Personal Trainer

The work is coaching people who can buy any trainer in the world. You run one-to-one sessions in the gym, lead group classes on the sundeck, and take guests running, cycling or hiking ashore. You write programmes for each regular guest, track their progress and keep notes on injuries and preferences. When the owner is away you maintain the gym, check equipment, order kit and plan for the next trip. On many yachts you also run crew fitness sessions.

With the owner aboard, your day follows theirs. A session can move from 07:00 to 22:00 with an hour's notice, and you need to be ready either way. Charter guests are less predictable: some book every day, some never come. On a 60m to 80m yacht the trainer usually carries a second role, such as stew, deckhand or massage therapist. On 100m and above you are more likely to be a full-time specialist working inside a spa team.

Yachts hire trainers with solid land experience first. A Level 3 Personal Trainer qualification or a sports science degree is the baseline, and private client or high-end gym experience counts for a lot. Yoga, Pilates, sports massage or physiotherapy skills make you far easier to place. Captains want someone discreet, presentable and willing to help elsewhere when the gym is quiet. You still need STCW Basic Safety and an ENG1 like every other crew member.

Progression is less linear than on deck or in engineering. Some trainers stay with one owner for years and become part of the family's routine, which is the best paid and most secure version of the job. Others move into spa manager or wellness lead roles on large yachts, running a team of therapists. Many use the network and savings to set up a private training business ashore, often in Monaco, London or Miami.