Can you work on yachts if you have tattoos?

Ok, so in short- Yes! It’s not impossible to find a yacht job if you have tattoos, and all boats have different rules towards them. Some will say ‘absolutely no visible tattoo’s of any sort’… Others might say ‘Ok, as long as they’re small and discreet’ and you may get the odd few where a sleeve or tramp stamp (eek!) could slip through the net- excuse the pun. It all depends on the owners preferences or management policy. It may be a little more difficult if you have visible tattoo’s but definitely not a deal breaker. I actually have 3 (terrible mistakes) myself and still managed to land great jobs. Make sure you include the fact that you have them on your CV so you’re not wasting their time if they have a strict policy against them, and if they’re small and discreet- then say that! I would also recommend you cover them up as much as possible when going for interviews. 

I have no experience, can I still find a job on a yacht?

Absolutely! Everyone has to start somewhere. Just be prepared to be in a junior role and put a lot of effort in to finding that first position! Immerse yourself in your job search by going to one of the yachtie hubs (rather than trying from home) and network as much as possible. Make sure your CV really emphasises your transferable skills you may have from previous roles and if you don’t have any kind of relevant professional background, draw upon aspects of your personality that show why you should be given a chance. 

How much money do you earn as a superyacht crew member?

Junior deckhands and stewardess earn around €2,000 – €2500 a month, this increases to €4,000+ for more senior roles. A chief stew and first officers usually start from €5000-€6000 euros all depending on the size of the boat and their experience within the role.  A Captain can make €10,000+ per month. There is no fixed salary within yachting but this is a bench mark which is affected by the size of the yacht, the owner, the programme and specialised skills an individual may have that are beneficial to the yacht. 

Oh, and then there’s the TIPS! Tips are usually a minimum of 10% of the cost of the charter and divided amongst all the crew (but it can also be much more than that). It is worth noting that it is rare to get tipped on a private boat but the salary tends to be generally higher.

Do you actually get to see the places you travel to or are you constantly working?

This all depends on the programme of the particular yacht. I cannot emphasise enough how all boats are different and it’s very hard to generalise. If you have a very intense and busy programme then you will have very little time to actually enjoy the places the yacht travels to. However if you have a more relaxed programme, then of course there will be plenty of opportunity to explore where you are. 

How has the Corona Virus affected the yachting industry? Can I still find a job now?

Of course like all tourism industries, the yachting industry has been affected by the virus, but not to the extent of the airline or cruise ship industry. It is not impossible for green crew to find a position during the pandemic, however it is more challenging. The nature of yachting means the guests are essentially on their very own private floating resort and so not mixing in large groups. Therefore as travel restrictions ease, an obvious choice for the mega wealthy is to charter a yacht! As well as that, a lot of yacht owners have decided to quarantine onboard their vessel. The fact that it is also common for this clientele to fly privately to meet the yacht makes it much easier and safer to connect the guests to the boat.

Whatever questions or queries you might have about joining the super yachting industry, feel free to get in touch via the contact me section of the site or alternatively, sign up for a 30 minute one-on-one consultation with me.

The Nauti Yachtie Coach xo