work on a yacht no experience

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How to Work on a Superyacht, with no Experience

Working in the superyacht industry looks like the dream job, right? But, how do you get started with no work experience? With over 12 years in the industry, interviewing and hiring countless candidates across various positions, we know first hand what information you require to get your first real crew job on a superyacht. In this post we highlight some of the features of our “Beginners Guide to Yachting” Ebook which explains all you need to know from how to get your CV yacht perfect, typical daily stewardess or deckhand duties, how to find day wo rk, and more.

What kinds of entry level positions could I apply for? 

The two most common entry level positions on yachts are stewardess and deckhand jobs. These are both junior ranks whose primary concern is to keep the guests happy and ensure the interior and exterior are kept immaculately clean.

What previous experience is useful when looking for a job on a yacht?

While working on a yacht is certainly different to any land-based career, there are a few land-based jobs that would have equipped you with skills useful on a vessel.  Jobs that may be useful include: 

• Hospitality-related jobs
• Waiting tables in a high-end restaurant 
• Child care or au pairing 
• Carpentry 
• Sports or diving instructor 

If you have already completed some form or degree or diploma in engineering or mechanics, this is also considered a huge plus. 

Are there specific qualifications I need? 

Yes. You will need an STCW 10 certificate to understand basic safety protocols, as well as an ENG1 Medical Certificate to prove that your health is in good enough shape to join a vessel. Get Onboard Superyacht Academy offers complete STCW and ENG1 training in Cape Town, South Africa. These are the only compulsory documents needed, but if you are interested in a specific role, we offer specialised courses to equip you for these. 

How do I get my first job on a yacht?

Once you are qualified, follow these steps: 

• Construct a CV. Be sure to include all relevant information and documents, as well as a friendly, yet professional photo of yourself. Download our free template for a starting point. 
• Pick a location to start. Antibes in France, Palma de Mallorca in Spain, and Fort Lauderdale in Florida are great places to start out as a newbie. 
• Find some day work. This is work outside of a formal contract, which may involve helping out for a day to several weeks. Day work is an excellent opportunity to network, build contacts in the industry, and get a foot in on your journey to securing a more permanent job. 

How much money do you make working on a yacht?

The standard entry level salary for a junior stewardess or deckhand ranges between €2,000 – €2,500 or $2,300 – $2,800 per month. This amount is generally tax free, although the onus is on each crew member to check with their home county about tax obligations. Certain countries are tax exempt, provided you spend more than six months out of the county.

Check out our salary guidelines for more information. Still have questions? Get in touch with us , we’d love to help you navigate the seas of yachting!

Needing more?

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RYA/MCA Online

1. what are the basic requirements you need to be eligible to work in the yachting industry, 2. what is the stcw and why do i need it, 3. what is the eng1 medical certificate, 4. what land based experience will help me find a super yacht job, 5. what are the different departments onboard, 6. what crew training is required for me to work as a junior deckhand.

• Yachtmaster/Coastal Skipper Theory
• Yachtmaster/Coastal Practical
• Specialist Super Yacht Training Course (Deck Hand Training Course)
• RYA Power Boat Level II
• RYA Personal Watercraft Course
• RYA Competent Crew Certificate
• RYA Day Skipper Theory and Practical Certificates
• VHF Radio Operator’s License

7. What crew training is required for me to work as a junior stewardess?

• Stewardess Course
• Proficiency in Designated Security Duties (PDSD)
• MCA Food Safety Level 2
• RYA Powerboat Level 2

8. How do I book my training courses?

9. how do i get my first job on a yacht, 10. are these courses worth it, or am i just wasting my money, 11. will i get hired for my first job from south africa, 12. what is daywork, 13. what are the best locations to get a yacht job, 14. how much can a motor yacht stewardess or deckhand earn, 15. what are the negatives of working on a yacht, 16. what are the positives of working on a yacht, 17. is working on a super yacht for everyone, 18. what is the minimum age to work on a yacht, 19. is accommodation provided when i am completing my yacht training in cape town.

Impartial training and careers advice

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+441983 280 641

• Get A Job On A Yacht With No Experience

Are you looking for yacht jobs but have no experience? No problem!

We’re not saying it will be as easy for you as it would be for a more experienced person, but there are still loads of opportunities if you know where – and how – to look for them.

Entry-level roles on a yacht are typically the best place to start

It goes without saying that you won’t get a job as a yacht captain if you’ve never worked on a yacht! You’ll need to set your sights a little lower at first, even if a captaincy is your eventual goal.

But don’t despair; you can still get yacht jobs with no experience – if you know how to go about it! The best place to start for most people is with an entry-level position. This most often means going for a job as a Deckhand or Stewardess.

We’d love to tell you that opportunities are blind to gender – they are supposed to be, after all – but in reality, females are far more likely to be hired as Stewardesses, and males as Deckhands.

This isn’t universal though, so once you have a job on board and have proven your value and reliability, it is easier to shift to a different position that is more in line with the career path you want.

If more senior crew members see your skills and aptitude for a different position, you’re way more likely to get it than if you demand a certain position right from the start.

Read on to discover our top tips for securing yacht jobs with no experience…

13 top tips on how to get yacht jobs with no experience:

1. gain an edge through qualifications.

Qualifications show more than just the skills they certify.

By stacking up a bunch of qualifications on your CV, you show commitment to the industry and a willingness to learn all you can, that is very impressive to a potential employer. Among the qualifications, you should start with are the STCW & ENG1 Medical.

STCW stands for ‘Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping’ and STCW Basic Safety Training is a requirement for anyone who wants to work on a commercial ship – and that includes superyachts. You are required to refresh your fire fighting and Sea Survival qualifications every five years, if you are employed then the Superyacht will pay for any refresher courses.

ENG1 Medical is another mandatory certificate you’ll need to have before you can work on a commercial vessel. The ENG1 medical certifies that you are medically fit and free from any conditions that could prevent you from performing the regular duties that may be required of you.

It also reduces the chances that a medical emergency will happen when out at sea, far from hospitals and doctors. The ENG1 can usually be arranged through an MCA approved doctor, it can’t be completed by your GP. The medical can be arranged within two weeks or less, lasts for two years, and costs around £115.

2. Get all the qualifications in one place

Take our Deckhand or Steward/ess Courses ; both provide all the qualifications (minus the ENG1 medical). These types of courses are an invaluable part of how to get into yachting, and even more important to getting yacht jobs with no experience.

Having taken one or more of these not only shows that you are committed, but it assures the potential employer that you have a pretty good idea of what to expect, even if you’ve never worked aboard a yacht before.

Fewer unpleasant surprises for you means fewer unpleasant surprises for your employer – and that’s great!

3. Have the right attitude

Most employers are willing to train their crew members . In fact, many employers prefer this, as they can ensure that the people they are taking on board don’t have bad habits that have to be overcome.

What they demand, however, is the right kind of attitude. These vary, but you’ll recognise them.

4. Embrace the willingness to learn

Go into every situation with an eye for something you can learn.

If you take on a new piece of information even once each day, this will cumulate into a wide and deep knowledge of your duties, the industry, the yacht you’re on, and the people you’re there to look after.

By being willing to learn, you let a potential employer know that they can get your positive experience and attributes, and add knowledge and experience to them over time. If they get the impression that you think you know it all already, they won’t take the risk on you.

5. Follow directions

Train yourself to listen carefully, listen actively, and to remember the detail. Picture actions in your head as you are being given directions.

Imagine yourself doing the actions you’re being told to do. Once you are on your own to fulfill them, you’re more likely to remember and to do the job properly.

A potential employer won’t mind so much that you’re going for a job on a yacht with no experience if he or she is confident that you will put the experience you do get to good use.

6. Know your place

It sounds a bit outdated, but there is a strong hierarchy on most sea vessels , and yachts are seldom an exception.

You will be an employee there. You don’t have to put up with abuse, but you are not going to be treated the same as the owner, the client, guests – or even more senior crew members.

By accepting that your job is to make the clients feel special and valued, and to ensure the other crewmembers that you are there to be part of a team, you show that you understand the dynamic, and won’t make any serious gaffs.

Taking pride in the service provided is perhaps rare nowadays, but with the right attitude, it is very satisfying.

Show yourself to be a high-quality provider of confident service and respect, and you’ll be perceived as a valuable asset aboard the yacht.

Perhaps even more important than respect and reasonable humility is safety.

Having fun and being silly has its place, but that place is not at your interview, nor during your trial period, nor anytime that you are not 100% certain that it is within the bounds of expected behaviour.

Likewise, by displaying your knowledge of safe behaviour, you give your potential employer less to worry about. On the contrary, you’ll give off the air of being a dependable crewmember – and that’s worth a lot to a crew!

8. Be courteous

There are a lot of things that are not against the rules, but are also not the right thing to do.

There isn’t a list of them, and you won’t find a book on them, but you probably have a good idea of most of them anyway. As a rule of thumb, act toward the owner, the vessel and the crew the way you would want to be treated in each position:

• How would you want your crew to dress and to act?
• If you were the captain, what kind of response would you want to a request or an order?
• If you were the owner, how would you want the crew to address you?

When you know expectations more specifically – like the owner wants to be referred to by a formal title such as ‘your excellency’ or something similar – then you act accordingly.

Until then, do your best. Take any mistakes as learning opportunities. When in doubt, lean toward the more formal, the more courteous, and the more conservative.

This is advisable for informal meetings, job interviews , trial periods and the job in general.

9. Be professional

This term is popular, but difficult to define.

The best way to think about it is as a combination of those things we mentioned above. Be quick to learn, attentive to instructions, aware of and compliant with safety regulations and practices, and always be courteous and respectful of those you work for and with.

A more difficult part of this is to take pride in what you do, and to respect your own position, however humble it may seem in the company of captains and owners and guests. You can expect to be treated with normal human respect, not to be abused, and to be given room to learn how to do your job better.

In most cases, professional behaviour will be met with a respectful response.

10. Have the right CV

If you’re still referring to your CV as if it is one, static thing, then this is one of those learning opportunities. In reality, your CV should be almost as varied as the positions you’re applying for.

It all has to be true of course, or you’re setting yourself up for grief and failure – but a properly crafted CV will put your name at the top of the ‘possible hires’ list… and that’s what will get you your interview or trial period.

