Getting hired on a superyacht starts before you reach the dock. Captains and crew agents expect new crew to arrive with the core certificates, a clean CV and a plan. This is the list to work through first, in order.
1. STCW Basic Training
STCW Basic Training is the safety course almost every crew job asks for first. A UK course is made up of five elements:
- Personal Survival Techniques (PST), STCW A-VI/1-1.
- Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting (FPFF), STCW A-VI/1-2.
- Elementary First Aid (EFA), STCW A-VI/1-3.
- Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities (PSSR), STCW A-VI/1-4.
- Proficiency in Security Awareness (PSA).
PST and FPFF must be updated every five years if you are serving at sea. This has applied since 1 January 2017 under the STCW Manila Amendments and MSN 1865. Diarise the expiry dates the day you qualify.
If you want UK certificates, book with a training centre approved by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). Keep the originals safe and carry clear scans on your phone.
2. ENG1 medical
The ENG1 is the UK seafarer medical fitness certificate. Key facts from the UK Ship Register:
- It is issued only by MCA-approved doctors, in the UK and overseas.
- It is valid for up to two years.
- The current UK fee is £115. Additional tests may cost more, and the doctor must agree that cost with you first.
- The outcome is one of four: fit, fit with restrictions, temporarily unfit or permanently unfit.
- If you are restricted or found unfit, you receive an ENG3 and can request an independent medical review within one month.
MCA-approved doctors are listed on GOV.UK, including in Gibraltar and in Palma de Mallorca. Book early. If anything in your medical history needs looking at, you want time to resolve it before the season, not during it.
3. A CV that works
Your CV is your first interview. Yachting industry advice is consistent:
- One or two pages, proofread. Spelling mistakes read as low effort.
- A recent, professional headshot: plain background, collared shirt, hair tied back, no sunglasses or selfies.
- Certificates listed clearly, with expiry dates.
- Transferable skills up front if you have little yachting experience: hospitality, bar work, watersports, diving, languages, mechanical or carpentry skills, first aid.
- References that can be checked. A detailed reference from a former employer carries more weight than one from a friend.
4. Crew agencies
Register with several agencies and keep each profile current. Visit in person if you can, dressed as you would for an interview.
Know your rights. Under the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (Standard A1.4, paragraph 5), no fees or other charges for seafarer recruitment or placement may be borne by the seafarer. The only exceptions are a medical certificate required by national law, a national seafarer identity document, and a passport or similar personal travel papers. Visa costs are not an exception.
5. Day work
Day work means working on a yacht during the day when she needs extra hands, without living aboard. It is one of the most common ways into a first permanent job:
- It builds your yachting CV and gives you references.
- It teaches the basics: detailing, following instructions, taking responsibility.
- It shows captains you understand the job.
Before you start:
- Check you have the right to work in that country.
- Sign a day worker agreement covering dates, pay, hours and confidentiality.
- Carry your ID and your ENG1.
- Expect a safety and security briefing from the yacht, and any protective equipment the job needs.
- Budget. Industry advice is to have enough for about three months of accommodation, food and transport while you look.
Go where the yachts are during the season, walk the docks early, and ask an experienced crew member if an offer looks unclear.
6. Sea time records from day one
Every certificate you take later depends on sea service you can prove. Start recording it on your first day aboard.
- Sea service testimonials: signed and stamped by the master, or by the owner, employer or management company where appropriate.
- Service Record Book: the PYA and Nautilus Service Record Books are accepted evidence. Keep entries consistent with your testimonials.
- Verification: yacht sea service must be verified by an approved organisation, such as the PYA or Nautilus, before it goes to the MCA. Nautilus states it can verify sea time only on yachts of 15 m and above.
- Break it down: record standby, yard and actual sea days separately, with no overlapping periods.
- Timing: get a testimonial before you change jobs, when the master changes, or when the yacht is sold.
- Keep the originals of every signed testimonial, with current contact emails for the signatory and the management company.
Before you book the flight
- STCW Basic Training complete, expiry dates noted.
- ENG1 in date for the whole season.
- Passport valid, right to work checked.
- CV, photo and references ready.
- Agencies registered.
- Service Record Book and testimonial template ready.
- Three months' budget.
Further guides
James Daniel Holman is a professional rescue trainer, former firefighter and EMT, who has worked aboard yachts. His free crew guides and downloads are on the crew page. For job-search steps, see how to get hired.
