Captains

Officers

Engineers

Yacht Chefs

Stewardesses

Deckhands

Captains

The captain is in charge of the yacht and everybody answers to him. The annual salary can range from around £45,000 to £500,000, all found, plus perks. A captain must have considerable maritime experience and training and must pass some grueling exams to reach his position of responsibility.

They have to be qualified in order to legally do the job and need to log a certain number of hours at sea, must have a varieity of skills and qualifications including STCW 95 Basic Training, Yacht Rating, Master 200gt, Yachtmaster Theory, Yachtmaster Practical, Sea Survival, GMDSS GOC, Navigation Radar, General Ships Knowledge, Oral Preparation, Navigation and Radar, Stability, Medical Care, Business and Law, Seamanship, Oral Preparation (500T), Oceanmaster Theory, Advanced Firefighting, Medical First Aid, Oceanmaster Cert Comp.

A captain not only has to have the above, he must also have a good grasp of accounting as he will be expected to manage significant sums of money and he must also be skilled at dealing with people, both crew and owner/guests. Many captains, while they are good at the practical side of the job forget that ultimately they need to work exstensively with people from all walks of life, from new and green deckhands to jaded billionaires and all in between and must be good at dealing with them.

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Officer

A first officer or mate is second in command to the captain and answer to him. They have to be qualified in order to legally do the job and need to log a certain number of hours at sea, must have a varieity of skills and qualifications including STCW 95 Basic Training, Yacht Rating, Master 200gt, Yachtmaster Theory, Yachtmaster Practical, Sea Survival, GMDSS GOC, Navigation Radar, General Ships Knowledge, Oral Preparation, Oceanmaster Theory, Advanced Firefighting, Medical First Aid, Oceanmaster Cert Comp.

On more basic terms apart from an extensive knowledge of sailing and pratical knowledge the First Mate is in charge of the exterior crew, namely second and third officers and the deckhands and ensures that the exterior yacht is maintained in tip top condition.

A first officer is expected to lead by example as well.

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Yacht Chefs

A chef onboard a megayacht does not have to be qualified in as much as he or she might not need formal culinary qualifications but he or she does have to be experienced, utterly capable of operating on their own and must also be used to working under pressure.

A chef on a yacht maybe expected to cater for crew and for guests. He or she will be expected to prepare excellent meals whatever the weather and time and distance from shore. A chef will prepare food for crew who may have finicky dietary habits. He or she will also have to know and memorize all the owners particular foibles when it comes to food, for example: fruit never kept in fridge or no garlic to be used on board ... ever or no alcohol etc. He or she must be fully capable of adpating his or her menu to deal with these eventualities.

A yacht chef may also have to have the STCW95 basic training and carry current health and hygeine certificates.

A chef can earn up to £60'000 + a year, all found plus gratuities.

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Engineers

Engineers are some of the most sought after crew and can earn as much, and sometimes more than a captain.

Engineers must be skilled, experienced and are legally obliged to have recognised professional qualifications to enable them to hold a paid position on board. These qulifications include STCW 95 Basic Training, Yacht Rating, AEC, MEOL Engineer Yacht 4, Skills Test, Marine Diesel Engineering, Operational Procedures & Basic Hotel Services, Auxiliary Equipment & Basic Ship Construction, MCA Sea Survival for Yachtsman, Advanced Fire Fighting, Proficiency in Medical First Aid, Chief Engineer Statutory & Operational Requirements, Marine Engine Theory, Applied Marine Engineering etc

More basically engineers keep all of the mechanical and electronic aspects of the vessel running problem free. The job is diverse and challenging, one minute the engineer will have his head buried in an engine the size of small car, the next he will be expected to fix a hair dryer, then mend the outboard on the tender and so on...

Although rare, you can find female as well as male engineers.

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Stewardesses

A steward or stewardess is in charge of the interior of the yacht and is similar to a 'house'keeper or hostess.

On larger yachts you will have a chief Steward / ess who may have as many as four or five stews under his or her command. The stews job is to make sure that the interior of the boat is kept pristine and the decor kept fresh with fresh flowers and linen etc. She is also frequently in charge of arranging the supply of drinks to the vessel for both crew and guests.

He or she does not have to qualified although there are a number of professions that are very advantageous to those wanting to work as steward/esses.

Good Stewardess Training should offer the following:
STCW 95 Basic Training; RYA / MCA Personal Survival Techniques, MCA Personal Safety and Social Responsibility, MCA Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting, MCA Elementary First Aid. Personal presentation, professional etiquette and protocol, Table management, placement and settings, Styles of service, courses and order of service, buffets, Yacht steward/butler style, Bar tending and wine appreciation, including product knowledge of wines and ports and cigars, Understand the standards required for catering on yachts, Learn how to menu plan and provision for long passages, Develop your knowledge of essential food hygiene and gain a recognised professional catering, Learn how to make a wide selection of seafood dishes, Other useful skills - bread making, carving joints, jointing a chicken, barbeque techniques, galley equipment, Practical sessions making canapés and salads and simple mouth-watering desserts, Menu planning and provisioning, including stowage, packing hazards, international regulations and dietary requirements, Introduction to nautical terminology and essential safety procedures.

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Deckhand

A deckhand is the entry level for almost all professional exterior crew jobs on yachts. A deckhand can be male or female, as with all other jobs on board.

They will be expected to do a variety of jobs and experience in the following can only be an asset. Painting, sanding, varnishing, carpentry, buffing, polishing and finishing. Deckhands do not have to have sailing qualifications but having them is an asset.

A good deckhand will bring the following to the boat: STCW 95 Basic Training; RYA / MCA Personal Survival Techniques, MCA Personal Safety and Social Responsibility, MCA Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting, MCA Elementary First Aid.
Competent crew, Day Skipper Practical, Day Skipper Theory, Powerboat Level 2, Diesel Engine Maintenance, Short Range Radio, Pumps and water makers, Heating systems onboard, Heads, plumbing and sanitation, Boat electrics, generators, batteries, GPR repair, varnishing, paintwork, anti-foul, Rigging, winch servicing, sail repair, flag etiquette, Propulsion systems, stern gear, hydraulics operation, Electronic Chart Display Information System (ECDIS) and Automatic Radar Plotting Aid (ARPA), Use of other navigational aids including GPS, log, depth.

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