Tailor your CV to suit the position on offer. Be truthful, but highlight the things that fit what they’re looking for. Is the yacht in a very hot climate?

Show experience working or living in very high temperatures. Are you likely to be offshore for weeks at a time? Express your desire for adventure and challenge.

Always include other languages spoken, international travel, hospitality or mechanical skills, and of course any experience you’ve had on boats or ships in the past.

Look for keywords in the job description and – tactfully – add them to your CV. For example, if the advert states that it’s looking for ‘responsible’ crew, then highlight positions of responsibility you’ve had in the past.

It can be anything from childcare to responsibility closing a shop in the evenings or opening it in the mornings.

Most of all, make sure each of the advert’s ‘must-haves’ are covered. If you are missing any of them, highlight the lack but explain why another attribute makes up for it and that you are quick to learn.

If there is also an ‘also beneficial’ section, cover those too. If you skilfully tailor your CV to each job, you will show yourself to be the one they’ve been looking for all along.

11. Go to the right marina

If you picture yourself in crisp whites, striding the polished deck of a superyacht, don’t look for work at a narrow boat marina. Go where the yachts are.

You probably won’t get a position on a superyacht for your first gig, but you’ll want something similar.

Look for ocean-going experience in the luxury sector. You may need to start on the small end of the spectrum, but make sure you’re on the right spectrum!

If you can, get out to the fancy marinas and make yourself known (in a good way). In other words: network.

12. Network and get your name out there

Any time you can become known to people in the industry – from deckhands and stewardesses to captains and billionaires – you should take the opportunity to do so.

Shake hands, smile, show yourself to be clean, tidy and in possession of the right air and attitude.

Join Facebook groups of people who work in the industry. Make sure your Social Media presence is positive and that you don’t get caught up in criticising or complaining about those you want to hire (and pay) you.

Your social media should reflect all the things a prospective employer might like. In this day and age, it is very likely they will look at your profile before offering you a job.

Look for related job fairs as well; contact yacht crew agencies such as YPI Crew and Insignia Crew, or through your training centre like Flying Fish who have contacts in the industry. We take students to Antibes to find work .

13. Be flexible and willing to start anytime

The key to getting a job on yacht with no experience is to be focused on the experience – not the pay or even the type of job.

If you have a chance to get someday work, you gain items to add to your custom CV. Add a few of these and suddenly you aren’t the one with no experience anymore. A few good showings as a temporary crew can mean you’re the first one an employer calls when there is a vacancy to fill.

This willingness shows a serious drive to be a part of the industry – not simply a drive to earn some cash doing any old job. That’s the kind of person prospective employers are looking for.

Ready to find your first Superyacht job?

All the above tips should give you a solid starting point from which to search for yacht jobs with no experience! You should also download our guide to finding and thriving in your first Superyacht job below.

The next step is to complete your Superyacht training! Simply get in touch to book your place on our Superyacht Deckhand course or Superyacht Stewardess course today.

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To Work on a Yacht Without Experience – Make a Plan

Yachts do hire people with no experience in yachting. The entry-level positions which offer new crew the best opportunity to learn the “ropes” in yachting are: junior deckhand, stewardess, steward, or cook. The key to finding your first position onboard is preparation.

There is a lot of competition for the rookie jobs on yachts. Begin your job search by identifying what skills you have that would be useful on a yacht. Assess your present skills and experience to focus on the characteristics that apply to the job you are targeting. Applicants with professional hospitality experience and training, at a hotel, resort, cruise ship, estate, or restaurant, are at an advantage in entering yachting. Holding specialty skills is also a means to enter the industry, such as masseuse, au pair, fishing guide, engineer, kite surfing instructor, pianist or helicopter pilot. You may just hold the skill that a captain needs to supplement his crew.

In all cases, stepping aboard will require a willingness to work hard and long as part of a team. An interest in learning and being flexible will increase your chances of finding a position that opens a new career path.

To get hired on a yacht with no experience you need to:

• Be in the right place at the right time

Have a professional resume

Register with luxury yacht group.

• Complete basic STCW classes
• Build references with day work
• Maintain contact 24/7

Be in the right place

There are seasons in the yachting industry. You will have the greatest opportunity without experience if you are in the location of highest demand and that changes throughout the season. The European season is May through September, centered in Antibes, France. The Americas/Caribbean generally place out of Fort Lauderdale early winter and early spring. In-person interviews are vital to success in finding a first opportunity. Arrange for flexible accommodations and have adequate living expenses to support yourself through a potential two month job search. Many first time yacht crew receive an immediate offer based on being in the right place at the right time, and could say “yes” on a moment’s notice.

Prepare a CV that portrays you as an energetic team player. Take care with the details. The resume is your best marketing tool. Typos and grammatical errors are red flags for a crew agency. Include a good photo as it is the industry standard. Smile and look the part. Use the Luxury Yacht Group web site for guidance on the basic skill sets for entry level positions. Be diligent in defining experience and highlighting transferable skills. Education, previous job experience, training or knowledge specific to the industry will get your CV a second look. List your most recent experience first. Hobbies and volunteer work can also illustrate character and work ethic. Diving, water sports, fishing, woodworking are hobbies which enhance your fit on a yacht. Provide professional references who have given you permission to use them as a contact. Captains look for an intersection of experience, certifications and personality in making hiring decisions. Give yourself an edge with a bit of personal detail – playing a musical instrument, proficiency in languages, flower arranging – to add dimension to your personality on paper.

Register with Luxury Yacht Group. A large agency with high placement volume offers the most opportunity to identify options for inexperienced crew. Be prepared to interview. Understand the requirements of entry level positions and how to explain the relevance of your experiences. Share stories which illustrate your work ethic, ability to solve problems and work in a team. Be on time and make a professional appearance. Some entry level positions have few specific requirements, but a captain will define specific preferences in a candidate. During an interview offer detail, enthusiasm and discretion when sharing experiences to display your ability to do routine tasks aboard, multi task, and be part of a team. Keep in touch with the agency regularly by logging into the website and confirming interest in any jobs that look good to you. Update your CV as you pick up day work experience, establish local references and complete any coursework you can locally while looking for work.

Complete basic licensing

Basic STCW is a minimum requirement to work on yachts that charter. The course has four parts and takes a week to complete. The modules which make up the Basic STCW certification are: 1) fire prevention and firefighting, 2) personal survival techniques, 3) personal safety and social responsibility, 4) first aid/CPR. Once the certificate is earned, it is valid for five years. Some modules do not expire. Check with your maritime school for details.

Establish references

During the search for a first job aboard, do day work. It is an excellent means to learn your way around a yacht. It is also a way to understand the physical demands and working style of yachts. Day work also provides you with local and yacht specific references. Be flexible on what you are willing to do – cleaning, polishing, detailing, laundry, wash-downs, painting. A seasonal or temporary job – even aboard a delivery without guests aboard – is a first step to a new career in yachting. Captains distinguish between applicants who want to enter a career and those who are looking to fill a summer. Educate yourself on the career path of the entry job so you can convey a commitment to yachting. (Immigration warning…many countries prohibit non-resident tourists from performing temporary “day work” when in their country. For example: a UK citizen admitted to the USA on a tourism ESTA cannot legally seek day work while in the USA.)

Maintain contact

Once a position of interest has been identified you must be available! Answer your phone and respond to emails immediately. Many entry positions are offered to the candidate who is ready to travel. Plans to attend a wedding in a month’s time….drop them. Partying Saturday night with friends….forget it, if the job offer comes in, you jump and get onboard immediately! One of the main reasons yachts pay well is that they expect a very high level of commitment.

Marianne and Gerard are examples of crew hopefuls with no yachting experience. Putting yourself in the shoes of a crew agent or captain, would you consider either of them for a rookie position aboard?

Marianne developed a love of the water fishing with her gramps. He taught her how to trailer his small boat, to steer, anchor and cleat. She described how much fun they had washing down the boat after a day on the lake and spending the winter sanding and painting. While in college she became such a yoga enthusiast that she taught the entire family where she worked, as an au pair, a morning yoga routine.

Marianne has the basics of a junior deckhand. Maintenance is a significant part of the responsibility on deck. She also displays some experience to apply to tender driving. Since she has worked with children, there is an indication that she has the skills to interface with owner families and guests. Her enthusiasm for sharing yoga may be the extra she brings to share with guests. An interview will assess whether Marianne will adapt to the pace and demands of a large vessel and how she will adjust to a team effort.

Gerard was raised in a family who owned a small hotel in a mountain village which served two tourist seasons – winter ski buffs and summer hikers. He explained that he and his siblings pitched in at whatever needed to be done to keep the hotel guests happy and returning each year – serving meals, making beds, loading cars. When he left home to backpack the world, he earned cash along the way by bartending. He has created a favorite cocktail recipe and named it after his hometown.

Gerard lived within the hospitality industry. It appears that his parents instilled a client driven attitude from a young age. As a junior steward, he would be doing many of the same things he did at the hotel as a child. An interview can verify whether Gerard has the “white glove” service standard, understands the need for discretion, and that he would be interested in working within the ‘interior’. Captains will also want to clarify whether Gerard is interested in a yachting career or if he is just adding the experience to his backpacking adventure.

The yachting industry is not a career for everyone. Rookies will find that work on a yacht is demanding, but offers great rewards. Finding a position on a yacht with no experience requires being prepared, having a detailed plan, and maintaining a positive attitude. Follow the steps outlined to increase your chances of coming aboard!

Engineering License Changes

The MCA has restructured the engineering certifications. The MEOL course has been done away with, and the AEC course made mandatory and more thorough. Luxury Yacht Group explains all these changes, what engineers progressing through the ranks can do now, and how Y ticket holders can convert their licenses over to the structure.

14 Mar 2018

A Day in the Life Series – Chief Stewardess

For a yacht to run smoothly, it requires many working parts, and the interior department is a large component of this. The chief stewardess oversees this department and makes sure all the stewardesses onboard know what their tasks and responsibilities are. The interior department is largely in charge of the guest services whilst they are onboard, and responsible for interior maintenance of the yacht when they are not.

18 Dec 2017

A Day in the Life Of Series - Entry Stewardess

Joining the yachting industry is an exciting and daunting undertaking. In this two part interview we speak with Melanie about why she decided to join the superyacht industry, what her hopes and goals are, and what she has learnt so far as an entry level stewardess.

