Superyachts - why work on one?

dgadee

dgadee

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On the Costa Smeralda and superyachts are everywhere. The crews seem to clean, clean, clean and there doesn't seem to be a lot of travel (except from one cala to the next). I notice they even take their shoes off when they go up the board ladder in dock.

Why do they choose this lackey work? Are they convicts on hard labour? Are they well paid?
 
Deckies often need to be Yachtmasters to get a job so they aint daft.
And its a growing industry. Pay is good and you are fed watered and given a bed.
As the med season ends a lot of the boats will head over to the Caribean for the winter. The crew have a different life with no owner or customers on board....but the vessel will be kept imacculately clean.
Then as you climb the ladder to bosun first mate and finally captain as the responsibilities grow so does the wonga.
A master 2000 tons unlimitedbis a switched on cookie and lots aspire to that. Engineering too has big rewards.

But it needs a lot of self discipline and isnt for everyone. Me for example but I know a lot who do and love it.
I got to train a fair few in their early days and am still in touch with some. Its harder than you might think.
 
Very interesting. What kind of pay levels are we talking about? The Dilbar was around here and it has a crew list of 80+. I presumed pay levels might be the same as on cruise liners.
 
Deckies can be on, at my last known information over 30k sterling with no overhead and theboption to tax shelter.

Again Im probably behind but a good over 2000ton unlimited mebbe 120k. And lots of them are shacked up with the Chief Stewardess!
 
Deckies in short skirts start at US $150 per day. Included is free short skirts, board and a very cramped shared cabin. Before they can start they must have completed STCW95 (or whatever the current certification is called), a first aid course to a certain level, a fire fighting course and some form of silver service or posh cooking course, all at their own expense. Four years ago all those courses would set you back close to US $10k. They'd work their way out of the galley to become chief stewardess. I have no idea of that pay scale.
Engineers start at US$ 250 per day and instead of the silver service course, they need a decent diesel engine maintenance certification + refrigeration/aircon maintenance. They commonly work their way up the ladder to become captains, who earn as much as US$ 300k per year.
It's predominantly contract work, so no niceties like leave, sick leave, pension, medical etc.
The gratuity at the end of a charter is shared on a ratio similar to the pay ratios, but can be very rewarding because 25% is expected on charters costing mega bucks per week.
 
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We have some friends whose son worked as a deckie in the Med on a charter yacht. He stuck it for about 2 years, then left, citing insane hours and ridiculous demands. He's probably a lightweight!
 
Yep, and there's zero mercy for bouts of sea sickness.
 
I was chatting to a neighbour who was ch/eng on superyachts, he had to have everything ready to depart for sea 24/7/365, even if the owner was on another continent.
Most of the time he was running three gensets to keep up with the demanding aircon, but they didn't have many issues with the propulsion machinery ...the endless mickey-mouse luxury automatic gadgets were a constant pest though.
The pay was apparently abundant, and contrary to rumour the crew were not tasked with disposing of dead Russian prostitutes..
 
Standard deckhand or cabin steward/ess is certainly a lot of hard work cleaning for a minimal bit of glamour.

But the race crew who fly in for the big regattas have a more fun job. No cleaning and a lot more actual sailing and glamour.
But need serious race credentials which are not easily earned, generally including top levels within Olympic classes.
 
There’s a very good series on Bravo called Below Deck Mediterranean. Mostly focusing on charter guests. It’s a good insight into the lifestyle. Not sure about pay but tips can be very good. 20,000 euros split between 10 is not uncommon for 3 -7 day charters. It’s definitely a young persons game.
 
Spyro said:
There’s a very good series on Bravo called Below Deck Mediterranean. Mostly focusing on charter guests. It’s a good insight into the lifestyle. Not sure about pay but tips can be very good. 20,000 euros split between 10 is not uncommon for 3 -7 day charters. It’s definitely a young persons game.
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I love the show but I wouldn't put too much basis on its accuracy of real life. That's based on my very brief experience, that of a couple of my ex stewardess who moved into the industry both were excellent on a work boat and did very well in the white boats (one is still there the other one moved to a shore job with the owners - this over maybe an 8 year time span) and on an ex colleagues sister who is heavily involved in the industry in Florida.

And of course it's drama tv.

Not sure if I'd do it again except maybe as a Captain...

W.
 
capnsensible said:
Deckies can be on, at my last known information over 30k sterling with no overhead and theboption to tax shelter.

Again Im probably behind but a good over 2000ton unlimited mebbe 120k. And lots of them are shacked up with the Chief Stewardess!
Click to expand...

Yep. I had a superyacht deckhand crew for me last year and that's what he got, plus all expenses (laundry, food, travel to and from, totthpaste etc, etc. and tips occasionally into 4 figures $. He does what he's asked which may involve painting the inside of tbe anchor locker in 35C but, to me, it seemed a much better option than working for Tesco. Job satisfaction ranged from sublime to horrendous depending on charterers. He said all owners were generally very reasonable.
 
I have a friend who started as a stewardess, took a zero to hero YM, added the Ocean and commercial endorsement and transferred to deck side. She now has the rather nice job of running and maintaining the tenders, next stop bosun. Definitely enjoys it but she is a tough cookie and a grafter.
 
One friend of mine worked on a number superyachts as a chef, having previously worked in a Michelin starred restaurant in Dublin. Her last job was 3 years on a 58 metre motor yacht with a busy charter schedule, and she was making $250,000 a year plus tips. The salary reflected to some extent the level of skill she was operating at (she was on slightly more than the Captain), and obviously this compare very favourably with cheffing jobs on land or running your own restaurant (unless you end up on TV).
She never intended to do it forever (I think she did 10 years all told having started on a 28 metre Sunseeker) but the thing that made her Jack it in was a call at 3am to get up and make a burger. Which turned out to be for someone’s dog.

In the South of France, £2500 a month is around the going rate for a deckie, a Captain I know on a 30 metre yacht makes around £8500 a month.
 
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I'm working with someone whose last job was as chief steward on a 110m motor yacht. She thoroughly hated the 18 hour days of being constantly on call for whatever petty nonsense was required, and really hated the sleazy antics of her employer. But, then again, she earned enough money to buy a home outright when she came back to get a real job. If you can hold your nose and put up with it for 2 or 3 years then it can give you a very nice financial boost.

Don't think I could though, given some of the tales that I heard.
 
Binge watching right now trying to stay a little sane. Pup is playing madly with one of his numerous toys. I so wonder how many of these crew ever work again - I'd certainly employ a couple but for the most part would never let them on any boat under my command - that includes a lot of those those have come back on repeated series.

I think I'm of the Capt Lee s hook...

W.
 
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