My Boat Job: Superyacht Deckhand

I've compiled several of my articles and other information resources into a Word doc/ebook available here: Deckhand Job Guide - Employment On A Super Yacht

Elsewhere (such as here) I have described the main job titles and categories one is likely to find aboard a mega- or super-yacht. You should know, though, that there are some traits and skills that are common to all jobs aboard a vessel. Several are directly related to the fact that crewing a boat means being atop -- and often in! -- the water. Sounds obvious, but it's a factor too often overlooked my would-be yacht deckhands. Read more ...

Every large vessel has a variety of crew job types. On a superyacht, they typically include a chef, one or more stewards (or stewardesses), an engineer, a first mate, and of course, the captain, along with deckhands possessing an assortment of skills and specific tasks. It's important to decide which one would match your skills and interest best, and then aim your job-seeking efforts and that position.  Read more ...

If you're thinking of pursuing a career aboard a yacht, or any other kind of sea-related work, there's a great way to test the waters (no pun intended) before making a potentially life changing commitment. You can easily get a summer job working afloat. The boat in question might not be a luxury yacht, but no matter. You will gain valuable experience and pick up boating skills that will put you in good stead later on if you do decide to make the sea your career. Read more from my article library ...

Yes, it's possible to find a superyacht job opportunity almost anywhere there is a coast and harbor facilities that can handle one of these large luxury vessels. But realistically, there are only a couple of areas of the world where the odds of easily securing a crew position are in your favor. Read on ...

Caught up with my old crewmates last night. After an evening of bar-hopping we ended up at one or our hotel rooms, where we talked the rest of the night away reminiscing about our adventures together and talking about where we might be headed in the coming months. Great seeing everybody again and I sure am looking forward to working on the boat with them again.

I've just added an article that will help you find the boat job that will make you happy, whether or not it's aboard a super luxury yacht. No, it isn't about "visualizing" your goal of getting hired to work on a super yacht, or "manifesting" a new life floating around on the world's oceans.  I'm not putting down such approachs. If they work for you, that's great.  No, I'm talking about something far simpler and more concrete: making a decision in advance as to what type of boat you would like to work aboard.  For some people, it might not be a luxury yacht.  It might be a tour boat or a fishing vessel, for a couple of examples.  The main point is:  If you are clear about your goal, and it is more specific than merely, "I want to work on a boat," you will naturally channel your energies into doing the things that lead to accomplishing your objective -- and not waste time on activities that lead away from it. Read more here.

It's getting to be time for lunch here so I'll blog at you later.  If you're ever in the Virgins, by the way, ask around for me.  If I'm not somewhere at sea, I can steer you to the absolute best eating establishment not only on St. Thomas, but on any of the other islands around here. I've scoped out some places whose menus are economical as well as delicious ... and that the tourists haven't discovered!

Yes, I have an enviable lifestyle and a great career.  I'm not ashamed of boasting a little about it.  But really, it's something that's available to almost anyone who devotes the time and effort needed to achieve it. If you're just starting out to look for a job like mine, don't jump in blindly. Talk to people in the business. Read up. There are blogs and web sites galore about what it takes to be a deckhand on big luxury yacht. Besides my own (ahem) Deckhand Employment Tips page, I am very impressed with Matt Brown, who wrote this guidebook to getting hired to a superyacht. He's a real insider and someone who knows what he's talking about. I tip my deckhand's cap to him!

The word "yacht" may be one of the most overused and imprecise terms in the boating universe. The yacht that most people are probably familiar with is a sailing vessel of moderate to large size, say in the 40 to 80-foot range.  Cruisers in the size range may be referred to specifically as "motoryachts."  However, it is perfectly acceptable to call a motoryacht simply by the word "yacht."

Now when you get up to the really big boats, like the kind I crew on, most are also called simply "yachts," although most of them also are motorized (in fact, some of them have engines that would do justice to a Carnival cruise ship!).  When we get into this range, size-wise, we do have a precise definition of terms: A megayacht (or mega yacht, two words) is a luxury pleasure boat that is between 100 and 200 feet in length. A superyacht (or super yacht) is one that is longer than 200 feet.

And now you know.