Former Crewmember Creates Yacht Recruitment App

Fiona Grey, a former third stew and deckhand, created Crewdar, an MLC-compliant yacht recruitment app that hopes to bring recruiting into the digital age while improving navigation for recruiters and recruitees. Crewdar, which will always be free for crew, helps crew find jobs in their area and offers a real-time insights section that delivers actionable information explaining the skills, qualifications, visas, salary requirements, or other criteria that can improve crew’s chances to match with more jobs.

“Ultimately, we are striving to be the good guys and shake up the current state of yacht recruitment, which we believe was long overdue,” Grey said. “We find it baffling that an industry built on so much core wealth, and [with] cutting-edge technology in so many other sectors, seems to be stuck in time in terms of recruitment.”

Crewdar is also available for vessel managers, enabling them to quickly find a pool of candidates that match any specified criteria within any desired search radius. The app uses artificial intelligence to verify crew certifications, conducts bank-grade identity checks for both vessel and crew, and in compliance with MLC requirements, provides full insurance and protection for crew. 

“More and more younger crew are stepping into higher ranking positions and see technology being an integral part of their day-to-day life,” Grey said. “We believe in empowering the vessel manager or captain managing the hiring process, allowing them to assess the true character and personality fit of all qualifying candidates through in-built features like profile videos and galleries, without being inundated by hundreds of unsuitable CVs.” 

While Grey’s hope is that crewmembers and recruiters both find that Crewdar simplifies the recruiting process, she also hopes the app encourages crew to obtain more qualifications, elevate themselves, and ultimately raise the standard across the industry.

“Our MO is to give back to an industry we are so passionate about. My life would look a lot different right now if it were not for yachting,” Grey said.