29 Nov 2017

Yacht Crew Job Board

With Bluewater's expertise in crew training and yacht crew recruitment, finding your ideal yacht crew vacancy is simple. We offer yacht management services to a variety of exclusive superyachts. Our team excels in sourcing top-notch yacht crew positions, spanning from 25-meter private yachts in the Bahamas to 50-metre charter yachts in the Mediterranean to luxurious 100+ metre superyachts navigating the globe extensively.

131 yacht crew jobs available now.

Yacht Crew Training

Alongside sourcing the latest yacht crew jobs worldwide, Bluewater offers a range of specialised yacht crew training courses. Whether you're new to the superyacht industry seeking entry-level qualifications, an experienced deckhand or engineer aiming to advance your career, or a dedicated crew member looking to enhance your resume with certifications like HELM (Human Element Leadership and Management), Yachtmaster, or OOW (Officer of the Watch), explore our comprehensive yacht crew training options.

Working on a Luxury Yacht

Working as a crew member on a superyacht is undeniably one of the most rewarding yet demanding professions, calling for hard work, dedication, and professional training. The opportunities within the yachting industry are vast, and at Bluewater, we are committed to helping every crew member discover their ideal yacht crew position. Our recruitment division focuses on finding the perfect yacht for crew members and provides unparalleled professional support. Our recruitment experts guide crew members through every step of their yachting career journey, ensuring they receive the best possible assistance.

Manage Your Yacht Career

Whether you're seeking a yacht crew position as a deckhand, engineer, onboard masseuse, stewardess, chef, chief stewardess, purser, first officer, or captain, take control of your yacht career. Create a profile and join one of the world's largest yachting communities for free.

131 JOBS FOUND

• seasonal to permanent
• Qualifications: STCW, ENG1 PBII
• Experience: 1 season
• Salary: 2500 euros

• Qualifications: ENG1, STCW, Driver’s license, Seaman’s Discharge Book
• Experience: Experience with long seasons and also land based
• Salary: 4000 EUR
• Qualifications: STCW, ENG1
• Experience: Must be culinary trained if green
• Salary: $5,500 USD
• Experience: 2+seasons
• Salary: €3000
• Qualifications: OOW Unlimited or CO 3000GT
• Experience: 2+years
• Salary: DOE
• Qualifications: STCW, ENG1, Food & Hygiene Level 2
• Experience: 2+ years
• Salary: 6-8000€ DOE
• End of steptember
• Experience: 1 year+
• Salary: €3500+ DOE
• Experience: 3 Full Seasons +
• Salary: 3200 EUR
• Qualifications: STCW, ENG1, Yachtmaster Offshore, PBL2, PWC
• Experience: 1 year minimum
• Experience: 3 seasons’ charter experience
• Salary: 3250-3750 euros

Landlubber to Sailor: Snag Your First Yacht Gig, No Exp Needed

Dream of the high seas but stuck on dry land? Let's chart a course to your first yacht job—no experience, no problem. Anchors aweigh to adventure and paychecks on the horizon!

The thought of spending days and nights on a luxury yacht is enticing to anyone. Even more enticing is the idea that you could get paid to spend time on a yacht, even if it means you’ll have to work hard. With more online exposure than ever, countless people have become fascinated with the idea of working on a yacht. Even still, many people struggle with how to find a yacht job without experience.

You can find a yacht job without experience if you get a Seafarers Medical Certificate and STCW certificate. This requires you to take a basic examination and 5 courses that highlight fire safety, security awareness, survival techniques, and first aid. Create a comprehensive resume that includes basic skills like communication as well as your past work experience.

Make sure to express your willingness to take instruction and learn as much as possible about the trade. Nobody expects you to know everything if you haven’t worked on a yacht before, so they will be patient if you work hard. Follow along as we explore how to find a yacht job without experience.

How Do You Get a Job on a Yacht With No Experience?

Getting a yacht job without experience may seem impossible, but it’s easier than you may think. Whether it be networking or signing up for basic training courses, there are several easy steps you can take to find a yacht job without experience.

1. Make Sure You Qualify

You can only get a job on a yacht without experience if you meet the qualifications. This includes an ENG1 medical exam and an STCW certificate. STCW certificates show that you have a basic understanding of fire safety and survival skills.

The ENG1 medical exam is important because everyone who works on a yacht must have a Seafarers Medical Certificate. You can only get your certificate if you visit an approved doctor for a basic medical examination.  Once you Seafarers Medical Certificate, you must go back to the doctor every two years for another examination to make sure you still qualify .

2. Create a Resume

A resume is necessary to find a yacht job even if your past work experience has nothing to do with yachts. The personal paragraph is one of the most important parts of a resume for a yacht job. Make sure to keep it short and sweet while highlighting why you want to work on a yacht.

It’s important to highlight what you bring to the table and make it clear that you are willing to learn. The rest of your resume should consist of your education and past employment history.  Yacht jobs are often varied and require several skills, so it helps if your past work experience entails several different skills .

Include your Seafarers Medical Certificate and STCW certificate in your resume. If your resume is striking enough, you will hopefully get an in-person interview!

3. Join Luxury Yacht Group

Luxury Yacht Group is a great resource for anyone trying to find a yacht job without experience. This agency helps thousands of people find crew work on yachts throughout the world each year.  Not only do they help crew members find jobs, but they also help people that own and charter yachts find crew members .

That makes  Luxury Yacht Group  invaluable for prospective crew members as the service has countless contacts. You simply set up an account, provide your availability, and search for job postings. Crew members with varying experience levels use Luxury Yacht Group, and it’s perfect for beginners and seasoned workers alike.

4. Complete STCW Training

You may not need past yacht experience to get a job, but you must have completed basic training. Standards of Training and Certification of Watchkeepers (STCW) training is necessary to find a yacht job. The  International Maritime Organisation  regulates boating and shipping throughout the world.

They strictly require shipping and yacht personnel to undergo STCW training.  The training includes fire prevention, fire fighting, first aid, security awareness, and survival techniques . Each of these categories is essential to keep everyone safe on a yacht in case the vessel takes on water or someone gets injured.

It only takes 5 days to complete STCW training, and it’s worth the time if you want a yacht job. You can take each course individually, but I recommend taking them all together so you can get your certificate in 5 days. You can register for  STCW training online . Once certified, you must redo your fire safety and sea survival courses every 5 years.

5. Book an Interview

Working on yachts has a lot to do with your charisma and communication skills. That’s why it’s important to make a great first impression when you book an interview for a yacht job. Yacht jobs are similar to many service industry jobs in that you must be polite, concise, and forward with people.

This should all come across in your interview so your potential employer sees how you would be perfect for the job.  Bring your resume and certifications so they know you’re prepared and responsible . Whether you get hired or not, make sure to leave a memorable impression because they may be able to hire you in the future.

6. Be Open to Training

Some training will be necessary if you find a yacht job without experience. This is true even if you have your STCW certificate. Luckily, many captains are understanding and realize there is a learning curve for working on a yacht.

Be open to training and try your best to learn on the job.  On-the-job training is more useful than taking courses, but only if you listen well and collaborate with the other crew members . The hands-on experience you get will help you learn much more quickly than any training course, even if it can be overwhelming at first.

7. Meet New People

The phrase “it’s who you know, not what you know” is accurate in the world of yacht jobs. Of course, you must have a practical and hands-on understanding of the job, but you’ll get more work if you network with others. You will likely work with several crews on different yachts throughout the season or year.

Connect with your coworkers to get tips about jobs and resources you can use to stay busy.  It also helps to spend time at local marinas to declare your availability and find new job leads . Sure, online resources are useful, but I find that mingling with other people and speaking in person makes it much easier to find work.

8. Keep Your Schedule Open

Keep your schedule open when you’re trying to find a yacht job.  Yacht jobs often come in without much notice, so it’s a good idea to keep as much space open in your schedule as possible . You will get the most yachting jobs in summer and winter, so avoid scheduling too many plans during that time.

Sure, you may miss out on some social events, but it’ll be worth it when you quickly build an impressive yacht job resume. You may get calls when other crew members cancel on a job or if someone charters a yacht last minute without any notice. People will continue to offer you jobs if you regularly say yes even at a moment’s notice.

9. Regularly Update Your Resume

Update your yachting resume after each job.  Make sure to include contact information for former employers and captains to give yourself more legitimacy . You will need to apply for new yachting jobs after each gig, so it’s important to constantly update your resume so it’s as impressive as possible.

It’s especially important to update your resume if you get new certifications. For example, some people may start as stewards and eventually study a trade, such as electrical work. Once you get a degree or certification in a specialty, you must add it to your resume.

This can open the door to new job openings that pay better.

10. Honor the Hierarchy

Like any workplace, yachts have a hierarchy amongst the crew. Familiarize yourself with the hierarchy of a yacht crew before your first job.  The captain is the highest-ranking position, followed by the first mate, lead deckhand, deckhand, chief engineer, and second and third engineers .

Stewards and stewardesses are the basic entry-level yacht jobs. As a steward, it’s important to honor the hierarchy, make a great impression, and see how the other positions work. From there, you can decide if you’d like to pursue another position.

For example, you may work several jobs in the galley and on the deck as a steward and realize you want to pursue an electrician job . Find an appropriate time to speak with the onboard electricians and see what steps you need to take to pursue that position. The same can be said for any yachting job, and as long as you show respect, you can work your way into any job title.

What Skills Should I Put on My Yacht CV?

Your yacht CV (Curriculum vitae) should include everything from basic skills like communication to special skills like navigation. The resume should reflect your skill set.  For example, make sure to include any past electrical work and certification if you’re looking for an electrician or engineering job .

Conversely, stewards must include past service industry jobs and experience to appeal to employers. Yacht chefs must have past food service and chef experience. Write your resume to reflect your past work experience and the job title you are looking to get.

What Is The Easiest Job on a Yacht?

No yacht job is easy, but it’s easier to get steward jobs because they don’t typically require specialized skills. Stewards and stewardesses serve food and drinks to guests throughout the trip. This requires lots of attention and communication skills, and while it’s not easy, it’s easier than being a yacht engineer or electrician.

How Much Do Yacht Stewardesses Make a Month?

