Jimmy Rogers

YACHT BROKER

Finding the Right Crew for Your Yacht- Part 1

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So you have made the decision to get into yachting…great!  Yachting is a pastime that can provide you, your friends and family with truly unforgettable life experiences.  For the select few that have the financial capability to enjoy yachting it can provide the utmost in quality time, relaxation and adventure.

Two of the most often overlooked aspects to yachting is figuring out a plan for how the yacht is going to be cared for and what level of service you would like to have aboard your yacht…both can be solved by finding the right crew to match your expectations.  Even the newest and most beautiful yachts can become a total headache if the proper crew is not in place to take care of it and provide desired  services to the owner and guests.

These are some of the items that will need attention aboard your yacht…would you be ok doing some of these or would you like it all handled for you?

Driving/Navigation

Personnel management of other crew and/or service people

Regular maintenance of the mechanical systems

Repairs, both cosmetic and mechanical

Regular washing and detailing the exterior

Regular cleaning and housekeeping in the interior

Outfitting with proper equipment and food

Accounting for yachts expenses

Cooking and Bartending

Laundry

Let’s walk through a couple common examples as if you were progressively moving up to larger and larger yachts:

1. 55ft (~17M)

You just bought a new 55ft yacht and are able to keep it behind your house.  Due to your past boating experience you are comfortable taking her out with your friends and family with no assistance for day and weekend trips

However, you do not want to be hands on with the maintenance and upkeep so you choose to hire a boat detailing company to perform regular washes and details as well as have your local boat dealership/service center handle all the warranty and maintenance work.

You are fine managing the yacht’s expenses as well as the service people who take care of her…after all she is right behind your house and you see her almost every day.  All the light housekeeping and cooking aboard will be done by you and family.

2. 65ft (~20M)

You made the jump up to a larger sportfishing yacht…after fishing with a friend you caught the bug and want to get into deep sea fishing.  This 65 footer is too large to fit behind your house so you are now keeping her at a local marina.  Realizing that you can no longer look at the boat every day behind your house and knowing that you will need an experienced angler to head your new fishing program, you hire a local captain to oversee the boat.

Given that the boat largely remains local, the captain lives at his house nearby and goes to the boat when he needs to oversee any maintenance or get her ready for a trip.  This captain also oversees a couple other boats at the marina so you essentially have him on a part time basis…a good deal less expensive than a full time guy.

The captain handles:

  • navigating the yacht
  • managing a mate when necessary for fishing
  • coordinating the washes and details with the local detail company
  • maintenance and repairs. He is handy and will sometimes even fix things by himself.
  • stocking and provisioning
  • preparation for going to sea

You still handle: 

  • All the bills from the service people the captain organizes go directly on a credit card you gave him to use, so you can see all that is getting spent and manage it as necessary.
  • You and your family are still fine handling the light housekeeping aboard as well as food preparation…after all, you just need a slap together a few sandwiches when you are fishing during the day and can either grill up the day’s catch for dinner or go out to a restaurant.

Depending on how dependable you want the captain to be, you may want to hire someone full time…that way he will be more available for you and to more thoroughly look after you yacht. Also, if you want to run an active fishing program it is recommended to hire a full time mate as well to assist with rigging and fishing.

3. 80ft (~25M)

You have decided to take the experience to the next level…with a great management team in place at your business, you have more free time to go yachting!  With your purchase of an 80ft motoryacht, you now have enough space for extended stays aboard, as well as designated crew quarters where crew can live aboard full time.

You are no longer bound by one specific port or marina, your yacht can travel and be in different places year round…you can even fly home from wherever your yacht is, leave her there for a few months and travel back and forth as your schedule allows.  All the while the crew will be aboard handling the day to day operations.

You are now taking a step back and letting the captain fully run the yacht’s program. In this case, you have chosen a very experienced husband and wife team that live aboard full time to tend to both the interior and exterior of the yacht.  When needed, you have given the husband/captain discretion to hire an extra mate when traveling long distances, or when a several guests are onboard, so the wife can focus her attention as a stewardess/cook making the guests comfortable.

A standard program on an 80ft. yacht will be a crew of 2-3.

The captain handles:

  • navigating the yacht
  • management of other crew and service people
  • management of vessel projects and repairs
  • vessel documentation and paperwork
  • accounting of expenses
  • stocking and provisioning

The mate handles:

  •  cosmetic maintenance
  • rigging
  • assistance with docking
  • assistance with stocking and provisioning
  • preparation for going to sea
  • day to day chores

The stewardess/cook handles:

  •  food and beverage service for all meals
  • interior housekeeping
  • stocking supplies
  • cooking/meal prep

For yachts in this size range, it is common to see a husband and wife team. This is looked upon favorably because they are better in small quarters together, the husband can handle the captain’s duties while the wife can handle a good portion of the mate’s duties in addition to providing an extra touch with the interior housekeeping and even meal preparation.

It is also common to see a captain and mate team full time.  These 2 guys can run and maintain the yacht on the day to day schedule and when big trips come up a freelance stewardess or chef can be hired to increase the level of service as desired.

For top service in this size range a crew of 3 is preferred. A captain, mate that handles maintenance, rigging, tenders, and chores AND a stewardess/cook that focuses full time on interior housekeeping, stocking supplies and meal preparation.

Crew in this yacht size range are also expected to understand the basic tasks and duties of the other crew members and if necessary take their place as needed…they work together as a cohesive team to get the job done and provide top level and seamless service to the owner and guests.

