Build Captain / New Build Captain
A build captain joins a yacht before it floats. For two to four years you live near the yard, read drawings, check every system as it goes in and argue for the owner and the future crew. Then you take her through sea trials, sign for delivery and run the first season. Few captains have done it well more than once.
The jobWhat fills the day
The job starts long before steel is cut. A build captain sits in on general arrangement reviews, specification meetings and interior design sessions, and asks the questions designers forget. Where does the crew mess go. Can a deckhand reach that hatch. Will the tender crane clear the rail. Once the hull is in the shed, the work moves to inspections, snag lists, class surveys and weekly progress meetings with the yard project manager.
Most of the time is spent ashore, in Holland, Germany, Italy or Turkey, often in a rented flat near Aalsmeer, Bremen, Viareggio or Antalya. You work alongside the owner's representative, the class surveyor and the yard. The chief engineer usually joins early, followed by the chief officer, chief stew and head chef in the final year. The build captain recruits them, sets standing orders, writes the SMS and ISPS plans with the management company, and orders everything from mooring lines to linen.
Owners and managers hire captains who have run a yacht of similar size and have at least one build or major refit behind them. They want someone who can read a technical specification, hold the yard to the contract without wrecking the relationship, and keep a budget honest. A calm temperament matters. Builds slip, owners change their minds, and the captain is the one explaining why a deck saloon redesign costs four months.
Many build captains go on to command the yacht for several seasons, which is the point for most owners. Others specialise, moving from one project to the next, or step ashore as owner's representatives, new build project managers or fleet captains. A first build is usually won by a captain already employed by the owner, so the common route is to become a trusted captain on a smaller yacht and move up with the same family.
Skills captains look for
- Reading technical specifications
- Shipyard contract negotiation
- Class and flag compliance
- Budget and procurement control
- Crew recruitment and onboarding
- Sea trials and commissioning
- Snagging and quality inspection
A day aboardBuild day, 78m motor yacht in the shed, northern Netherlands
Walk the hull with the chief engineer before the trades arrive. Note cable runs blocking an access panel in the engine room and photograph them for the snag log.
Weekly progress meeting with the yard project manager, owner's representative and class surveyor. Push back on a delay to the stabiliser installation and agree a revised date in writing.
Mock-up review of a guest cabin with the interior designer. Flag that the wardrobe doors clash with the bed and that the stewardess will have no room to make it.
Lunch in the yard canteen with the electrical subcontractor, which usually settles more than the formal meetings do.
Interviews by video for a second officer and two deckhands due to join three months before delivery. Check references with captains you know.
Review the draft safety management system from the management company and mark up the muster list and emergency procedures for this layout.
Approve purchase orders for tender equipment and mooring gear against the owner's supply budget, then update the cost tracker.
Short weekly report to the owner's office: progress, risks, decisions needed, photos.
Back to the rented flat. Most evenings are quiet, which is a change from running a yacht in season.
Pay by yacht sizeMonthly, before tips. Estimates. Bars share one scale.
Most build captains are paid a full command salary through the build, plus housing, a car and flights home. There are no charter tips during construction, and leave is negotiated individually since rotation rarely starts until the yacht is in service. See the Captain & Relief Captain salary guide for figures from live adverts.
Tickets and visas
Must have
- MCA Master (Yachts) 3000gt or Master Unlimited CoC
- ENG1 medical
- STCW basic training and Advanced Fire Fighting
- Proficiency in Medical Care
- Ship Security Officer
Gets you hired
- Previous new build or major refit experience
- HELM (Management)
- ISM and ISPS auditing course
- Project management training such as PRINCE2
- Familiarity with Lloyd's Register, ABS or RINA rules
Visas
- Right to live and work in the yard's country (EU passport or residence permit)
- C1/D for delivery voyages to the US
- B1/B2 for US cruising and shipyards
Where it leadsA typical career path
Captain & Relief Captain jobsOpen now on SuperyachtRoles.com
Questions crew ask
Do I need to have done a build before to get one?
For a first build, usually no, provided the owner already trusts you. Most first-time build captains are promoted by an owner they already work for. Captains applying to a new employer for a build role are almost always expected to show at least one build or major refit.
How long does a build take?
A 50m yacht from a Dutch or Italian yard typically takes two to three years from contract to delivery. Yachts over 90m often take four years or more. The build captain may join anywhere from the design stage to the final year.
Is this the same as an owner's representative?
The two jobs overlap, but they are different roles. The owner's representative manages the contract and money on the owner's behalf. The build captain focuses on how the yacht will work at sea and with crew, and usually stays on to command her.
Can I bring my family to the yard?
Often yes, because the yard years are a settled shore posting with normal hours. Many owners provide family housing near the yard. It is one of the few times in a captain's career when home life is easy to arrange.