We received such a great response to last month’s survey about how Triton readers got their start in yachting that we ran out of room before we could print it all. Included among the questions was an open-ended request for advice for new crew.

The responses were overwhelming and we couldn’t bring ourselves to whittle the answers down to just a few.

So here is that advice from yachties young and old, active and retired, near and far. And just like their starts, these yachties’ bits of advice are as varied as yachts themselves. 

What advice would you give a person thinking of getting a job on a yacht?

Hard work, be ready to listen and learn quick. That's the way to earn respect and go up the ladder.

Treat it like a real job and not a hobby. It is only a hobby to the guy paying your salary.

Start young and have a long-term plan.

Try to have a good understanding of the industry so you know what to expect. Also try to find the happy medium between the fantasy and the reality of the business. Be discreet at all times and learn how to be reasonable. This is not a business for selfish people. Enjoy every moment; you will miss it when you leave the yacht life. Other than your responsibilities, don't take it too seriously; it is only a rich person’s toy. When you are not having fun, leave.

Don't count on having a normal life ... or much of a meaningful personal life.

It's a great way to see a little of the world, meet a lot of great (and not so great) people, make good connections and get ahead, whether you'll stick with it for many years or just a couple. You'll learn many useful things that will benefit you for the rest of your life.

Listen, and be humble, no matter how much you know or think you know. Nobody likes a know-it-all. That’s what teenagers are for.

Go do it, no matter what it takes. It is worth it just to get away.

Be patient, be flexible, learn to listen and follow directions, and add your opinions only after many months on the job, especially if you have no boat experience.

Don't be afraid to ask lifestyle questions during the interview process. The right lifestyle fit is the most important thing for a permanent job.

Start at the bottom. Get a job at a West Marine, or for a management firm. Learn the rules, learn the products and applications, and always be professional. You never know who or when you’ll meet your next boss.

Treat your new career as a profession, and not a dalliance.

Go for it. It's one of the greatest ways to experience the world.

Be old enough to know better, but young enough not to be too salty. You don't know it all, and neither does the guy standing next to you.

Be smart and learn as much as possible from senior crew.

Get used to living and working in very small areas with very little privacy.

Do it when you are young as it can be long days. Make sure you spend some time with the crew and the boat before you voyage too far for too long.

Everything in life is a cycle. The people who are hiring are once again looking for longevity on one’s CV. Don't be too hasty to jump ship. Be prepared to commit to your first job if you want to be taken more seriously. Don't be a flash in the pan; that's going to waste someone’s time and effort in the training you would receive on the job.

Be prepared for the toughest demands owners can want and then exceed those demands, as hard as it may be. Move up, never down, and longevity is irreplaceable. Never forget you are always a lady or a gentleman to everyone on and off the vessel, no matter how tough. Always stand on your own two feet and go forward. Respect and experience will follow.

If you’re still young, don't enter yachting with a partner. It's too hard. Go it alone. See the world and have some fun.

Only go in if you plan to stay for the long run. Yachting skills and experience do not translate to shore-side work. Don't get caught up in pretending to emulate the owner’s lavish lifestyle. Don't blow your money on toys. Save, save, save, till it hurts. Invest the money.

You have to love the ocean.

Make sure that you have a fallback skill. Do not become a professional deckhand.

Relationships don't last if you work on a yacht and your spouse does not. Get used to working a lot of long hours, but it is well worth it when you get time off. Take lots of pictures.

Learn as much as you can about every phase of yachting from experienced crew members. Volunteer to help the engineer when he/she is changing fuel filters. Volunteer to help the captain when he/she is doing chart work, or programming the plotter for the next leg of your journey. Volunteer to help the chef when he/she is making up a menu or provisioning list. It's too easy to be lazy and do only your job. (Just make sure your work is done, and the captain gives you the OK.) Not only will you learn a lot and make yourself a more valuable member of the crew, but the other members of your crew will appreciate the help. Working on a well-run yacht is like being paid to go to school.

Have a departure plan from the industry and save for it.

It's not all about you. Aptitude is critical; attitude wins the day. Bring both. Oh, and I'd be remiss not to mention: if you didn't eat it first or it didn't start its life as a tree and end up on a roll, it has no business being put in a marine toilet.

Be persistent.

Be realistic, work hard and don't burn your bridges.

Be humble.

Like anything else, make sure you start for the right reasons, i.e. having some sort of affinity for the sea and the nomadic lifestyle. In this day of government oversight and licences, get qualified as soon as possible if you're serious.

Understand that crewing is a profession, not a summer job. Learn as much as you can as you climb the ranks, update your qualifications and read everything the owner of the yacht you work on reads.