Yacht stewards and stewardesses can make up to  $5,000 per month . It ultimately depends on your daily or weekly rate. Yacht jobs typically carry daily rates, but you are sometimes paid by the hour.

One of the biggest appeals to yacht workers is that you can make a fortune with tips.  A yacht’s crew receives 5%-15% of the charter price in tips in many cases, and that makes up a big portion of a stewardess’ monthly pay . Once you become a chief stewardess, you can make up to $90,000-$100,000 each year.

So, How Do You Get a Yacht Job Without Experience?

The best way to get a yacht job without experience is to get an STCW certificate and take an ENG1 medical exam. Once you have these certificates, you can include them in your resume. Use online resources like Luxury Yacht Group to get yacht jobs, and network with people at local marinas. Make sure to get a medical exam every 2 years and retake your fire and sea survival courses every 5 years to keep getting yacht jobs.

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Yacht CareerHub Blog

Yacht Stewardess: How to Get Your First Job with No Experience [2024]

Chay Hodgson

from YachtCareerHub

Finding your first yacht job is a real challenge and there are many steps along the way to achieve it.

We asked over 30 current yacht stews who broke into the industry how they did it, and what advice they have for others.

Based on their experiences, this guide explains the best ways to approach it.

Do you need a background in hospitality?

Having a relevant background is helpful, but not essential.

According to our survey:

50% of stews have a hospitality background, with years of experience.

30% have zero or minimal relevant experience, with brief bar jobs or academic background.

20% have related experience such as housekeeping, child care and customer facing roles.

What courses did they do?

You must have a Basic STCW Certificate and a valid ENG 1 Medical to work on yachts.

Otherwise, there are a number of courses that can enhance your CV.

Here are some examples of what courses they did:

Stewardess Training

Powerboat Level 2

Tender Operator

Personal Watercraft (PWC)

Food Safety and Hygiene Level 2

PDSD (Proficiency in Designated Security Duties)

Advanced Silver Service

Barista and Bartending

Wine Knowledge (WSET)

Pilates and Yoga Instructor Certificates

Massage Therapy

Flower Arrangement

Which courses should you do?

Many stews said that additional courses were not necessary for their first position and that the money would be better spent job hunting in a yachting hub.

Some crew members found it useful and managed to secure their first yacht job through their course instructor at SYSA .

Stews recommended focusing on these areas that are in demand:

Nail Technician

Hairdressing/ Barber

Yoga and Pilates (Ideally with teaching experience)

Where to Find Work and What Time of Year

Being in a yachting hub at an optimal time of year is often the recommended way to find work.

However, the development of online networks and platforms that list yacht stewardess jobs in recent years has meant that some manage to find work without leaving their home.

You can be hired at any point in the year but springtime is when you are most likely to find a job in the Mediterranean.

Where crew found work:

South of France - 40% of crew found their first position in Antibes which makes it the most popular destination for aspiring yacht crew.

Palma de Mallorca - Another yachting hub where 20% found their first role.

Other Mediterranean hotspots: 20% found work in other areas such as Cannes, St Tropez, Genoa, Imperia, Malta, Croatia, Barcelona.

Fort Lauderdale - 5% found their first job in Fort Lauderdale, bear in mind it is risky to attempt to find work on a tourist visa.

At home: 15% found work while never stepping foot in a yachting hub before.

When crew found work:

Early Season (March - May): 65% of crew found work in Mediterranean springtime.

Mid Season (June - August): 20% of crew found work mid-season.

Late Season (September - November): 5% found work in the build up to the Caribbean season.

Off Season (December - February): 10% were able to find their first job in this period.

Should you go to a Yachting Hub?

It is not essential to go to a yachting hub, but it is advised so you can be available for in person interviews and daywork.

If you do go, it is important to get yourself out there and make real connections with lots of people.

However, there is a fine line between networking and partying which you should observe, and it is best to remain professional at all times. Not all of your peers are serious about finding a job on a yacht.

Effective Channels to Find Work

When finding your first yacht job, you need to look everywhere and apply everywhere.

You will likely find Facebook to be the most effective, followed by online job boards.

Introduce yourself to Crew Agents mainly for future reference, they may offer advice but they mainly place crew with yacht experience.

Try to get onto WhatsApp groups that post yacht jobs through your contacts or asking on social media.

Check Instagram for jobs, and connect with Captains and Chief Stews on LinkedIn.

Yacht Stews: Where to Find Your First Job

How crew found jobs:

Facebook Groups: 45%

Job Boards: 18%

Networking: 13%

Course Instructors: 3%

Dock Walking: 3%

WhatsApp Groups, Instagram, LinkedIn: 18%

Facebook groups mentioned were:

Antibes Yacht Crew

Palma Yacht Crew

Barcelona Yacht crew

Fort Lauderdale Yacht Crew

Monaco Yacht Crew

West Palm yacht crew

How to avoid scams

Scammers sometimes target green crew who are searching for their first role on a yacht.

You shouldn't have to pay a Recruiter or Yacht to join. You may be asked to transport yourself, or obtain a visa but always use official channels.

If you are suspicious:

Don't send your documents

Don't send photos of yourself (especially in minimal clothing)

Don't pay them for airfare costs or visa costs

Is Dockwalking still useful?

Walking the docks has long been a rite of passage for new crew.

It can be a daunting prospect and the current data suggests it is not an effective way to find work, due to competition and yachts being fully crewed.

Some got lucky, finding day work and permanent roles. Others felt that even though it didn't result in a job, it built confidence and appreciated the opportunity more when it came.

4 Nuggets of Advice for Green Stews

You need a great CV

Your CV could be the only touch point a Captain or Chief Stew has with you, and they may only have a few seconds to assess it.

Find a Yacht CV Template or use a Yacht CV Professional to help you.

Your CV must:

Be well formatted and easy to read

Be eye catching at a glance

Include all relevant Certificates and Experience

Being concise (1-2 pages max)

Ideally have Daywork experience

Ideally have Yacht References

Have a Professional Photo (Get help with this)

Include some hobbies/ interests

Network, Network, Network

Some new crew can lean on existing friends in the industry for help and support to gain their first role.

Others may not know anybody at all, so you will have to make new friends.

Try to strike up conversations naturally and don't ask directly if they have any work for you.

Crew houses such as Crew Grapevine in Antibes can be helpful with work opportunities, networking as well as honing your CV.

Networking opportunities include:

Local Yachtie Hangouts/ Bars

Crew Houses

Captains Q&A

A-CREW Events

Yacht Shows

A good personality goes a long way

New crew can stand out by having a great personality and unique life experiences as well as relevant skills to yachting.

Half of working on a boat is about how you fit in with the rest of the crew.

Have energy, being happy, smiley and bubbly is infectious and can make up for your lack of experience.

They want people who are also ready to work hard, provide longevity where possible and be serious about yachting as a career.

Be a Sponge

Before you join a boat, brush up on your housekeeping knowledge and yachting lingo.

Showing an interest and capacity to learn will leave a good impression on your Chief Stew.

You may think you already know how to clean, but an eye for detail is key as the standards are very high.

You will need to learn about:

Cleaning tips

What to do and what not to do

What products to use and where

How to dust

How to iron sheets, clothes, different materials

Folding techniques

You can learn these cleaning tips using:

Social Media

Youtube Videos

Find out about the living conditions onboard a yacht, the crew, what life on board is really like.

The difference between private & charter boats, the hierarchy and different positions. The more you know already, the better.

If you get an interview, research the boat if possible, practise common interview questions in front of the mirror and with friends to hone your answers.

Published 1 March 2024

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Yacht Crew Jobs: Where + How To Find Work Right Now

Find work on a yacht even with no experience..

So you binge-watched Below Deck during the pandemic and now you’re inspired to work on a yacht? Although there are some similarities, the reality show walks the line between the yachting world and the series. Yacht crew jobs are in abundance now, so it’s a perfect time to get started. If you work hard, value professionalism and hospitality, solve problems, and love to travel — a job in the yachting industry may be for you. Whether you’re interested in becoming a deckhand, stewardess, or chef — here’s where and how to find work on a superyacht right now.

How To Prepare For Your First Yacht Crew Job

Entering the yachting industry may require a bit of schooling, but nothing one can’t handle — yacht crew must pass a basic safety course called Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping (STCW). This course is required by all seafarers who are working on board commercial vessels. For a charter yacht, you’ll need to attain ENG1, a medical examination set by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. This shows that you’re healthy and able to perform tasks onboard.

While STCW is the basic course required for a private yacht, additional courses might set you apart from other applications as it shows commitment to a career in yachting. For instance, the Powerboat certification is important to have if you are a deckhand, but learning how to safely drive a tender would benefit anyone who works on a yacht. Other valuable courses such as hospitality, silver service, or mixology are a plus and will help crew better market themselves for various opportunities.

Many boats, especially charter yachts, seek crew with additional skills. In addition to gaining required certifications, potential yacht crew should also have a stand-out CV and portfolio of work. It’s advantageous to showcase your skills so that the person reviewing your application can understand how you may be able to apply those skills to work on the yacht.

For example, if you’re applying for a chef position, share photos or videos of your recipes, menus, kitchen experience, or food. If you’re applying for a stewardess role, gather photos of your table settings, flower arrangements, or past work experience in hospitality or event coordination. It always helps to have letters of recommendation. Show us what you got — Denison’s crew portal makes it easy to create a profile and an album of work.

Now’s The Time To Apply

It’s never been a better time to find work on a yacht. Denison’s Lead Crew Coordinator Jill Maderia explains that the most in-demand jobs right now are for captain, mate, stewardess, and chef positions. If you’ve never worked on a yacht but always thought it seemed like the coolest job in the world — now’s the time to go for it.

“It’s a great time for crew entering into the industry as there are boats opting to hire green crew and train them now,” said Jill.

Green crew means entry-level — to work on a yacht with no experience. Everyone who’s worked on a yacht has been a green crew member at one point (you gotta start somewhere). If you’re willing to learn and do the work, you can move up quickly. So why the abundance of crew jobs right now?

“Yacht crew is a very international profession and many have not been able to travel from their countries due to visa issues and travel restrictions. Many boats have remained in the U.S. during COVID and hired all of the local crew,” said Jill. “And, of course, life happens and some crew have entered into new relationships and are not looking to travel full time anymore. So all these factors lead to plenty of job openings for the crew at the moment.”

