Captain / Steward
Yachts under 30m rarely have the cabins or the budget for separate deck and interior crew. The Captain / Steward holds the command ticket and also carries the drinks tray. You plan the trip and berth the boat, then make the beds and serve lunch. The job suits experienced small-boat skippers who are calm, tidy and good with people.
The jobWhat fills the day
You are the master in law. That means safety, navigation, weather calls, flag paperwork, survey preparation and the condition of the hull and machinery all sit with you. On top of that you do the interior work: guest welcome, drinks and lunch service, cabins, laundry, heads, flowers and provisioning. On most boats you also keep the accounts and deal with marinas, agents and contractors. There is nobody below you to hand the boring jobs to, so the standard of the whole boat is your standard.
Size changes the job a lot. A 15-20m day boat in Antibes or Mykonos may never take overnight guests. You drive the owner and friends to a beach club, serve a cold lunch and bring them home by six. On 20-24m you might have one deckhand or a chef and a few overnight trips. On 24-30m charter boats, and on Caribbean catamarans in the BVI, the role is often half of a couple, with your partner cooking. Without guests the job turns into maintenance, contractors and keeping the boat ready for a call at short notice.
Owners hire one person they trust completely. They want a safe pair of hands at the helm and someone who looks after their guests the way a good steward would. Most hires hold the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore with commercial endorsement or the MCA Master 200gt, have several years running small boats, and have some hospitality background. Couples with a captain and a chef or stew are in steady demand. Owners also take references seriously. Discretion and reliability count for more than a long CV.
There are two common routes forward. Some captains stay on small boats with a good owner for many years, which pays well for the size and gives a settled life in Palma, the Côte d'Azur or Fort Lauderdale. Others work up to Master 500gt and later Master 3000gt and move to bigger yachts as a full-time captain, with interior handed to a chief stew. A few move ashore into yacht management or charter management, where the owner-facing experience counts for a lot.
Skills captains look for
- Close-quarters boat handling
- Guest service and table setting
- Cabin and laundry care
- Provisioning and budgets
- Owner and guest communication
- Basic engine maintenance
- Wine and cocktail service
A day aboardOwner day trip, 20m motor yacht, Porto Cervo, Sardinia
Engine room checks, fluid levels and generator log. You check the forecast for the Maddalena islands and decide on the anchorage.
Wash down the decks, polish the stainless and dry the cockpit cushions. You put out fresh towels and fill the ice machine.
The provisioning delivery arrives, so you stow it, chill the wine and lay the aft deck table. Flowers go in the saloon and cabins get a final check.
Guests board. You serve welcome drinks, give the safety brief, slip lines and head out for a gentle run to Spargi.
Anchor, set the swim platform and launch the paddleboards. You plate the lunch the owner's caterer prepared and do the wine service.
Guests are swimming and dozing. You eat in the galley and keep an eye on the anchor alarm.
Weigh anchor and run home, then berth stern-to in the marina with a dock hand on the lines. You hand guests ashore with their bags.
Strip and clean the heads, start the laundry, wash glassware and do a fresh-water rinse of the decks and toys.
Fill in the log and the expense sheet, then message the owner with tomorrow's plan and weather. Once the boat is locked up, the day is done.
Pay by yacht sizeMonthly, before tips. Estimates. Bars share one scale.
With so few crew, charter tips of 10-20% split very well, and a busy season can add several months' pay. Freelance day work on day boats pays USD 300-500 a day. Permanent roles usually come with 4-6 weeks' leave. See the Captain & Relief Captain salary guide for figures from live adverts.
Tickets and visas
Must have
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical
- RYA Yachtmaster Offshore (commercially endorsed) or MCA Master 200gt
- GMDSS GOC or SRC to suit the area
- PDSD
Gets you hired
- Food Hygiene Level 2
- GUEST interior or silver service course
- MCA Master 500gt
- Medical Care Aboard or Elementary First Aid refresher
- AEC 1
Visas
- US B1/B2
- Schengen right to work
Where it leadsA typical career path
Captain & Relief Captain jobsOpen now on SuperyachtRoles.com
Questions crew ask
Do I need formal interior training?
It is not a legal requirement, but owners notice when it is missing. A short silver service or GUEST interior course and Food Hygiene Level 2 cover the basics. Real experience as a deckhand/steward or in a good restaurant counts for even more.
Is this a job for couples?
Often it is. Many 24-30m boats and Caribbean charter catamarans hire a captain and a chef or stew together. Single captain/steward roles are more common on day boats in the Med and Florida.
Will it hold back my captaincy career?
Not if you keep upgrading your tickets. Sea time on small boats counts towards Master 500gt. The owner-facing experience is valued when you apply to bigger yachts.
How many hours a day is it?
Guest days run 12-14 hours because you handle both the deck and the interior work. Days without guests are shorter and you control them more yourself, but you are always on call.