How to Land Your First Yacht Job With No Experience

Breaking into yachting with zero experience feels daunting, but thousands of crew do it every season. Here is the realistic path from total beginner to your first paid role. Step 1: Get qualified Complete your STCW Basic Safety Training and ENG1 medical. These are the minimum tickets every yacht requires before they will consider you. Step 2: Build a sharp CV Keep it to one page with a clear photo, your certifications, any hospitality, cleaning, trades or watersports experience, and references. Yachts hire for attitude and reliability as much as skills. Step 3: Get to a hub The Mediterranean season runs from May to September with Antibes and Palma as the main hubs. The Caribbean and Fort Lauderdale run from November to April. You almost always need to be physically present to find work. Step 4: Register with crew agencies Walk in, register in person, and stay in regular contact. Agencies place crew into both permanent and temporary roles. Step 5: Do day work Day work is casual paid work on yachts — washing down, polishing, deep cleaning. It builds experience, references and contacts, and is the single most common route into a first permanent job. Step 6: Be reliable and say yes Turn up early, work hard, and stay positive. A green crew member with a great attitude beats an experienced one who is difficult. Our crew placement support can help you plan the whole journey.