Living Conditions onboard
Some yacht designers pay careful consideration to the crew quarters, designing comfortable crew cabins with a large crew mess that offers every amenity possible. And then naturally there are the other yachts where crew comfort is brutally sacrificed, simply to make the dining saloon an extra foot bigger or add that bidet to the master bathroom.
Generally though, the rough rule of thumb is, the bigger the yacht, the more room allowed for crew accommodation. Currently the various governing bodies have no defined legislation regarding minimum standards for crew accommodation.
Crew Mess
A crew mess is somewhere where the crew can relax and hang out when they are off duty. Most crew messes follow a similar pattern in that they have a TV and video system and a music centre. You will also typically find the monitors for the closed circuit televisions in the crew mess so various parts of the vessel can be constantly monitored. It will in all likelihood also have the crew’s own fridge and freezer where the drinks and snacks are kept. The crew mess is where the crew eat, drink, write letters, watch TV, chat and generally chill out as much as they can.
Some crew messes are marvellous with every need catered for. And then there are those yachts where the crew mess is the windowless corner between the washing machine and tumble dryer under the wiring for the wheelhouse.
Sleeping Quarters
Again these can vary hugely from yacht to yacht, much depending on the size, style and type of vessel. One season you may be on a yacht where four of you share a unisex fore peak cabin (that is the pointy bit at the front) with one shower room between all of you. After a few months you will know everything about each other, from who snores, who talks in their sleep to what time to have the air freshener ready and when to watch out for the PMT symptoms.
The following season may have you sharing, with just one other crew member, a luxurious cabin with your own en-suite shower room, washbasin and lavatory. You may have your own TV and video in the cabin. The cabin will also have it’s own air conditioning and heating controls. If you have come from the crew cabins described in the previous paragraph, this will seem the epitome of comfort.
Sharing Cabins
A captain will very rarely share unless it is with his partner who is one of the crew. For the remaining crew it is the luck of the draw and the size of the boat that counts. If there is a single cabin available it will usually go to the crew member who has seniority combined with length of tenure.
Advice for Living on Board
1. Bring your luggage aboard in soft holdalls. Finding storage for hard suitcases can be difficult.
2. Once you start collecting memorabilia arrange to have it sent home rather than stored on the boat.
3. If you have favourite toiletries make sure you have enough to last you until you can get home again. The boat usually provides the basics but you can’t expect them to keep you supplied with Clinique or the like.
4. If you have electrical goods that you must carry with you, bring your own conversion plugs. But check what type you will need first.
5. Remember you will almost certainly be sharing a cabin, so make sure your sleepwear is respectable!
6. If you have prescription medication make sure you carry a good supply and a note from your doctor. If you have a medicine that is usually available over the counter in your home country remember that in other countries you may need a prescription for it.
7. Be neat and tidy and be considerate.
Laundry
This facility will vary to a degree from vessel to vessel but all yacht uniforms, crew bed linen and crew towels should be laundered, (washed and ironed) by the steward/ess at the expense of the yacht. You are expected to do your civilian/off duty clothes yourself although on some yachts these will be done too.
Days Off
You will find that most boats will have somebody standing watch twenty four hours a day. This is not the same as taking a watch at the helm but being around and watching a few instruments and making sure that the boat doesn’t get invaded by tourists wanting their picture taken on a luxury yacht. Watch duty rotas mean that the whole crew will rarely be able to go out together as a group.
One or two days off per week should be allocated to each crew member, agreed upon before arrival on the yacht and in accordance with the terms and conditions set out in the crew manual. Provided the boat is in port and not in use by either owner or charter guests the crew will generally be given two days off a week. Most try and arrange this so that these days fall over the weekend. If crew are faced with back to back charters for any length of time they should be able to accumulate their time off to be taken later, or alternatively be offered financial compensation.