Tips To Landing A Yacht Crew Career

Do your research and read marine industry publications such as Dockwalk , The Triton News , or Superyacht News . Catching up on industry news is super helpful for those who have never worked in the yachting, marine, or hospitality industry.

Explore and find crew housing . You may have the skills and required certifications, but networking can also help you land a job. Yacht crews usually live in a house together, which leads to networking, ideas, and tips within the industry. A house may host a variety of crew — from green to experienced — who each have a story to tell or wisdom to share. You can find crew housing by speaking with your agent, who often knows which ones are reputable.

Dip your toes in day work . This is a great way to trial different size yachts, learn crew dynamics, and get a feel for the work before committing to a contract. While day work is usually a temporary gig, it can lead to long-term opportunities. The captain may see your potential and schedule an interview to see how you could fit with the boat full time.

Check in with your agents . The better your crew agent knows you, the easier it is for them to match you with a boat. Catch up with your crew agent and keep them informed when and if you’re looking for work.

Ready To Start Your Career In Yachting?

Denison has an excellent crew division that matches captains, deckhands, stews, chefs, and engineers with private yachts. After registering your application and portfolio on our website, Lead Crew Coordinator, Jill Maderia will vet your portfolio and be in touch. Her goal is to match the crew with the yacht (and vice versa) so it’s a cohesive fit for all. Contact Jill with questions, search for available jobs , or create a profile to start your career in the yachting industry.

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How to Find A Yacht Job Without Experience

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Thanks to my job as a yacht stewardess, I’ve been able to live in and explore some of the most beautiful and remote spots in the world. Some of those places can only be reached by water and only a small percentage of the population will ever get to see them. But, none of this comes easy. Working in the yacht industry takes hard work and dedication but comes with some massive payoffs.

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Requirements to Get Hired as a Yacht Stewardess

• STCW10 (Basic Safety Training)
• ENG1 Medical
• Hospitality Experience (Good to have but not necessarily a deal breaker)

I worked on the private islands in the Whitsundays Queensland Australia for over 4 years. I started out as personal trainer on the fitness club then cross trained into front office reservations, housekeeping, and food and beverage. I’ve also done hostess work on luxury boat transfers.

All of this accumulates to 11 years in the industry and a keen insight to what boats are looking for in their crew.

The job possibilities on a superyacht are diverse. Since a boat is it’s own independent entity, they need everyone from laundry to engineers, deck crew to yacht stewardesses, personal trainers to chefs and just about anything in between. Depending on the size of the yacht, you could be expected to balance many roles or do one specific thing each day. Generally, a bigger yacht will have the budget to hire more specialized crew, where a small yacht will be searching for a few jack of all trades.

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In addition to the requirements, when I hire, I look for some specific qualities in candidates:

• You must be a hard worker
• No bullshit attitude and no drama
• Ready to take on tasks you may not want to be doing
• Be a good listener
• Have an incredible eye for detail
• Be respectful of others. Remember you all work, eat and play together day in and day out
• Be willing to be at sea and away from family and friends for weeks and maybe months at a time
• Be committed. No one likes a crew member who doesn't contribute 100%
• Bonus: Have experience in high-end hotel operations or hospitality

In interviews, you have every right to ask as many questions as you want. It doesn’t just have to be right for the employer but for you too! Don't be afraid.

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Steps to get hired as a "Green Stew" on a mega yacht

To reduce the information overload, I’ll focus on yacht stewardess roles, specifically for newcomers to the industry.

Currently I’m a chief stewardess on a private mega yacht. Meaning I’m in charge of everything that happens in the realm of service and housekeeping. Working on a yacht also means living on a yacht so another part of my job is keeping my team energized and working well together throughout the season.

Everyone who is new in the industry is known as a “green stew.” Most of the people I hire are at least 20 years old but I’ve known people as young as 18 to get hired. So long as you have you STCW10 and ENG1 Medical, any other type of training is not mandatory.

If I’m looking for a green stew she just has to have the right attitude and a great work ethic and we will train her to fit her role.

Steps to get hired (details below):

• Make sure you have the qualifications (STCW10 & ENG1 Medical)
• Make a Yachting CV
• Add any additional certificates you can
• Be willing to interview in person

Step 1. Check Off the Qualifications

The most important pre-req to getting hired on a yacht is having all of the right qualifications. There's really no wiggle room here as it'd be illegal for us to employ a staff that isn't well-versed in safety measures at sea or have the physical health deemed necessary to work at times far away from any medical staff.

Keep in mind, there is a very small amount of doctors in the world that are able to provide the ENG1 Medical exam. This is the list of doctors worldwide who are capable of giving you this health check.

I recommend first taking care of this health check and then chasing your STCW10. You'll have a lot more options as to where you can complete this basic safety training, namely at popular port towns. It might be more expensive here but it will be helpful to start job hunting while you're taking this course.

Step 2. Perfect Your Yachting CV

A Yachting CV is like any normal CV however very professional and short and sweet. Your CV must be only 1 page so it’s important to use that space wisely.

This is the format you'll want to use:

• Start with a personal paragraph, like a cover letter but much, much shorter.
• Highlight your personal information, local contact information and even things like visible tattoos and piercings.
• You must include a headshot. It’s best if the picture is high quality, you wear a collared shirt, your hair is out of your face and you have minimal makeup on. It’s best that the captain or chief stew can imagine what you’ll look like on their boat easily.

The yacht world is very professional and has a keen eye to detail, so your CV should represent that.

Step 3. Add Any Additional Certificates or Trainings

There are so many additional certificates you can add on your CV to make yourself extra competitive but again, these are more important for a management role or if you’re aiming to work in something specific, like the spa.

Once you arrive to the port town and start your job hunt, you'll realize there are a lot of special courses you can take to make yourself stand out, like a mixology course. I only recommend doing this if you're having a really tough time getting hired or you don't have much more hospitality experience to back you up.

Step 4. Interview In-Person

A majority of green stews will need to interview for jobs in person. It’s best to be able to visit your potential new workplace so you both can get a feel for everything. This will also help you to even get interviews as a common way to get hired to "walk the docks." This simply means printing out a handful of CVs and going yacht to yacht dropping them off.

I have been offered many jobs via Skype interviews and have been flown from the other side of the globe but this is mainly because I have years of experience backing me up.

The Yachting Seasons

Based on location, the season can change. A yachting season is when it's the most popular time to sail that area. This is based primarily on weather and the sea. There are of course exceptions to this rule but in general, if you follow the seasons, you'll have the best shot at getting hired.

In Europe & the Mediterranean

The yacht season is May-September but hiring can start in April. A big hub for job hunting is Antibes, France. It’s possible to even get your requirements done here while you start learning first hand about the industry, although it can be more costly than other places.

In the U.S.

The Northeast follows the same season as Europe & the Med. The season here will run May-Sept. This can be a great opportunity for U.S nationals and those with relevant visas. A hub for hiring here is Newport, Rhode Island.

In the Caribbean

If you’re looking to get started later in the year, you can head down to Florida to get a job for the Caribbean season. This season is around October-April. Most people head to Ft. Lauderdale or Miami for job opportunities.

If you don’t have a U.S visa or passport, it might be best to get hired in Europe and hop on a boat doing a crossing (Med to Atlantic Ocean) between seasons. If you’re a great member of the team, they’ll help get your visas sorted.

In the South Pacific

It’s also possible to get hired in the South Pacific also but it’s not as common. It’s best to look for crew positions in Fiji in August-October. But if you find yourself in a big harbor town, ask around. You could be pleasantly surprised!

Although there are opportunities across the globe, getting a job on a super yacht is very competitive. It’s a great lifestyle for the right person and a lot of people are looking to join the industry.

Perks to Working as a Yacht Stewardess

There are amazing perks to working on a yacht once you find a stewardess job. If this is your dream job , or even just something you want to try out, go for it!

All meals, accommodation, and toiletries are provided for you. Most of the time you will live and work within the confines of the yacht. Most crews are lovely so just be yourself and make some wonderful friends.

Plus, you’ll get to travel to some incredible places. All boats are different with their time off though, so how much time you’ll get off to enjoy the scenery depends.

Because everyone is together 24/7, people can get stir crazy.

Always speak up if you feel something isn't right but at the same time don’t bitch. It gets you nowhere and ruins a good team. If you have a problem speak up! Don't bottle it up and become miserable.

Your captain and chief stew should always be supportive of you. But at the same time, you should always be respectful and mindful of them and the rest of the crew at all times. Respect the entire boat and other peoples working environments. If you want to work your way up the ranks you need to put in the hard yards and trust me it will pay off.

The yacht life isn’t for everyone but for the right person, it’s amazing.

A lot of people in the industry work hard for half a year, save up and spend the other half resting and enjoying a nice, long vacation wherever in the world they prefer. It's a great job for someone looking to be able to afford 6 months of travel just from 6 months of work!

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4 Entry Level Yacht Jobs For Beginners

In this post we're going to learn about the 4 entry level yacht jobs that are options for new yacht crew who have no prior experience working on a boat.  We will also go over the following topics:

• The 15 crucial qualities that every yachtie must possess
• Stew/Deck/Cook

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In The Yacht Job Handbook , I'll walk you through the entire process of getting a job on a yacht.  I’m going to break down this process into a step-by-step formula that will serve as a roadmap to help fast-track your career so that you can start getting paid to live, work, and travel the world on a luxurious yacht.

4 ENTRY LEVEL YACHT JOBS FOR NEW YACHT CREW

There are all types of different tasks that need to be performed around the clock to maintain a yacht and keep it running smoothly.  While some of the job positions onboard are very technical and require a lot of skill and knowledge, there are 4 entry-level jobs that require little to no prior experience.  The most common entry-level jobs on a yacht are some variation of:

1.  Yacht Stewardess / Steward

2.  deckhand yacht jobs, 3.  cook / chef yacht jobs, 4.  stew / deck / cook yacht jobs.

