How to become a Professional Sailing Crew / Race Crew
Nobody starts as a Professional Sailing Crew / Race Crew. The usual path starts as a Daywork Deckhand, a job you can get with no yacht experience, and reaches Professional Sailing Crew / Race Crew at about year 1 to 4 of a yacht career.
The pathFrom no experience to Professional Sailing Crew / Race Crew. A typical path, not a rule.
Daywork Deckhand
Year 0. Pay from about US$2,200 a month. Short-term deck work paid by the day: washdowns, sanding and varnish prep.
Deckhand
Year 0-1. Pay from about US$3,000 a month. Deckhands keep a superyacht's exterior spotless, handle lines and tenders, run water toys and stand watches.
Professional Sailing Crew / Race Crew
Year 1-4. Pay from about US$3,300 a month. Skilled sailors who race and deliver sailing superyachts and maxis, handling bow, pit, grinding and trim on regatta days and the boat in between.
Before you applyWhat a Daywork Deckhand needs, from the Daywork Deckhand guide
Must have
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical (or recognised equivalent)
Gets you hired
- STCW PDSD
- RYA Powerboat Level 2
- VHF SRC radio licence
- RYA Competent Crew
- Food Hygiene Level 2 (for galley or mess help)
Later, for Professional Sailing Crew / Race Crew
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical certificate
Visas
- EU passport or valid right to work for Med daywork
- B1/B2 for joining yachts in the US
- C1/D for transiting to join a vessel
What counts instead of yacht experienceOur advice
Captains hire a Daywork Deckhand for washdowns and chamois work, sanding and varnish prep and stainless and brightwork polishing. With no yacht job behind you, show the same skills from work ashore. A background in watersports and boat handling is the closest match, for example work as a watersports instructor.
Write each job on your CV as what you did, with numbers: how many guests, how many boats, how many covers. Then list every skill below that you can prove.
- Washdowns and chamois work
- Sanding and varnish prep
- Stainless and brightwork polishing
- Teak cleaning and care
- Line handling and fendering
- Punctuality and work ethic
Your first stepsIn the order we suggest
Get the tickets a Daywork Deckhand must hold
You need STCW Basic Safety Training and ENG1 medical before a yacht can put you to work as a Daywork Deckhand.
STCW and ENG1: what they are and what they cost →Write a first Daywork Deckhand CV
Keep it to one page. Put your tickets and your start date at the top, then the work that transfers: watersports and boat handling.
See a Daywork Deckhand CV example →Create your crew profile
Upload that CV and we build your profile from it. Your name and contact details stay hidden. Captains and recruiters contact you. It is free.
Create your crew profile →Apply and look for daywork
Apply to open jobs and to crew agencies, and take daywork: a few paid days on a yacht is how most first-time crew get a reference.
Daywork Deckhand guide →Step up to Deckhand
The usual path puts Deckhand at year 0 to 1. Pay starts from about US$3,000 a month.
How to become a Deckhand →
QuestionsMore in the green crew guide
Can I become a Professional Sailing Crew / Race Crew with no experience?
Not directly. Professional Sailing Crew / Race Crew is mid level work. The usual path starts as a Daywork Deckhand, which you can get with no yacht experience, and reaches Professional Sailing Crew / Race Crew at about year 1 to 4.
How long does it take to become a Professional Sailing Crew / Race Crew?
The usual path puts Professional Sailing Crew / Race Crew at about year 1 to 4 of a yacht career, after Daywork Deckhand and Deckhand. It is a typical path, not a rule: time on busy yachts and the tickets you pass move it.
What does a Daywork Deckhand earn at the start?
From about US$2,200 a month, by our Daywork Deckhand guide. Daywork pays a day rate, usually around EUR 100-150 in the Med and USD 150-200 in Fort Lauderdale, paid in cash or by transfer, with lunch included. These figures assume about 20 working days a month. Full months are rare, and there is no leave, accommodation or flights.
Other paths from Daywork DeckhandAll roles
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