For crew this means the town stays busy outside charter season. YPI describes Antibes as a town built around yacht crew, with training schools close by and suppliers grouped around the port.
Agencies, crew houses and training around the port
The agencies sit close to the water. The Crew Network runs a walk-in office at 12 Avenue Pasteur, about five minutes on foot from Port Vauban and the station, open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. Dockwalk's Antibes list also includes Crew & Concierge, Bluewater, Burgess Crew, Hill Robinson's Antibes office, YPI Crew and Lighthouse Careers. It places Lighthouse Careers near the train station.
Crew houses are where green crew meet each other and hear about work. Dockwalk names The Crew Grapevine, which has three houses with shared rooms and offers CV critiques and a job board, and Debbie's Crew Houses, within walking distance of Port Vauban. Superyacht Content adds The Glamorgan. Dockwalk also suggests looking at Airbnb, where you can sometimes get a cheaper flat before the season starts. You lose the crew house community, though.
Training is on the doorstep. Dockwalk lists Bluewater, Institut Nautique, SeaScope Maritime Training, Zephyr Yachting, PYT Antibes, Marine Medical Antibes, Interior Training Academy and Luxury Hospitality Academy. Between them they cover STCW, RYA, medical, Yachtmaster and interior service courses. YPI notes that many crew take courses in the quieter winter months without leaving their home port.
When to arrive, and what it costs
Sources disagree a little on timing. Bluewater says its busiest hiring runs from mid-April to the end of May and again from mid-September through October, when yachts re-crew for winter. Superyacht Content calls June to August the ideal months, with packed marinas. Superyacht Content names November to February as the worst months, because the Caribbean season is under way. If you are green, aim for the spring window and bring enough money to cover the summer.
Bring savings. In a Dockwalk feature, one junior crew member put his costs before his first job at about €2,250 for courses, €1,250 for flights and around €820 for six weeks in crew houses and flats, about €6,170 in all. A Yotspot writer recalls crew houses costing around €30 a night when he started in 2008, and says prices have since changed. Treat both as single accounts. They are not price lists.
Dockwalking on the Riviera today
Security is tighter than it used to be. Quay Crew says the International Quay at Port Vauban, once a good source of daywork, is now closed to anyone without an appointment with a yacht. Leaving a CV on a passerelle rarely works. Its advice is to plan a one- to two-week route, dress smartly, carry spare work clothes and never ring a yacht's bell while guests are on board.
Bluewater sends crew well beyond Antibes: Nice, Cannes, Golfe Juan, Monaco and Marina Baie des Anges, and into Italy at San Remo, Viareggio and Imperia. It adds La Ciotat in autumn, when many yachts are there for yard work. Bluewater also says the yachting world is small and word travels fast. Behave on a night out as you would at an interview.
What you need
- Valid ENG1 medicalBluewater asks for a valid ENG1 certificate before it will put your CV forward. Have it done before you travel.
- STCW Basic Safety TrainingThis is the entry course for yacht crew. Bluewater runs it as a five-day course in Antibes, and other local schools offer it too.
- CV, references and certificate copiesUpload them when you register online, before you walk into an agency. Land-based references count.
- Smart dockwalking kitWear a clean polo shirt, shorts and deck shoes, and carry spare clothes in case a yacht takes you on for daywork that day.
- Savings to live onOne crew member in a Dockwalk feature spent about €6,170 before landing a first job. That included around €820 on six weeks' accommodation.
How to get there
- Before arrivalBook a bedBook a crew house bed before you arrive if you can. The house notice board and the other people staying there are your first job leads.
- Day 1Register onlineSign up with the agencies' online databases. Upload your CV, references, certificates and ENG1, and give a phone number with the country code.
- Days 1-3Visit the agenciesGo in person, dressed smartly and on time. Bluewater interviews crew without appointments, Monday to Friday from 9am to 12pm.
- Days 2-7Plan a dockwalk routePlan routes by train from Antibes along the coast as far as Italy. Make it a one- to two-week schedule.
- DailyLook for dayworkCheck Facebook groups and crew house boards for daywork, and only apply for work you are qualified to do.
- Every weekStay in touchCheck in with your agencies online at least twice a week so they know you are still available. Keep your phone on you.
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Questions people ask
Is Antibes a good place to look for a first yacht job?
Yes. Port Vauban has around 1,500 berths, and agencies, crew houses and schools are a short walk away. A Hill Robinson recruiter told Dockwalk that people who go to hubs such as Antibes have a better chance than those who wait at home.
When should green crew arrive in Antibes?
Bluewater sees the most new jobs from mid-April to the end of May and from mid-September through October. Superyacht Content rates June to August highest. Avoid November to February, when much of the fleet is in the Caribbean.
Can I still dockwalk at Port Vauban?
Only partly. Quay Crew says the International Quay is now closed to anyone without an appointment with a yacht. Widen your route to Cannes, Nice, Monaco and the Italian ports.
Do I need an appointment with an Antibes crew agency?
Not always. Bluewater interviews without appointments on weekday mornings, and The Crew Network runs a walk-in office. Register online and upload your documents first.
How much does a crew house in Antibes cost?
No current published rate was found. A Yotspot writer recalls about €30 a night around 2008 and says prices have changed since. One crew member told Dockwalk he spent about €820 on six weeks of crew houses and flats.
Sources
- YPI Crew: Why Port Vauban is the Riviera's go-to homeport
- Dockwalk: Best crew recruitment agencies in Antibes
- Dockwalk: Top crew houses and accommodation in Antibes
- Dockwalk: Yacht crew training centres in Antibes
- The Crew Network: TCN Antibes office
- Bluewater: New to yachting?
- Superyacht Content: Best and worst times to find crew jobs in Antibes
- Quay Group: How to really dockwalk
- Dockwalk: How much does it cost to become yacht crew?
- Yotspot: Finding accommodation for yacht professionals