15 CRUCIAL QUALITIES THAT EVERY YACHTIE MUST POSSESS

While prior experience isn’t necessary to perform the duties of an entry-level crew member, there are a few abilities and qualities that every member of a yacht crew must be able to demonstrate if they want to succeed. Whether you’re a greenhorn or a seasoned vet (while you’re working) you must be:

• Professional
• Presentable
• Resourceful
• Composed Under Pressure
• Able to Maintain Discretion
• Able to Maintain Safety
• Able to Aid in Emergencies
• Able to Follow Orders
• Able to Prioritize Tasks
• Able to Learn and Act Quickly

Tips and Tricks

• Always keep an open mind and try new things - you may think you are meant to be a stewardess and find that working on deck suits you more, or vice versa.
• Don’t get too intimidated when looking at the skills and duties listed below.  While these are skills you will be expected to learn and cultivate eventually, (the quicker the better,) you don’t necessarily have to have prior experience when you’re just starting out.   
• Teamwork makes the dream work.  As a member of the crew you’re part of a team, so you should expect to help out anyone and everyone on board if necessary, even if it’s not technically a normal part of your job or department.

SUPER YACHT CREW JOBS

You may have a very impressive resume back on land, but college degrees and PHD’s will not go far on the 7 seas! If you’re serious about pursuing a job on a yacht- you will have to work your way up the ranks one step at a time.  Whether you want to start a new career, or just try it out for a year, you’re going to have to start….

YACHT JOB DESCRIPTIONS

You’ve gotta get in where you fit in!

Let’s take a closer look at each of these positions so that you can decide for yourself: which crew are you!? Below we will go over the general overview of each position. If you would like to learn more about what type of personal skills are necessary to perform the typical day to day duties.

Stewardess/Steward:

• As a stewardess your domain is going to be the interior of the boat, meaning a majority of your time will be spent inside .
• You will be responsible for the upkeep, appearance, and cleanliness of everything , and you will be expected to do so with an an extremely strong attention to detail.  A guest should never have to be burdened with the site of one single finger print or speck of dirt on any surface!
• Guest Service
• Hospitality
• Housekeeping
• This position is more commonly held by females, although not always.
• Many boats are now combining the roles of a stewardess with those of a deckhand or even a cook.
• This job is great for high energy, resourceful, and well-organized individuals. You will be expected to work around the clock , ensuring that the guests’ needs are met. The word “no” is no longer a part of your vocabulary. Their wish is your command!

Useful Skills for a Yacht Stewardess

The following are skills that are useful or necessary to perform the duties of a stewardess:

• Silver Service
• Guest Hospitality
• Event Planning
• Table Setting
• Napkin Folding
• Strong Attention to Detail
• International Etiquette
• Child Care / Nannying

• As a deckhand you are responsible for the exterior of the boat, and a majority of your time will be spent outside .  Keep this in mind if you can’t handle the sun beating down on you all day !
• You basically have to make sure the exterior of the boat looks brand new at all times, which can be a LOT of work, and let’s just say- manual labor .
• You also have a lot to do with preparations for leaving and arriving to port, as well as any of the watersports or other outside toys that come along with the boat such as jet skis, paddle boards, inflatable floats / slides, etc.
• You must monitor and maintain the safety of the guests and crew at all times.
• When guests are on board you will help prepare and execute any outdoor excursions such as snorkeling, fishing diving, surfing, beach picnics, etc. (and sometimes you may even get to participate.)
• A majority of deckhands are male, but there is a fast growing number of female deckhands or deck/stews in the industry.  I was a deck/stew on my first boat and highly recommend it!
• This is a great job for a strong, adventurous, outdoorsy person who is able to spend long hours outside in the sun, and doesn’t mind getting wet, sweaty, salty, and sandy on a regular basis. Physical strength and stamina are 100 % necessary.

Useful Skills for a Deckhand on a Yacht

The following are skills that are useful or necessary to perform the duties of a deckhand on a yacht:

• Cleaning / Washing
• Waxing / Polishing
• Boat Driving
• Line Handling
• Tying Knots
• Securing / Stowing / Covering Furniture
• Woodwork / Varnishing
• Construction
• Watersports / Fishing
• Mechanics / Engineering
• Physical Strength / Stamina

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Yacht Chef / Cook

• As a chef your domain is the galley (the kitchen of a boat) and nothing else. You may spend 16 + hours in the galley all day if that is what the job entails. Many people would agree that on many boats- this is the most tedious position of all.   
• While most chefs are very experienced, some smaller boats will hire on less experienced “cooks” or even just people who claim they can cook, and often times that  role may be combined with a stewardess or deckhand position.  
• As a chef aboard a superyacht you are expected to concoct culinary masterpieces for every single meal that the guests eat on board.  You must be knowledgeable, versatile , and creative and it is advised that you really have a passion for preparing food because you will be doing it around the clock!

Useful Skills for a Yacht Chef

The following are skills that are useful or necessary to perform the duties of a yacht chef:

• Strong Culinary Background, Education, and Skills
• Extensive Experience in a Professional Kitchen
• Meal Planning / Preparation
• Food / Wine Pairing
• Gourmet  Food Presentation
• Time and Space Management
• Food Prep / Handling
• Table Settings
• Provisioning
• Adaptability / Flexibility

Stew / Deck / Cook

• As I mentioned above, many boats combine the roles of a deckhand, stewardess , or cook into a hybrid position in which you basically carry out a variety of tasks that depend upon what is the most urgent, or which of the work detail circumstances (listed below) the boat is in.  
• In this case you just bounce around to where you are needed most and serve as an assistant to the rest of the crew.  It is a great opportunity to learn the foundations of all of the positions on board and eventually decide which position you truly enjoy the most if /when the day comes that you have to choose one.  
• There is really no end to the different variations of tasks you  will have to perform in one of these combined / hybrid positions.  
• My advice to you if you get a job offer for one of the “joint positions above” is to make sure that it is clear of what is expected of you before you accept the job.
• Sometimes (not too often) new crew get taken advantage of by accepting a position (with low pay!) and ending up having to perform way more duties than what is fair or even humanly possible.  
• On the other hand- I highly recommend a joint position as long as you know what you’re getting yourself into and everything seems fair.

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How to Work on a Yacht

Last Updated: June 4, 2023 References

This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff . Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 3,257 times.

Working on a yacht is a unique, fun, and potentially lucrative way to earn a living. While it can be intimidating and challenging to get a job on a yacht, having the opportunity to work while traveling can make it well worth it. To begin working on a yacht, you can get an entry-level job that requires little to no prior yachting experience. Once you are more experienced in the yacht business, you will be able to work on a yacht in a more advanced and specialized role.

Getting an Entry-Level Job on a Yacht

• Junior deckhands generally have a good work ethic, positive attitude, ability to learn on the job and follow directions, a professional appearance, and work well with a team. [2] X Research source
• Junior deckhands are responsible for cleaning, polishing, and waxing the yacht, assisting the bosun and first mate with maintenance, and helping with general yacht operations, including line handling, navigation, passenger safety, and water sports. [3] X Research source
• Junior deckhands make approximately $27,000 per year. [4] X Research source

• While not always a requirement, having a watersports certification, fishing knowledge or expertise, and/or carpentry skills can help you get a job as a deckhand on a yacht. Having one or more of these skills may also help you earn more money. [7] X Research source
• Much of a deckhand’s work is performed on the outside of the boat. Therefore, as a deckhand, you would be doing a lot of manual labor outside. This can be helpful to keep in mind when deciding if working as a deckhand is right for you.
• Deckhands usually make between $27,000 and $55,000 per year.

• Boat attendants are responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of the ship’s interior, helping with guest management and entertainment, and assisting the crew in maintaining the safety of everyone on board. [9] X Research source
• Successful boat attendants are high-energy and good entertainers, exhibit proper hospitality etiquette while on the job, and are committed to maintaining yacht cleanliness. [10] X Research source
• Entry-level ship attendants usually make around $40,000 per year, while more experienced workers can make up to $100,000 per year on a large luxury yacht. [11] X Research source

• One of the keys to working as a chef on board a yacht is the ability to get creative with your ingredients. Once you leave the dock, you will likely only have access to the ingredients that you have on hand.
• When considering working as a chef on a yacht, it can be helpful to take into consideration the size of the yacht, the number of people typically on board, and the conditions in the kitchen. As the chef, you will be responsible for making most (if not all) the food for everyone on board, meaning that you may be spending most of your time in the kitchen.
• If you have experience or professional training as a chef, you can make between $52,000 and $100,000 per year on a yacht, depending on your level of training and the size of the yacht. If you do not have any prior experience, you can make between $36,000 and $75,000 per year as a chef on a yacht. [12] X Research source

• Crewnetwork.com and luxyachts.com are both popular yacht crew online agencies.

• If you are working on a yacht abroad, you may need to acquire a work visa. Contact your yachting company or owner to see if this applies.

Working in an Advanced Position

• Bosuns often have a specific area of expertise that helps them land the job and makes them a more valuable member of the crew, such as advanced woodworking, varnishing, rigging, or watersport expertise.
• Bosuns generally make between $36,000 and $100,000 per year.

• On smaller yachts, there is usually just one mate, called the first mate. On larger yachts, however, there may also be a second mate and, possibly, even a third mate. The second and third mates also have extensive experience, yet generally a bit less than the first mate.
• In the event of an emergency, or if the captain needs to take a leave, the mate is responsible for taking over the captain’s duties. As a result, mates need to have any required licenses or certifications for their specific type of yacht.
• Mates on a yacht typically make at least $48,000 and up to $100,000 per year. [14] X Research source

• Yacht captains must have a high school diploma or GED.
• To be a yacht captain, you will need to take a captain’s license course and pass the licensing exam.
• The captain of a yacht typically makes a minimum of $65,000 per year. Captains can make well over $200,000 per year working on a larger yacht. [16] X Research source

• Most engineering positions are available on larger yachts called superyachts. While smaller yachts will hire a yachting engineer for maintenance, they do not usually have a permanent engineer that works on-board. [18] X Research source

Expert Q&A

• Larger luxury yachts may also hire beauticians, pursers, and/or managers to provide luxury services to their clientele. [19] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• You can find job postings for positions on yachts on general job search engines, such as Indeed and ZipRecruiter, as well as specialized yachting job search engines, such as yotspot.com and yaCrew.com. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• When looking for a job on a yacht, it can be helpful for you to already have completed your Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping (STCW) certification course. This certification is not always required to work on a yacht, but it can help make you a more desirable candidate. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.luxyachts.com/crewpositions/jrdeckhand
• ↑ https://www.luxyachts.com/crewpositions/deckhand
• ↑ http://www.workonayacht.com/index.php/official-yacht-stewardess-job-descriptions-salaries/
• ↑ https://www.crewfinders.com/yachtcrewsalaries.shtml
• ↑ https://www.luxyachts.com/crewpositions/mate
• ↑ https://www.luxyachts.com/crewpositions/captain
• ↑ https://www.crewnetwork.com/Yachting-Jobs/engineer.aspx
• ↑ https://whereintheworldisnina.com/working-on-superyachts/

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How to Work on Yachts with No Experience? | Guide

Working on yachts can allow you an exotic life of enterprise, world travel, wonderful beaches, and a glimpse of what extravagance living is like, all with a pretty damn good salary. By reading this careers guide, you will be able to learn, How to Work on Yachts with No Experience.