Don't have kids.

Don't take a job with unsavory crew.

Save your hard-earned salary. Invest in your health, career and future land-based life.

Always remember that your behavior is a part of your resume. You will essentially be an independent contractor, and how you are perceived and promoted will depend on that more than in most 9-5 positions.

Do it young and keep learning. When you have your first child get a land-based yachting job and temp at high fees.

Take any classes you can and get as much experience as you can, even from the bilge up.

It doesn't matter what you know, it matters who you know. Everything you need to know about yachting can be learned; you need connections to get your foot in the door.

Don't be concerned about where the yacht is traveling to. Do be concerned about the longevity of the rest of the crew and the condition of the yacht. Make your decision to work on yachts because you love boats/yachts and the water. Everything else will become amazing memories.

Learn to pack light.

Study the craft. Study other professionals and do what they do. Find good mentors and follow their orders. Learn how to manage yourself, time, crew, jobs, emergencies.

Go for it. You don't know if you're going to like it until you try. It is a difficult career with times of long days and huge demands. Some people thrive in those surroundings; some don't. Give it a try and if you're good at it and enjoy it, you'll succeed.

I have seen a lot of crew come and go. Everyone who has stood out was completely committed to a career in yachting and it showed through the way they handled themselves onboard, the questions they asked, and the way they worked with fellow crew. I really enjoy working with people who love what they do. If you can't get out of bed in the morning and don’t look forward to going to work, then you are in the wrong career.

Make sure you understand what it is all about.

When working on a yacht, your time is not your own. Your life is not your own. The space you live in is not your own. Even the clothes you wear are not your own. Much will be demanded of you physically, mentally and emotionally. More than you can imagine. If you can deal with that, there are many benefits.

Go sailing, and no, one year is not a good run on a vessel.

No matter what your personal style is on your own time remember that you are supposed to blend into the background while you are working. Listen to the people who are career-oriented, even if you are only planning to stay in the industry for a shot time. It is a very small world and a good referral will get you work in no time. If you get a reputation as a party guy/girl you will not be offered as many jobs. That does not mean don't party; it means work hard and listen so your work is what gets remembered, not what you do after work.

Make friends with as many crew as possible. I got my current job because a friend was day working on the boat next door and told me they were looking for a chief stew. None of the agents had put me forward for the job. I phoned the captain myself. I am still here, eight years later.

Be prepared to work hard and the rewards are all there. Stay with one yacht and do not flit from yacht to yacht. And most of all, have an enjoyable time. There are few people in the world who have the chance to do this business, so do not get big headed about it.

Don't give up. Someone will hire you if you portray yourself as clean cut and a hard worker.

Hang in there for the job you really want. Start on big yachts and then go small if you want to change.

Working on ships is about service to the owner, being a good shipmate, caring about the vessel. It’s not about you. Whatever rank you serve in, you strive to make your mark by having made a positive impact, some improvement, something, somewhere. There are always good owners, shipmates and yachts for people with that attitude.

Have no expectations about the industry.

Ask yourself why you want the job, what you want out of the job and what you are willing to give toward the job.

Don't get impressed by the outward glitz of the yacht. It's a really demanding job at times.

First, get your sea legs. Learn line handling, anchoring techniques, watchkeeping, basic navigation, maintenance, etc. 

Make sure the captain is to be trusted. Check around for information on the captain, owner and vessel.

Spend some quality time in a shipyard.

Do it for the love of being at sea and making guests’ dreams come true. Money is just a bonus.

Study, apply yourself, listen to superiors and do what you are told.

Make sure it is what you want. Talk to someone who has worked in the industry. If you are sure about it then give it a six-month trial. Remember, there are good captains and crews and bad captains and crews. If you get a bad one, move on. Don't let them put you off.

Think carefully, explore your options, look at building a career and save most of what you earn rather than spend every penny.  If you are a woman, consider the longevity of your career on board and save/invest/study to enable you to be able to do something else after yachting and have another career.

Don't get caught up in living like a millionaire; save at least 50 percent of your earnings.

Don't do it for the money. Do it because you will never stop learning something every day, about boats, the sea, respect and people.

Forget about having a normal life. If you can't be away from your family and friends for months at a time, work all holidays, not be able to schedule vacations and live in a cupboard, seriously reconsider this industry.

Spend time on small boats; find out if you get seasick and learn how to handle lines. The more skills you can offer the better: IT, cooking, engineering, languages, accounts.

Be prepared to sacrifice your loved ones and your time. Remember, this is a lifestyle, not a job.

If it is not your passion, find something else.

Make sure that you have another career to go back to.

