Superyachts are vessels, motor or sail, that are over 24 meters in load line length. They come in various size categories up to 3000 gross tonnes (about the size of a small ferry.) Generally used for private or commecial pleasure purposes, they tour some of the worlds' most beautiful places equipped with lots of expensive toys including diving and watersports equipment, RIB's and even helicopters.
Superyachts are found all over the world but tend to follow the seasons and as a result they gather in the Mediterranean in summer and the Caribbean in winter. As more and more vessels are built, owners are becoming more adventurous, travelling globally and there are now plenty of superyachts operating in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, the South Pacific and the West coast of America.
Most of the world's superyachts fall under the authority of the MCA and as a result operators have to comply with MCA manning requirements for yacht crew qualifications.
All superyacht crew, from entry level positions like deckhand, steward or stewardess to more senior positions like officer of the watch, engineer, first mate and captain must have STCW 95 Basic Safety Training and they should also have the ENG1 Medical certificate.
Dates and prices for STCW95 courses in Sydney >>
Anyone wishing to work as deck crew needs to know something about sailing and yacht maintenance as well and should consider a professional sailing crew training course.
Yachtmaster/Master of Yachts Part 1 (Pro Crew Training)>>
Whether you jump on board for a season or two or are embarking on a new career, jobs on these luxury boats open up a world of excellent wages, great adventures, global travel and a whole lot more.
Crew on yachts live aboard, pay little if any taxes, earn very good salaries and explore parts of the world that usually only the jetset are privileged enough to enjoy.
Good crew have the right training and attititude, excellent presentation and a strong work ethic. Providing you have the right qualifications and know where and when to start looking, you should not find it hard to find a job on board.
There are three main ways you can find work on board. The dockwalk, crew placement agents and networking. As a Flying Fish Australia graduate, you have the benefit of our free job placement and online recruitment service to source jobs on superyachts. At entry level, you can find deckhands, stewardesses and stewards, chefs and assistant engineers. As you move up the ladder you can find bo'suns, third, second and first officers and Captains, you can also find chief stewards and stewardesses and pursers.
Gone are the days when you could simply jump on a yacht and sail around the world learning as you go along. Particularly when that yacht is worth tens of millions of dollars and the people it carries are multi billionaires, pop stars, businessmen, politicians, formula one teams, sports stars and the like.
With an investment like that to care for, these luxury yacht management companies look for people who are prepared to invest a little in themselves, people who want to go one step further and be a cut above the rest.
Currently there is a shortage of qualified crew within the superyacht industry it is still a 'candidates market'. You will find, with a little of the right investment in yourself, your stake will be massively repaid.
To work as the skipper of a superyacht you begin with RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore/Master of Yachts 200. With this prestigious qualifcation you can work as the skipper of a commercial yacht up to 200 gross tonnes. This is the starting point for building up to Master of Yachts/3000 where the money and the perks can be outstanding.
RYA Yachtmaster training>>
Meet Fish graduate, superyacht captain Phil Parker-Larkin >>
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