You might be someone who’s familiar with yachting, or possibly even someone who works in the maritime industry, or maybe you’re someone who’s hearing about the superyacht industry for the first time. Whatever category you fall under, there’s always something to be learned from someone else’s experience. In this blog post and video we asked some lovely individuals who work on superyachts some questions, and in this specific post we cover how exactly each individual got their start in the superyacht industry.
In our interviews we spoke to:
- Yacht Captain, Nick, from New Zealand
- Deckhand, Brian, from LA
- First Mate, Garreth, from South Africa
- Chief Engineer, Troy from California
- Stewardess, Alexandra, from South Africa
- Chief Stewardess, Crystal, from New Zealand
How they got their start.
Chief Engineer, Troy
For Troy, he was supposed to be an outboard technician at a local marina, and so he went through trade school in order to accomplish this. Work at the marina wasn’t steady, so he went on craigslist and a job ad popped up, and just like that he stepped foot into yachting. “I kind of fell in the industry and it’s been about nine years since then,” stated Troy.
Stewardess, Alexandra
Also coming into the industry very unexpectedly, Alexandra had previously worked on cruise lines as a beauty therapist. After working on cruise lines and in spas, Alexandra had come to work on land, managing a guest house. A friend reached out to Alexandra, asking her if she wanted to work on a super yacht, as a beauty therapist for three weeks charter. She got her paperwork ready, stepped aboard and has been in yachting ever since.
First Mate, Garreth
For Garreth, getting his start in yachting first began with a simple passion for travel. Garreth researched how to make money while traveling and from this research he stumbled upon and into yachting. As Garreth stepped into yachting, doors continued to open for him and he couldn’t help but fall in love with it and hasn’t looked back since.
Deckhand, Brian
It was only about a year ago that Brian was working for the Marriott, he then decided to quit his job and spend time traveling. During his travels he met people who were in yachting and after a crazy turn of events, he found out that his cousin happened to be a captain on a yacht. From reaching out to his cousin, Brian discovered what yachting was all about and what exactly it entailed. He says that he wanted to continue with his travels but he also wanted to gain money and so… “after this turn of events I kind of fell into this.”
Chief Stewardess, Crystal
Being a girl from a small town in the countryside of New Zealand, Crystal had no idea the industry existed. Studying at university, Crystal completed her degree in tourism management and from there she got a job at a tourism company. At this company, “Great Sights,” Crystal had the privilege of being a dolphin guide and worked on a boat in this way. Although she was working on a boat, Crystal states that it was nothing like working on a yacht. After some time, Crystal’s friend suggested that she go super yachting. “I had no clue what it was, and figured it was like a cruise ship,” says Crystal. She headed over to Antibe, France to see what this yachting thing was all about, but she states that she didn’t know enough about yachting and wishes she had. Crystal figured that working on a yacht was similar to working on a cruise ship. Because she had worked on boats before, she believed she had proper experience, but for people who are in yachting, they know this is not true. And so through eventually learning more while dayworking, Crystal then landed her first position on a chase boat, with just her and the captain. Crystal has continued in yachting ever since, and is now the chief stewardess of the 187’ Trinity, Liberty.
Yacht Captain, Nick
At just 17 years old, Nick, who had just moved to Spain, had a CV in hand and decided to walk the docks. Nick says that at this time, he was lucky enough to obtain day work on a superyacht. The only position available for him had been that of steward. So, he started his daywork polishing silver, and the likes, hoping that he would eventually end up on deck where he had hoped to be. This seems to have worked out for Nick as he is now the Captain of the 130’ Westport, Dona Lola.
Every one of these stories is unique, yet there seems to be a common thread through them all. Each individual simply took a step into the unknown of yachting, and through connections and open doors, made their way into the industry. It is unique to the yachting industry, that there isn’t a specific four year university to attend, or a specific degree to attain. There are courses that one can take to be better equipped, but it really just takes stepping out, gaining experience, and learning from that point forward.
Advice to the Newbies
As for people looking at working in yachting, Troy suggests that experience is of utmost value. There are in fact maritime colleges, but when it comes to yachting there isn’t, “chief engineer” school or something like that. Troy suggests beginning as a deck hand or deck engineer, then working your way up to a second engineer to learn what you can from the chief, all while monitoring your time. Once you’ve gotten enough hours under your belt, then you can begin doing your courses at your local training facilities.
Alexandra suggests that coming into yachting, you shouldn’t be too young. There should be a level of maturity, because this job can be very mentally tasking. One should also set an expectation for themselves, as they enter into yachting that they will miss out on a lot of important events back home. It’s important to be aware of the difficulties that come with yachting to ensure that you’ll be ready and equipped for it all.
Speaking to both those who are in yachting and desiring to begin yachting, Crystal reminds us how important it is to make time and space for you. “You are very important, and finding this time for you is important. Whether it’s stretching, doing a little bit of yoga, or finding a place on the exterior of the boat where you can sit and look out and appreciate where you are. You have to find this time and space to simply be re-energized and take this deep breath amidst the hurry.”
To those who are eager to get started in yachting, do your research, find out what jobs are out there and what their demands are, and take that step even if it feels a bit unknown. And for those who are seasoned yachties, share your experiences with us and those around you, and always remember to take time for you!