Find out as much as you can about yachting before joining.

If the person is willing to work hard and learn, this is the perfect time enter into this field. We’re at the bottom of an economic cycle, and there will be nowhere to go but up.

When needed, just suck it up to gain the experience. Stop the trend of jumping ship for the slightest of grievances. Be respectful of the officers who can teach you. When you are qualified, it is important to teach your skills to others.

Never throw away a business card. Take a hard job and learn from it. Always wear a nice shirt and smile.

Travel as much as you can as you won't get the chance once you leave. Don't give up a good job because you want to be around your partner. Don't work on a boat that the owners use constantly. Find a boat that has a schedule and some longevity of the captain and some crew.

Don't think working on a yacht is all fun and parties. It's not. it's hard work and people put their lives in your hands.

If you are serious about getting into the yachting industry, make sure you always put forward a great reputation, be diligent, and don't let people forget about you.

Don’t expect to know everything in the first 18 months.

Stay positive when job hunting. You have to do at least one thing every day toward finding the right job, then be patient. Do as much research about the vessel you are joining before you commit, as it’s not professional to quit mid-season.

Be prepared to start at the bottom and work up, even if you are older when you start.

Develop electrical, mechanical, and IT skills.

A good owner and a good captain are the key to happiness.

Sacrifice everything for a while to obtain training. Get as much training as possible, work at day jobs, do anything on a boat that is required, and just get out there. It will all pay off.

Choose the type of yacht you want to work on and offer to work for very little on that type of yacht so that you can gain the needed basic experiences to be valuable to any captain and crew.

Don't be picky. Take the first job offered to you and work harder than everybody else. Somebody is paying attention and it will eventually pay off.

Get the experience and obtain a 100-ton near-coastal license. Better yet, go to a marine academy and graduate with a bachelor’s degree. That will result in a 100-ton license. Join the Navy or Coast Guard if you can. Start out as a mate on a small yacht and gradually work your way up to the big ones. Increase the tonnage on your license as you go. 

Remember you are "the help." How you act at the pub will affect your job chances. Senior crew members know who you are when you get trashed or speak trash. Bring some real skills with you, and don't forget there are hundreds of other marine employment directions besides yacht crew that may be a better match for you.

Be darn good at something and not half informed about everything.

You have to love the sea, and it’s a service industry.

No matter what happens, never burn a bridge that you might have to cross again. Remain true to yourself but be professional at all costs. And above all, please remember that loose lips sink ships; that ship just might be yours if you get swept up into industry gossip.

Pocket your emotion and do your job as fast as you can. Be flexible at all times.

Be realistic. Willingness to give up privacy is essential; you now live at your job. Although you may be traveling, you may not get the downtime necessary to explore and enjoy the destinations.

Owners do not need yachts, so they must enjoy them to keep them. Take your job serious and be professional.

Be ready to work harder than you ever imagined you could and forget having a personal life. The boat owns you.

Put your head down and keep going. Don't pull up until you've finished a season.

Don't be too good for a job. Be willing to put in your time, keep your ears open, your mouth shut, and it will all pay off in the long run. Salary isn't the most important thing. Your experiences are far more valuable.

Find a great teacher/mentor and learn all that you can.

Be sure that your interpersonal skills are as strong as your nautical skills.

Compliment the yacht before asking for the position.

Try it out for a year or so and see if you enjoy it. Hopefully you will be on a good boat with a good owner and captain/crew.

Don't be a baby. Professional yacht crew work hard and rarely take a full day off.

Always be willing to work without question and you will be a very popular person with your officers. Be a good shipmate and you will be a friend of everyone on board.

Stay single.

Steer clear of the bottom feeders. Take the cell phone out of your ear and learn your trade. Be the best. 

Learn about the sea and weather. Show the captain you know more than just how to clean.

Keep your nose clean. Choose your company wisely. You are always on stage. Keep your head down, keep your mouth shut, and work like there's no tomorrow. Save your money. Don't be a jerk. Be sober and vigilant. Maintain eye contact and smile. Be serious.

Don’t come here with nothing to offer. Get some skills and employ them on board.

Be mindful about the time you spend in the industry; the longer you spend in yachting, the less relevant you become in "the real world". If you are going to spend any time yachting, keep climbing and saving. You don’t want to find yourself after 10 years in the industry as a unlicensed deckhand or a stew with no savings because all you did was party and live the yachtie-rich lifestyle.

Question seriously why you want to enter the industry, and where you want to be in 10 years.

Behind the glamour is a lot of hard work, a lot or waiting and an element of the unknown.

Bigger is not always better.

See the world when it is offered to you until family circumstances require your attention to be land based.