Also, you can know,

Introduction to the topic

How to work on yachts with no experience.

• Fundamental yacht qualifications and certifications required to work as crew

You already have your fundamental yacht certificates; what next?

Occupations on yachts & yacht work descriptions, watch what a day at work looks like | video, top 5 faqs and answers related to how to work on yachts.

Let’s start,

Yachts do hire individuals with no involvement in yachting. The entry-level positions which offer the new team the most excellent opportunity to learn the “ropes” in yachting are junior deckhand, attendant, cook, or steward. The essential key to finding your first position onboard is preparation. There’s a part of the competition for rookie employment on yachts. Start your job search by identifying what aptitudes you’ve got that would be valuable on a vessel. Evaluate your present abilities and experience to focus on the characteristics that apply to the job you’re focusing on.

Candidates with professional hospitality experience and preparing at a lodging, resort, voyage dispatch, domain, or restaurant are advantaged in entering yachting. Holding forte abilities implies entering the industry, such as masseuse, au match, angling direct, build, kite surfing teacher, piano player, or helicopter pilot.

You will just hold a captain’s expertise to supplement his crew. In all cases, venturing on board will require a willingness to work difficult and lengthy as part of a team. An interest in learning and being flexible will increase your chances of finding a position that opens a modern career way.

The yachting industry isn’t a career for everyone. Rookies will discover that work on a yacht is requested but offers incredible rewards. Finding a position on a vessel with no encounter requires arranging, having a nitty-gritty arrangement, and keeping up a positive state of mind. Take after the steps sketched out to extend your chances of coming aboard!

 To get hired on a boat with no experience, you would like to:

• Be within the right put at the proper time
• Have a proficient resume
• Register with Extravagance Yacht Group
• Complete fundamental STCW classes
•  Build references with day work
• Maintain contact 24/7

1. Be within the right place

There are seasons within the yachting industry. You’ll have the most prominent opportunity without encountering it on the off chance that you’re within the area of the most unusual request, which changes all through the season. The European season is May through September, centered in Antibes, France.

2. Have a proficient resume

Prepare a CV that depicts you as a lively group player. Pay attention to the subtle elements. The continue is your best-showcasing apparatus. Typos and linguistic blunders are ruddy banners for a group agency. Include a great photo because it is the industry standard. Grin and see the portion. Utilize the Luxury Yacht Bunch web location for direction on the whole aptitude sets for section-level positions.

Be tireless in characterizing involvement and highlighting transferable aptitudes. Instruction, past work encounters, preparing, or information particular to the industry will give your CV a moment to see. List your most later meeting, to begin with. Leisure activities and volunteer work can too outline character and work ethic. Plunging, water sports, angling, and carpentry are pastimes that upgrade your fit on a yacht. Give professional references who have given you consent to utilize them as a contact.

3. Register with Extravagance Yacht Group

Register with Extravagance Yacht Bunch. An expansive office with tall situation volume offers the foremost opportunity to distinguish alternatives for unpracticed groups. Be arranged to meet. Get it the necessities of section-level positions and how to clarify the pertinence of your encounters.

Share stories that outline your work ethic, capacity to fathom issues, and work in a group. Be on time and make a proficient appearance. A few section-level positions have few particular prerequisites, but a captain will characterize particular inclinations in a candidate. Amid a meet, offer detail, excitement, and tact when sharing encounters to show your capacity to schedule assignments on board, multi assignment, and be part of a team.

4. Complete fundamental licensing

Basic STCW could be the least prerequisite to work on yachts that constitution. The course has four parts and takes a week to complete. The modules which make up the Fundamental STCW certification are,

• Fire anticipation and firefighting,
• Individual survival strategies,
• Individual security and social duty,
• To begin with, aid/CPR.

Once the certificate is earned, it is valid for five years. A few modules don’t lapse. Check along with your oceanic school for details.

5. Establish references

During the seek for a, to begin with, work aboard, do day work. It is an amazing means to memorize your way around a yacht. It is additionally a way to get the physical requests and working fashion of yachts.

Day work, too, gives you neighborhood and yacht particular references. Be adaptable on what you’re willing to do – cleaning, polishing, detailing, clothing, wash-downs, portray. A regular or transitory work – indeed on board a conveyance without visitors on board – may be a, to begin with, step to a new career in yachting. Captains recognize candidates who need to enter a career and looking to fill a summer.

6. Maintain contact

Once a position of intrigue has been distinguished, you must be accessible! Reply to your phone and react to emails promptly. Numerous section positions are advertised to the candidate who is prepared to travel.

Plans to go to a wedding in a month drop them. Partying Saturday night with friends….forget it, if the work offer comes in, you bounce and get on board immediately! One of the reasons yachts pay well is that they anticipate a high level of commitment.

Fundamental yacht qualifications and certifications required to work as a crew

Whether you’re starting within the yachting industry as a portion of a yacht team, otherwise you are an experienced yachtie, it is imperative to get and keep your yacht capabilities and yacht certifications up to date. All teams who need to work on a yacht must have STCW Fundamental Security Preparing in conjunction with a perceived seafarer therapeutic certificate, such as the ENG1, in any case of their part onboard.

1. STCW Fundamental security preparing yacht certificate

 The STCW yacht capability is fundamental, and a yacht enrollment specialist cannot begin to discover your work without this absolute yacht certificate. The STCW Essential Security Preparing yacht capability comprises five modules that take five days to total.

The modules are individual survival, firefighting to begin with, help and CPR, individual security and social obligation, and capability in security mindfulness. All trustworthy crew-training providers advertise the course.

2. A seafarer restorative certificate

A seafarer therapeutic certificate is additionally mandatory for anybody trusted to induce work on a yacht. The most well-known and broadly perceived of the accessible seafarer therapeutic certificates is the ENG1. This yacht certificate is allowed by the British Sea and Coastguard Organization and demonstrates meets the least measures of well-being and wellness required to work on board a yacht or ship.

 3. Alternative yacht certificates of therapeutic fitness

In expansion to the well-known ENG1 Seafarer, Therapeutic Certificate is many elective yacht capabilities accepted.

If you already have your basic yacht team certificates, at that point, there are many encouraging yacht preparing courses you’ll look to induce to assist you in your yachting career.

From progressed STCW designing courses to department-specific courses, such as the Visitor or WSET courses for Stews and Attendants to PADI Divemaster courses for the deck group, there’s beyond any doubt to be a course that will assist you to stand out over the swarm of other candidates.

It takes a group of talented and proficient yacht teams to run a superyacht and give the tall levels of proprietor and visitor benefit anticipated. Find the accessible employments on yachts that are regularly accessible and examine yacht work portrayals for each below.

1. Yacht Captain job description

A yacht Captain can keep an eye on and secure the operation of the watercraft, and all group individuals working onboard drop beneath their command.

The Captain is in charge of overseeing the yacht owner’s resource and most prized ownership, and, whether a commercial constitution Captain or a private yacht Captain, they must guarantee that all visitors onboard have a pleasant involvement both on and off the yacht as they are regularly in charge of arranging the guest’s cruising schedule and experiences.

Regardless of the measure of the yacht, Captains operate boats under strict worldwide rules and controls. Their obligations are all-encompassing, and their position can be, to a few degrees, compared to that of a CEO on arrival.

Job responsibilities of the yacht captain

• The responsibilities of a yacht Captain mainly include:
• The safe operation of the vessel/yacht.
• The setting of budgets and budget management
• Hiring, leasing, appraising, and rejecting of crew
• Overseeing the upkeep of the vessel
• Managing yacht refits and surveys
• Being a minister for the yacht, hosting and engaging visitors as required

Generally speaking, the smaller the yacht, the more hands-on the Captain must be. The bigger the yacht, the more authoritative duties the captain will hold.

2. First officer job description

The First Officer, too known as Chief Officer or Chief Mate, is in command and reports to the captain. In charge of the deck group: Moment Officer, Third Officer, Bosun, and Deckhands (depending on the measure of the yacht)

Job responsibilities of the first officer

• S/he or the Moment Officer may be the assigned security, security, and vital officer
• Responsible for supervising the deck
• operations and maintenance
•  Deck budgeting/ inventory
• Supervision of all toys and tenders
• Setup of observing plans and entry planning

3. Purser yacht job description

A Purser is responsible for managing the insides of the vessel and all budgetary things onboard. Pursers are more often than not utilized for bigger yachts because of the tremendous sum of obligations on vessels of such estimate, while smaller yachts tend to have, as it were, a Chief Steward who takes care of the insides. If both a Chief/Stewardess/Steward and a Purser are working on a yacht, the previous will report to the Purser.

A good candidate for the Purser yacht occupation will have amazing authoritative abilities. While involvement in such a part on a voyage liner makes a difference, it isn’t a prerequisite, though being precise, sorted out, and having great technology skills is.

Job responsibilities of Purser yacht

Working with administration company accountants to maintain accounts, budgets, and other budgetary reports. Working with Heads of Departments to guarantee timely handling of budgets, invoices, installments, credit cards, and cost reconciliations.

He will assist the Heads of Divisions with acquiring, provisioning, and obtaining logistics.

4. Yacht chief engineer job description

The Chief Engineer is dependable to the Captain for the secure and productive running of the yacht. Chief Engineers may work as a person or as the pioneer of a group of the map to four, six, or more subordinates, depending on the estimate of the yacht, that work together to function, keep up, and repair fundamentally anything that moves onboard the yacht from detachable motors to electrical generators and impetus motors to water-powered and electronic systems.

