5 Tips for Hiring the Ideal Yacht Crew for Your Boat

Hiring a crew for your boat can feel overwhelming when you’re just getting started. 

You have to hire a yacht crew that is available, has experience working on boats like yours, fits within your budget, has a solid reputation…

Let’s simplify things by breaking down what you need to know to make hiring a crew for your boat straightforward and successful—the first time.

We’ll look at:

1. What type of crew you require
2. What staff positions you need to fill
3. How to define the kind of service you want
4. Where to find available crew
5. How to verify your crew’s experience, history, and compatibility

#1 Define What Kind of Boat Crew You Need to Hire

Let’s start with the most essential task first—what type of crew do you need to hire?

You can hire a captain for an afternoon cruise around the harbor.  Or you can hire a captain—and a whole fleet of crew members—to run your boat year-round.

Of course, there is every option in between, too.

So, to save time, define what type of crew services you need to hire.  From there, your pool of potential captains and crew just got more manageable. 

Here is how the most common hired yacht crew services breakdown:

Long-term- The captain usually manages your boat year-round, either full-time or part-time.  They will frequently handle all the routine maintenance of the vessel, hire additional crew, and oversee any repairs or upgrades. In addition, they will run the boat while you are on board or move the vessel to different locations so that you can meet up with it in other ports.

Short-term- Captain and crew can be hired for just a season or a few weeks while you vacation on the boat.  While they attend to running and maintaining the boat while aboard, they won’t be responsible for the overall maintenance needs of your boat, like scheduling yearly services.

Delivery Services- Delivery captains move your boat from one location to another.  They are often hired for new boat purchases, if you move, to attend boat shows, or to deliver your boat so that you can fly in and join it at your cruising destination without having to be aboard for the travel days. 

Single Event- Even if you usually operate your boat by yourself, there are times when you may rather focus on the friends and family that you have onboard with you.  Hiring a boat crew can allow you to safely participate in the activities on board.

On-Demand- If you require a captain or crew several times a year but not consistently enough to have a full-time crew always at the ready, using a service that can help place a qualified professional with you on short notice may be an option.  You may not get the same crew each time, but you won’t have to spend the time searching for a team every time you need to hire one.  Plus, the crew services agency will already know the details about your boat and special requests that are important to you.

#2 Decide What Hired Yacht Crew Positions You Need

Understanding the roles of professional boat crews can help you decide how many staff you need to hire, what roles they fill, and how they serve you. 

On smaller boats with only one, two, or three hired crew aboard, the crew will often wear several hats, overlapping duties.  But it helps to have a clear expectation and understanding of what their primary responsibility is.

Note: In many cases, a crew placement agency or the captain may require a minimum number of crew members.  This can be determined by the size of the boat, type (sailboats often require additional crew), and destination.

Captain- At a minimum, they will have a captain’s license that covers the size vessel and how many people will be aboard.  While they are hired, they will be responsible for the operation and safety of the vessel and all crew, both whiles underway and while moored.  If other hired professionals are on board, for example, a first mate, they are responsible for directing them in the boat’s operation.

Co-Captains, Mates & Deck Hands- Depending on the size of the boat, an additional crew may be required for boat operation tasks. Other times they may be optional.  Co-captains and first mates will be able to stand in for the captain in their absence. When safe to do so, they may also be involved in entertaining and serving you and your guests aboard. They may also perform deck cleaning and routine boat maintenance tasks.

Chefs and Steward/ess- Their primary focus is serving you and your guests aboard and attending to interior tasks, from preparing and serving meals and drinks to setting out fresh towels. 

Engineers-Larger vessels with long-term staff may include some sort of engineer position.  The engineer is hired to keep the boat running, maintaining the engine room and related systems.  When available, they often participate in serving guests as well.

Regardless of what the titles are—or how many crew members you hire—defining the roles and responsibilities in writing at the time of hire is standard.  Clarity is key.  Ask as many questions as needed to ensure everyone understands the expectations (you and your crew).

#3 Clarify What Type of Service You Want

Nothing will have a more significant impact on how much time you enjoy your boat than the trust and interaction you have with your hired crew.  No matter how large of a yacht you are on, it’s still a relatively small space.  And your crew, while professionals, are always human. So it’s critical to create the right working relationship.

Clearly identifying what style of service you want during the hiring process is essential to finding the best-matched crew.

To do this, answer questions like:

• Would I prefer a quiet service with a priority on ensuring my privacy, or would I rather have some fun interaction with my crew?
• Do I want my captain and crew to share information with me so I become more confident in handling my boat myself, or would I rather keep a completely hands-off approach and just enjoy the experience?
• If hosting a party, do I want more formal service from the crew, or would I like to see them create a lively atmosphere?

Whether you are hiring crew for your boat directly or working with an agency that provides crew placement services, clearly defining your expectations and preferences at the start will yield much better boat crew matches.

Tip: If you are asked to complete a preference sheet that asks questions like the above examples, take the time to fully develop your answers.  Loving and trusting your hired crew is the single biggest factor affecting the experience you have on your boat.

#4 Learn Where to Find the Best Yacht Crews For Hire

An obvious place to start looking for your crew is referrals from people you know.  Nothing beats first-hand knowledge.

You may also be able to find a private, or “freelancer” captain, meaning they don’t work for a crew services placement company. 

Private captains are most often available for short-term or delivery-style jobs.  With this hiring option, you are 100% responsible for background checks, verifying licenses, calling references, determining fit, and reviewing contracts.

Agency-style crew services placement websites are easy to use and limit the amount of calling around you have to do yourself.  They tend to work with a vast pool of captains and match you with one available in your area. Some agencies offer more custom requests than others.  

Tip: Caution may be warranted when the same website you are using to hire a professional crew is also boldly advertising that they are hiring-NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED! 

Smaller, customer-oriented crew services placement companies can offer a best-of-both-worlds option.  They hand-select their marine professionals and choose only crew members that meet their quality-focused models.  They take care of the business-end of vetting the crew AND work as matchmakers for finding the best professionals for each client’s individual requests.  Sail Onyx is a prime example of a client-focused company helping match boat owners and hired yacht crew.

#5 Selecting Experienced, Vetted & Compatible Crew

Whether you are hiring a crew directly or working with a company, knowing when and how frequently background checks are performed is a smart move.  Never hesitate to ask about the vetting process.  Some companies do a background check only once when initially hiring.  Other companies will recheck their professionals before every placement. 

Reviewing enough testimonials from previous clients should give you a solid feel for their skills and professionalism.  If you are hiring a crew directly, not through an agency, it will be up to you to verify that licenses are current. It will also fall on you to follow up on at least a few referrals from recent customers.

Tip: Be honest with yourself.  Using a placement agency might be a safer alternative if you’re not inclined to do the background research.

Finally, while hiring an experienced crew is the main objective, finding one that just feels right on a personal level is just as important.

Whether it’s for a week or a year, you’ll build a personal relationship of some type with your crew—finding the personalities that make it most enjoyable is essential.

You’ll want someone who can anticipate what you want and how to deliver it. 

And—if things go differently than planned—you’ll want a crew that reacts and communicates in a way that makes you feel reassured and confident. 

This is where working with a boutique-style agency can make a big difference.  They can take the time to really learn what you are looking for, and they will know their hand-picked captains and crew well enough to make a solid match between boat owners and hired yacht crew.