Listen and learn from owners and guests. You may never get such opportunities as this ever again, at least without paying a lot of money for it.

Do not feel that you are entitled to anything more than you have earned.

Learn how to go to sea first, then ask for the mate's job.

If you have something to offer, try working for free for, say, two months. After graduating from a merchant academy in the midst of the worst post-war shipping recession, I worked for free on a tanker for one month. I never had to look for work again, eventually becoming a partner in a shipping company, executive VP and recently retiring to a busy charter yacht, the easiest, most enjoyable job I have ever had.

If you want a career on the water, you have to know what to do an any emergency. If you don't, you shouldn't be out there. You can learn in classes, but the best learning, of course, is on the water.

Don’t expect to be rich overnight. Plan on making it a career. If you do, you will be adequately rewarded. Don’t be dejected if you get turned down occasionally. Build a reputation for dependability and you will find that the jobs will come looking for you. Get qualifications, either deck or engine room, as soon as you qualify for sea time. Sea time is very valuable; don’t waste it.

If you are consistently having bad vibes about a boat, you are probably right.

Take related courses to improve your CV - wine research, housekeeping, food and beverage service, etc.

The No. 1 yacht crew skill is sociability. You've got to be able to get along with the people you're cooped up with day after day, often under strenuous conditions. Some people are going to have characteristics that annoy you, but short of abuse and gross incompetence (including alcoholism), you've got to get along.

Don't do it for the money. Do it because you have a passion for something else about the business, whether it is true love of the sea and wanting to learn more about navigation, that you love to learn about different cultures, or that you want to improve your hospitality management skills. The money will come. If you do it for the money you basically become a drug addict.

Your integrity and reputation mean more than anything else in this industry. Do not tarnish either. Mistakes will happen; we are human. Apologize and take whatever action you can to make up for your stupidity, and never repeat it. Owning up for a fault, and taking action that it will never happen again, will mean more than the fault itself, most times.

It’s OK to be green. Entry-level jobs are more about diligence than skill. Having a can-do attitude and performing all tasks to a high level is important. You have to earn responsibility and this comes when you show you can take pride in any job.

Stay with an owner or captain or mentor who treats you well. The most successful, happiest captains I have met have been with one owner for many years.

The grass isn't always greener. Don't jump from job to job unless there are good reasons. You may look back and realize you left something great for no reason.

If you try it and like it, you best be ready to dedicate yourself. Otherwise, you will never make it to a top position.

Practice and education are your most valuable assets. Take time to really understand your working environment. Ask questions and get the correct answers before you move ahead. If you don't have the correct understanding of what your intended job is, and you do it wrong, then you will have to do all over again the correct way. Go that extra step and you will advance to a higher level in a shorter time.

Do more than is required of you. Make yourself indispensable.

In addition to advice, many of our respondents offered their own stories of how they got their starts. Here are the ones with lessons to teach:

I'm glad I started out young and learned quickly. It has proven to be a great line of work for me.  I walked into a small yacht club in Mallorca, walked up to a couple, and said I'd like to get onto yachts. They introduced me to a captain the very next day. I was Irish, he was Irish. I got trained up for a month, then was the stew/cook/deck. He has been like a father to me throughout my whole career. Now I just want to give that start back to others.

I had been running sailboats and watched the power yachts come and go with half the work, twice the staff and 10 times the salary. I was sold. I went over to the dark side only after taking advice from a couple of super guys: Go work in the Gulf of Mexico driving crew boats and work boats for a year or two. Best advice ever.

I had high hopes, many smashed by overbearing, God-complex captains throughout my career. Its the camaraderie and exploration of the world that intrigues me to continue despite some really awful people in yachting. For the most part, I have had incredible experiences that will last a lifetime.

I started my career at the best time. Now, with all the rules and regulations, I am glad I am coming to the end of my career as I doubt I would want to get into yachting in this day and age.

I stayed in it longer than I planned and wished I had accepted more exotic trip destinations. I also wish I had more boat knowledge and didn't have to learn everything on the fly.

I grew up on the coast of North Carolina. I worked in boatyards as a teenager, then was a commercial fisherman, then on sportfishing boats, and then on to yachts. A love of boats and the sea is how I got my start in the industry.

I signed on for free to a 60-footer crossing the Atlantic from Antigua to gain experience. After 17 days at sea, I jumped ship in the Azores to get a paid delivery position and later my first job as second stew. I've sailed and motored around the world on boats from 34 feet to 220 feet, working deck, chef, chief stew, relief mate and purser.

Nobody wanted to know me due to my commercial fishing background. Now I always have time for well-presented individuals looking to make a start in the industry.

