What's average sailing yacht skipper salary?

[capnsensible]

He did and it was very good.

Thank you! ?

 

[capnsensible]

Didn't you have a sailing school at one time?

Yes. My wife and I ran our own school for seven years. Previously We had managed another school on and off for around eight years. Plus before and since I've freelanced.
Someone has to do it. ?

 

[Skellum]

If you are looking to own a 35-45 ft yacht and charter it out skippered you are unlikely ever to make much real imcome after expenses. One big bill for a major problem could cause real difficulty. You may break even and will probably have an interesting but quite stressful life.

However once you get all the right qualifications to run someone else's superyacht can be very well paid indeed - zero outgoings and a very good salary.

Indeed, working on a super yacht is where the big money is to be made, if that’s your motivation. Although you might find yourself doing a fair bit of polishing gel coat and brass rather than actual sailing. I worked a few seasons as a flotilla skipper - the money wasn’t great, but that’s not why i did it.
Some of the sail training academies - eg Flying Fish or UKSA not only help you get your qualifications but also provide a careers service to help you get jobs as well.

 

[Gedimin]

Indeed, working on a super yacht is where the big money is to be made, if that’s your motivation. Although you might find yourself doing a fair bit of polishing gel coat and brass rather than actual sailing. I worked a few seasons as a flotilla skipper - the money wasn’t great, but that’s not why i did it.
Some of the sail training academies - eg Flying Fish or UKSA not only help you get your qualifications but also provide a careers service to help you get jobs as well.

If it's not a secret, how much did they pay for flotilla? And what other motivation you had if not money? And what sort of money would make it your primary motivation back then?

 

[capnsensible]

If it's not a secret, how much did they pay for flotilla? And what other motivation you had if not money? And what sort of money would make it your primary motivation back then?

From what I saw of the students we trained to go off to skipper flotillas in Greece, the first was to get experience skippering but importantly, to have sex with as many people as possible. ?

 

[Kwik Decision]

If it's not a secret, how much did they pay for flotilla? And what other motivation you had if not money? And what sort of money would make it your primary motivation back then?

SUMMER YACHT FLOTILLA SKIPPER JOB DESCRIPTION - Neilson Active Holidays

No secret that Neilson pay up to £760 pcm plus board etc.

As others have said, buying a relatively small yacht, and trying to make it pay is very difficult - I've a friend who bought a 37' Bav, and ran it as a 1 man band sailing school for 9 years. He recently sold the yacht, and said looking back, it made very little money, for a lot of work. You need to be a YMI to do this in the UK on the RYA scheme, unless you pay somebody else to be your chief instructor.

Working for others, a Cruising Instructor gets around £120 per day and an YMI around £140 per day, working for established sailing schools in the UK. Clearly you need the right qualifications to do this.

 

[PlanB]

I did know someone who did one or two week skippered charters from the Costa del Sol in his First 41. He found it was absolutely knackering as he was on duty almost round the clock. He didn't have anyone to help with the housekeeping/catering and paying guests expect some kind of service, and even if the guests want to do some sailing, he still had to keep an eye out. Gave it up after a few months.

 

[Skellum]

If it's not a secret, how much did they pay for flotilla? And what other motivation you had if not money? And what sort of money would make it your primary motivation back then?

KwikDecision has covered off the money side and that looks sensible in relation to what I was getting when I was doing it 2007-2009. I expect Sunsail, Seafarer and Sailing Holidays are about the same.
For me the motivation was being totally fed up with work and having the opportunity to do something for just me as I had not long been divorced. I never did that university gap-year thing so you could Describe it as my own version of the mid-life crisis, having already done the buy a Porsche Bit! I spent my 40 th birthday with my flotilla on The lovely island of Vis in Croatia which is not a bad way to celebrate, when all is said and done.
Yes you do have to work all week and it’s not all just fun and jollies, but the people are really nice- they are on holiday and predisposed to having a good time. Over the three seasons I did it we had many fantastic families / groups, many of whom kept coming back, and I can only recall one lot over the entire period who were total dickheads.

 

[38mess]

My nephew was chief engineer onboard super yachts, he was on a good basic salary plus a share of the tips from the punters. One Russian charter gave them a 20k tip to be shared amongst the crew.

 

[RichardS]

The lovely island of Vis in Croatia which is not a bad way to celebrate, when all is said and done.

Anchored in a raft formation in Komiza by any chance?

Richard

 

[Skellum]

Anchored in a raft formation in Komiza by any chance?

Richard

Komiza is lovely, though on this occasion it was Vis town quay. I still go back to Croatia regularly on my holidays - and should have had a two week charter there this summer. Now rescheduled to next year due to Covid.

 

[cherod]

People that i meet often ask me why i dont charter , “ easy money doing booze cruises “ , easy answere is our boat will be our home and i dont need boozed up clowns sharing my wifes toilet !!