Fleet Captain
A fleet captain runs more than one yacht at once. Usually that means a private owner with a main yacht, a support vessel, perhaps a sailing yacht and a chase boat, all needing the same standards, crews and paperwork. It is the senior seagoing job in private yachting, and a lot of it happens on a laptop and a phone.
The jobWhat fills the day
The fleet captain is the owner's single point of contact for everything afloat. Each yacht keeps its own captain, who stays responsible for the vessel under the flag and the ISM Code. The fleet captain sits above them, sets the standards and makes the calls that affect more than one hull: which yacht goes where for the season, how crew are shared, which refit goes to which yard, and how the budget is split. Expect to sign off annual budgets, approve senior hires, chair captains' meetings and spend a lot of time travelling between boats.
With the owner aboard, you usually sail as master of the flagship or join as the owner's adviser. You coordinate the support vessel carrying the helicopter, submarine or toys so the main yacht stays clear. Out of season the job moves ashore: yard visits, surveys, insurance renewals, new-build specifications. A two-yacht fleet under 60m may be run by one captain doubling as fleet captain. Large fleets with a 100m+ flagship and a shadow vessel often have a small office, a technical superintendent and a purser reporting in.
Owners hire people they already trust. Most fleet captains were promoted from master of the owner's main yacht after years of service, or came in through a management company that knows their record. You need an unlimited Master (Yachts) or Master 3000gt CoC and a long command history on 60m+ yachts. You also need at least one new build or major refit behind you and a clean safety and audit record. Discretion counts as much as seamanship. Very few of these jobs are advertised openly.
This is close to the top of the seagoing ladder. From here people move ashore as fleet managers, yacht managers or owner's representatives on new builds. Some go back to a single command with a lighter workload. Others take a wider family office role that covers aviation and property as well. The skills that matter for the next step are commercial: contracts, budgets, managing captains who are experienced masters themselves, and reporting clearly to a board or family office.
Skills captains look for
- Multi-vessel budgeting
- ISM and flag compliance
- New build and refit oversight
- Managing senior captains
- Family office liaison
- Fleet crew rotation planning
- Contract negotiation
A day aboardTuesday at the refit yard in La Ciotat, three-yacht fleet
Calls with the flagship captain in Antibes and the support vessel captain in Palma to confirm the week's moves and crew changes.
Walk the drydock with the yard project manager. Review the schedule and change orders on the 65m, which is in for her five-year survey.
Budget review. Compare refit spend with the approved figure and flag two overruns to the family office before they grow.
Lunch with the yard manager and the chief engineer, mostly about paint.
Video interview with a candidate captain for the sailing yacht, shortlisted by the crew agency.
Go through the internal ISM audit from the support vessel and agree corrective actions with her captain and the DPA.
Draft the summer deployment plan: flagship to Sardinia and Greece, support vessel carrying the tenders, toys and helicopter crew.
Dinner ashore, phone on the table in case the owner's office calls from another time zone.
Pay by yacht sizeMonthly, before tips. Estimates. Bars share one scale.
Usually a permanent year-round salary paid monthly, often with an annual bonus, health cover and flights. Fleet captains rarely share charter tips, and rotation is uncommon because owners want continuity. See the Captain & Relief Captain salary guide for figures from live adverts.
Tickets and visas
Must have
- Master (Yachts) Unlimited or Master 3000gt CoC
- STCW Basic Safety with in-date refreshers
- ENG1 medical
- GMDSS GOC
- HELM (Management)
Gets you hired
- Ship Security Officer (SSO)
- ISM internal or lead auditor course
- Designated Person Ashore course
- Project management qualification such as PRINCE2
- Commercial endorsement for charter fleets
Visas
- US B1/B2 or C1/D
- Schengen right to work or residency
- Multiple-entry visas for fleet cruising grounds
Where it leadsA typical career path
Captain & Relief Captain jobsOpen now on SuperyachtRoles.com
Questions crew ask
How is a fleet captain different from a yacht manager?
A yacht manager usually works for a shore-based company and runs technical, crew and compliance services for several owners. A fleet captain works directly for one owner, holds a master's ticket and can still take command at sea. On many fleets the two work side by side.
Do fleet captains still command a yacht?
Often, yes. Many sail as master of the flagship during the owner's season and manage the rest of the fleet around it. On larger fleets the flagship has its own captain and the fleet captain's role is supervisory.
How do I get the job?
Mostly by promotion. When an owner grows from one yacht to several, they tend to promote the captain they already trust. Stay with one owner for years, deliver a new build on budget and keep your audit records clean.
Is the pay tax-free?
It can be if you are employed as seagoing crew on a non-resident contract. Fleet captains based in a family office in Monaco, London or Florida are often salaried under local rules. Take professional advice on residency before you sign.