I got my first paying job after several years of going from boat to boat, learning what I could, before I felt I could ask to be paid for working. (Big difference from today's kids who want big bucks with no experience.) Word-of-mouth speaks volumes in this business, even today.

There are many bumps along the road to the perfect boat. It took us 2 1/2 years to find the right boat and we are planning on being here for 10 years. Don’t give up hope.

Cooking on the schooner Shearwater led to deliveries and jobs on other charter yachts, which led to working with Chris Doyle on his early Caribbean guides, which led to meeting my husband, which led to our own boat, which led to doing daysails out of Bequia, which led to a six-year circumnavigation, which led to establishment of the Caribbean Compass yachting magazine (www.caribbeancompass.com) where I am the editor. Whew. I've never regretted any of it.

I have been very fortunate to have met and aligned myself with some of the best people in the business. People who share a passion for yachting, fishing, sailing and perhaps most importantly, doing the right thing. Some, but not all, will be lifelong friends. After 14 years, the last eight of which I’ve spent leading a significant global operation, I still learn something new every day.

I just wanted to be at sea and travel and see places. It was not about a career at all in the beginning. But looking back, the time on my first yacht as a deckhand was the best time I had in yachting.

I was so blessed to have been introduced to the yachting industry. I had a solid 13 years in it before I stepped off yachts to raise my children. I started in the early 1990s where cell phones and Internet were not common on board. We spent long amounts of time in the islands, anchored out while sourcing out local foods and wares. The people I met along the way were among the best I have ever been acquainted with. Yachties have this special knack of being sincere and resourceful and reliable and making strong genuine friendships quickly. That’s very special. Once I stepped onto land, it was much harder to make good friends quickly. I am so grateful to have been introduced to this wonderful career.

I absolutely loved the French language and working on a big yacht on the French Riviera intrigued me. I got my first job in an agency in Leicester Square in London from an advert in the London Evening Standard. Had the best three years of my 20s on that 62m yacht in Golfe Juan. I went back as 2nd officer in 2002, and met and married an Australian stewardess on the same yacht in 2003. Pretty much sorted my life out. Il vagabondo again.

I began as a sailing instructor and worked Florida and the Caribbean. It opened all the doors I needed to advance as a captain on the type of sail and motor yachts that I enjoy working on.

I walked away from Corporate America years ago, vowing to never wear a tie again. So far, so good. I've tried on many hats over the years; my friends were beginning to think I lacked the discipline to stay with a job. I now laugh as I send them photos from sea as they work away in their cubicles.

I was denied my college student loan in 1995. In 1996, I used my savings to get my USCG master license. I’ve worked on all types of boats. In March 1998, I was hired to help clean (turn-over) a yacht and afterward the captain took my contact details. He said I was a good worker and liked that I was professional and polite. He called me for an interview three weeks later looking for deck crew. My first day on the job I was in the engine room replacing the injectors on the Cats. ER maintenance had been a common duty on my previous boats (as a captain) as 100 hours racked up weekly, so I was quite familiar with diesels. The yacht was 92 feet with four full-time crew, and I lasted until 2011.

I was 6-7 years removed from duty in Southeast Asia and went the G.I. Bill route. Boring. Yachting seemed like a traveling road show, and that greatly appealed to me. I babysat a Gulfstar 50 in Nassau for a year, worked as a bodyguard/stretch lomo driver in New York City for five years. My boss said he was going to get a boat. I was thinking 55-60 feet. He bought a 157-foot CRN and I became a crew member. I only knew how to tie a half hitch and a bowline, but I fit in, learned, worked, traveled, made friends and had a great time.

I am a marine tradesman. I have experience in engineering on board vessels since 2000 with a four-year apprenticeship in diesel, hydraulics, mechanical fitting machining and welding. I ended my career in the military as I did not think I was earning up to potential. Yachting never existed in my mind. I was recruited to do some work from shore on vessels. Then I realized I could go to sea as an engineer and did the required STCW 95 course and found out where the best place for me was to enter into yachting. With that in mind, I created a CV targeted at captains/vessels offering exactly that. If you want something, know how to get to it and follow the plan.

I wish I could stay younger longer so I could still look forward to 10 years in the industry. However, I learned a lot from having a previous profession and other experiences. I could have shaved three years off my traveling to get into the industry sooner.

We conduct our monthly surveys online. All captains and crew members are welcome to participate. If you haven’t been invited to take our surveys and would like to be, register for our e-mails online at www.the-triton.com.

About the Author

Lucy Chabot Reed

Editor

Lucy Chabot Reed is editor of The Triton.