On bigger yachts, more than 50m in length, it wouldn’t be bizarre to have one or more circuit testers or electronics officers working within the Design group to assist with the AV/IT, communications, and other frameworks to be more complex with the new boat.

Yacht chief engineer job responsibilities

The Chief Engineer will work with the Lesson society to arrange overviews, arrange outside contractor visits if required, and conclude work records and budgets for upkeep periods. S/he will, too, run the arranged upkeep proficiently to guarantee the yacht works at its ideal for the longest time conceivable to create beyond any doubt the proprietor of the vessel benefits to the most extreme from his possession.

5. Yacht chef job description

Executive or Head Chef yacht: a yacht Chef may be a key group part as the bliss of visitors onboard yachts generally depends on the nourishment and how imaginative and skilled the Chef is.

Yacht chef job responsibilities

• Purchase of food
• Menu elaboration for guests and crew
• Preparation of food, breakfast, lunch, and diner
• Supervision of Second Chef/ Third Chef (depending on the size of the yacht)
• Galley management and cleaning
• Budgeting and accounting

Working on yachts can provide you with an exotic life of enterprise, world travel, lovely beaches, and a glimpse of what extravagance living is like, all with a pretty damn good salary. Just know that working on yachts can be difficult, and it’s not all glamorous. But on the off chance that you’ll handle the workload, you’ll return with incredible memories, modern companions, and a fat savings account.

So, I hope you fully understand how to Work on Yachts with No Experience. | Guide .

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As questions surround the collapse of a Baltimore bridge after a containership crashed into it Tuesday, engineering experts say that while bridges have some built-in defenses against collisions, this one was most likely too extreme to withstand.

“Bridges are and should be designed to withstand ship impacts. That’s typical of the design process,” said Sanjay R. Arwade, a professor of civil engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. 

“But for all structures and all engineered systems, there is a possibility that an event will occur that is beyond what the structure was designed for. And this may be one of those situations,” he added. 

The Francis Scott Key Bridge, a roughly 1.5-mile-long steel arch truss bridge, collapsed into the Patapsco River early Tuesday after a containership struck it. Several vehicles crashed into the water, and one of the country’s busiest ports shut down.

Follow live updates on the Baltimore bridge collapse

An unknown number of workers with Brawner Builders Inc.   were repairing concrete ducts when the ship, called the Dali, hit a support pillar. Six employees are presumed dead .

Key Bridge was ‘fairly unprotected'

Arwade said design codes for modern bridges stipulate "what sort of loads it has to be able to resist.”

“Whenever a design code is written, decisions have to be made about what the most extreme conditions are,” he said. 

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said the bridge was "fully up to code."

But the Key Bridge was built in 1977, and bridge design and technology have improved since then.

"Since the 1970s, we have a lot of advancements," Sameh Badie, a professor of engineering at George Washington University,  told NBC Washington. But he said, "I saw today a couple of videos before the collapse, and it seems to me, structurally wise, it was very safe."

Roberto Leon, a structural engineer at Virginia Tech, said that while engineers try to account for “extreme events” during the design and construction process, “when this bridge was built, there were no ships of this size.”

“This type of load was not really considered,” he said. “So the bridge was, I would say, fairly unprotected.”

Retrofitting older bridges could cost millions

Officials have not specified what type of protective infrastructure, if any, the Key Bridge had. 

Leon said that on a newer bridge, large concrete structures called dolphins are often used to protect the base. Dolphins can form a kind of frame and are designed to take the impact of a vessel and “slow the ship down and redirect it away from the bridge,” he said.

“In some cases, they’re called sacrificial elements, because they might be damaged beyond repair if an event of this type occurs, but of course, they save the bridge,” he added.

John Pistorino, a structural engineer in Florida, said dolphins are in use to protect the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa, Florida, which was reopened in 1987 , seven years after it was hit by a freighter. Thirty-five people died after the bridge collapsed into Tampa Bay.

Pistorino, who was involved in the construction of the rebuilt Sunshine Skyway Bridge, described dolphins as walls or guardrails.

“They can be concrete or steel … and they go all the way down to the bottom of the river,” he said. “They’re supposed to protect the abutments.” 

Jacksonville, Florida, Mayor Donna Deegan cited the dolphin infrastructure that's in place to protect the Dames Point Bridge — the only bridge in the city that cargo ships sail under — in a statement Tuesday. She noted that the bridge is also equipped with specialty sensors that provide real-time information about the distance between the water surface and the bottom of the bridge structure over the main channel.

Older and more vulnerable bridges can be retrofitted to add defensive infrastructure like dolphins, Leon said, but building them can cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

“I’m hoping that because of the infrastructure bill that passed, we are going to be able to do projects like this,” he said, referring to the $555 billion infrastructure bill that President Joe Biden signed in 2021. “Putting those into the budget and justifying them is very difficult when you have all kinds of other bridges that are in really sad shape. So it’s just a question of prioritization.”

However, Kevin Heaslip, director of the Center for Transportation Research and a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, said the cost of designing bridges to withstand fully loaded cargo ships like the Dali would “be so high that we wouldn’t be able to have any bridges.”

Government oversight of bridges could increase

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said he has been monitoring the situation in Baltimore. A team of investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board has been sent to the crash site. 

Leon said he hopes what happened in Baltimore will cause port operations to change “quite a bit.” Pistorino said the event may lead legislators to take a closer look at vulnerable bridges in the country and the types of maritime traffic in ports.

“Just like the building collapse in South Florida created a lot of legislation that required a more intimate type of building scrutiny, I think that will happen on the bridges,” he said.

Minyvonne Burke is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News.

What we know about Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse

The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed early Tuesday after being hit by a cargo ship, with large parts of the bridge falling into the Patapsco River.

At least eight people fell into the water, members of a construction crew working on the bridge at the time, officials said. Two were rescued, one uninjured and one in serious condition. The remaining six are presumed dead.

Here’s what we know so far.

Baltimore bridge collapse

Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after being hit by a cargo ship , sending at least eight people from a construction crew into the water. Two people were rescued and the remaining six are presumed dead, officials said. Follow live updates and see photos from the scene .

How it happened: The container ship lost power moments before colliding with the bridge, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said. Video shows the bridge collapse in under 40 seconds. Read everything we know about the bridge collapse .

Victims: All six missing victims are presumed dead, the U.S. Coast Guard said, and the agency has ended rescue efforts. The entire crew aboard the 985-foot container ship Dali survived . First responders shut down most traffic on the four-lane bridge after the crew issued an urgent “mayday.” It saved lives, Moore said.

Economic impact: The collapse of the bridge, which severed ocean links to the Port of Baltimore, adds a fresh headache to already struggling global supply chains . See how the collapse will disrupt the supply of cars, coal and tofu .

History: The Key Bridge was built in the 1970s and spans the Patapsco River. Here’s a list of other major bridge collapses in U.S. history , including Florida’s Sunshine Skyway Bridge

• Baltimore bridge collapse live updates: NTSB secures ship’s ‘black box’; recovery efforts begin as 6 presumed dead 21 minutes ago Baltimore bridge collapse live updates: NTSB secures ship’s ‘black box’; recovery efforts begin as 6 presumed dead 21 minutes ago
• Who are the people presumed dead in the Baltimore bridge collapse? Earlier today Who are the people presumed dead in the Baltimore bridge collapse? Earlier today
• ‘Mayday’ call from ship stopped Baltimore bridge traffic, saved lives Earlier today ‘Mayday’ call from ship stopped Baltimore bridge traffic, saved lives Earlier today

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How the Key Bridge Collapsed in Baltimore: Maps and Photos

By Weiyi Cai ,  Agnes Chang ,  Lauren Leatherby ,  Lazaro Gamio ,  Leanne Abraham and Scott Reinhard

On Tuesday, a major bridge in Baltimore collapsed into the water seconds after it was struck by a cargo ship, sending vehicles on the bridge into the river below. The ship lost power and issued a mayday call shortly before it hit the bridge.

The ship, a 948-foot-long cargo vessel called Dali, was about a half hour into its journey toward Colombo, Sri Lanka, when it hit a main pillar of the bridge. All crew members are safe, according to the ship’s owners.

Follow our live coverage .

A mayday call from the ship gave officials enough time to stop traffic at both ends of the bridge. The waters where the bridge collapsed are about 50 feet deep. By Tuesday morning, six construction workers who had been fixing potholes on the bridge remained missing as divers and other emergency workers on boats and helicopters continued to search for them. Two others had been rescued, and one was in the hospital.

Francis Scott

Patapsco River

The ship left the Port

of Baltimore around

1 a.m. on Tuesday.

Where impact occurred

Direction of the ship

The ship hit the

bridge at 1:28 a.m.

The ship hit the bridge at 1:28 a.m.

Where impact

Source: Spire Global

The New York Times; satellite image by Google Earth

The lights of the ship flickered on and off as it lost power in the minutes before the ship changed bearing and hit the bridge.

Ship approached from

the Port of Baltimore

Road repair crews

Ship changed heading

as it neared pillar

Ship hit pillar

Southern and central spans

of bridge began to collapse within

seconds of impact

Northern span began to

collapse seconds later

Within 30 seconds of impact,

the central part of bridge had

entirely collapsed.

Source: StreamTime Live via YouTube

Timestamps are from StreamTime Live video.

The New York Times

The Francis Scott Key Bridge was opened in 1977 and carried more than 12.4 million vehicles last year. The bridge was one of the three major ways to cross the Patapsco River and formed part of Baltimore’s beltway.

The Port of Baltimore is a major trade hub that handled a record amount of foreign cargo last year. It is an especially important destination — the nation’s largest by volume last year — for deliveries of cars and light trucks.

Ship impact

To Chesapeake Bay

Sources: Maryland Port Administration, OpenStreetMap, MarineTraffic

Note: Ship positions are as of 2:46 p.m. Eastern time.

Overall, Baltimore was the 17th biggest port in the United States in 2021, ranked by total tons, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The bridge collapse brought marine traffic there to a standstill, with seven cargo or tanker ships stranded in the harbor as of Tuesday afternoon.

Gov. Wes Moore declared a state of emergency for Maryland and said that his office was in close communication with Pete Buttigieg, the U.S. transportation secretary. The White House issued a statement saying that President Biden had been briefed on the collapse.

Erin Schaff/The New York Times

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