4. 112ft (~34M)

After a few years of enjoyable yachting with your 80 footer, you have decided to make a jump to the next level.  A 112ft. yacht caught your eye at the boat show and you just had to have it!  This yacht provides amenities that the 80ft. one just did not have the room for…there is enough space aboard to provide more privacy for you and your guests.  A separate pilothouse helm station, closed off galley and fully functional crew quarters allows for the crew to provide top level service without getting in the way of guests.  Not to mention a ton of extra toys…Jacuzzi, jet skis, center console, 2 bars, space for scooters, dive equipment, and a lots of extra storage for those long voyages.

You plan on running an active yacht where you are aboard 10-15 weeks a year as well as invite along other family and friends.  When they are not aboard you have elected to offer your yacht for charter to offset some expenses and keep your crew busy and traveling (which they like to do! They also like tips from charters!)

This kind of active program on a 112ft yacht will require a crew of 4.

The captain handles:

  • navigating the yacht
  • management of crew and other service people
  • management of vessel projects and repairs
  • vessel documentation and paperwork
  • accounting of expenses

**with yachts in this size range and up, the captain’s role as a manager of both personnel and projects aboard the boat becomes increasingly more important. There is a lot to look after, more people to manage and a bigger expense account. Having a captain with great people skills and organizational skills is vitally important to make it all work and provide a positive experience for the owner.

The mate handles:

  • maintenance, both cosmetic and mechanical to his abilities
  • assistance with docking
  • tenders and tow boats
  • extra toys, dive equipment, scooters
  • preparation for going to sea
  • stocking and provisioning
  • stands in for the captain as necessary

The stewardess handles:

  • food and beverage service
  • onboard “party planner”
  • interior housekeeping
  • stocking and provisioning
  • bartending
  • liaison between crew and chef
  • general needs of guests

The chef handles:

  • stocking food supplies
  • food preparation for guests and crew

In some cases the stewardess may also have cooking and food preparation skills to feed the crew, allowing for the hiring of a part time chef only when guests are aboard…it depends on how active the yacht will be.

Additionally, there are a lot of different types of chefs that you can hire, from formally trained chefs out of top notch culinary schools, to a self trained cook that makes all of your favorite meals the way you like.

Crew in this yacht size range are also expected to understand the basic tasks and duties of the other crew members and if necessary take their place as needed…they work together as a cohesive team to get the job done and provide top level and seamless service to the owner and guests.

5. 150ft (~46M) +

You have decided to make the jump into the big leagues…this is truly rarefied atmosphere here.  Your megayacht has 3 main decks, called a tri-deck, and is the epitome of luxury throughout.  On deck master with breathtaking views, theater room, huge bridge deck with lounge chairs and jacuzzi, tender bay with all the water toys you can imagine, even an inflatable water slide for the kids!

Your yacht is moved seasonally from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean onboard a yacht transport ship…there are always new places to explore, cultures to see…this is true freedom.

You loved the crew you had aboard your 112ft yacht so you decided to move them with you onto your 150, but your captain tells you that he needs a few extra people on staff to keep up or exceed the level of service you are accustomed to.

A standard crew on a 150ft yacht is comprised of 8 people.

The captain handles:

  • navigating the yacht
  • management of crew and other service people
  • management of vessel projects and repairs
  • vessel documentation and paperwork
  • accounting of expenses

**with yachts in this size range, the captain’s role as a manager of both personnel and projects aboard the boat becomes increasingly more important.  There is a lot to look after, more people to manage and a bigger expense account.  Having a captain with great people skills and organizational skills is vitally important to make it all work and provide a positive experience for the owner.

The engineer handles:

  • maintenance and upkeep of all the yacht’s mechanical operations
  • manage and supervise mechanical repairs and rebuilds
  • keep inventory and properly stock all necessary spare parts and tools
  • enlist the mate’s help as necessary

*there are so many systems on a yacht this size, it is necessary to have an engineer to keep track of it all and ensure all is operational and in good order when guests are aboard.

The 1st mate handles:

  • hands on leading of vessel projects and maintenance
  • managing 2nd mate/deckhand
  • preparing for going to sea
  • assistance with docking
  • tenders and tow boats
  • extra toys, dive equipment, scooters
  • stands in for the captain as necessary

The 2nd mate/deckhand handles:

  • taking direction from the 1st mate
  • keeping the yacht clean and looking great on the outside
  • assisting with docking
  • assisting with preparation for going to sea
  • assisting the engineer as needed when available

The chief stewardess handles:

  • managing food and beverage service for all meals
  • onboard “party planner”
  • interior housekeeping work
  • managing 2nd and 3rd stewardesses
  • stocking supplies
  • interior items and expenditures accounting
  • bartending
  • liaison between guests and chef
  • preparation for going to sea
  • general needs of guests
  • assisting with docking as needed

The 2nd stewardess handles:

  • taking direction from chief stewardess
  • serving meals and bartending
  • interior housekeeping work
  • stocking supplies
  • preparation for going to sea
  • general needs of guests
  • assisting with docking as needed

The 3rd stewardess handles:

  • taking direction from chief stewardess
  • serving meals and bartending
  • interior housekeeping work
  • stocking supplies
  • preparation for going to sea
  • general needs of guests
  • assisting with docking as needed

The chef handles:

  • stocking food supplies
  • food preparation for guests and crew

Summary:

Above are just examples of what a standard crew situation would look like on different size yachts.  There are many exceptions and changes that could occur depending on what type of yacht you have or what type of program you want to run.  Hopefully this gave you a basic guideline and understanding of what the crew outlay looks like throughout the yacht size range up to ~150ft.

For guidelines about how to assemble the perfect crew and about how much each position should pay, read Finding the Right Crew for Your Yacht Part 2

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Jimmy Rogers

OneWater Yacht Group

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