How to become a superyacht crew
by AIMEX 14 Sep 2023 20:57 NZST
Superyacht Australia, the peak national industry body for the superyacht industry in Australia, is proud to have published a new resource aimed at making it easy for Australians to start their journey as superyacht crew. Australians are natural superyacht crew with over 90% of our population living on the coast. Fishing, surfing, swimming, sailing, and paddling are weekly pastimes for nearly all Aussie kids growing up in and around the water. Many have "saltwater in their veins" with surf life-saving "Nippers" and sailing club "Tackers" programs training children from the age of five in skills that will be sought after as future superyacht crew.
The superyacht industry has virtually been unknown to young Aussies, with those discovering it as a result of backpacking in Europe or by reality TV shows such as "Below Deck" broadcasting on popular streaming services. Internationally the superyacht industry is booming, with vessels getting much larger, more of them and requiring double the amount of crew as many yachts offer rotational positions for senior crew. The superyacht industry is also gaining momentum in Australia with popular charter destinations including Sydney, the Queensland coast, and the Kimberley's attracting more yachts. This new resource aims to educate young Aussies on what a superyacht is, where you can find them cruising (within Australia and internationally) and different entry-level roles available onboard.
The qualifications required are easy to complete locally in Australia and can provide a great base for future maritime careers. The STCW 95 (Standards of Training and Certification for Watchkeepers) certification is the mandatory qualification set by the International Maritime Organisation and takes 8 days to complete including theory and practical courses. Australia is lucky to have two great training providers including Crew Pacific, based in Cairns, and Superyacht Crew Academy based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. Both training providers offer STCW courses and further Steward/ess and Deckhand courses, aimed to provide students with the necessary basic knowledge of the interior and exterior departments before starting their first roles. The resource also outlines the Mandatory Certificate of Medical Fitness required to confirm you are medically fit to perform the duties required onboard.
Once qualified, Australia has many recruitment companies eager to place "green" crew into their first role. This includes Hill Maritime, a worldwide maritime recruitment and consultancy firm, that places quality engineers on quality vessels all over the world. Coastal Yachting Recruitment, based on the Gold Coast, is also experienced in placing professional crew worldwide on luxury superyachts.
David Good, CEO of Superyacht Australia commented "Australia has the reputation for providing the best yacht crew in the world, we have a great education, excellent work ethic, and a relaxed professional attitude. This is our opportunity to travel, get paid exceptionally well, and gain sea-time experience that is highly sought after when you want to come ashore and use that experience.
Superyacht Australia will be distributing this new resource at career expos in major cities such as Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, and Brisbane where up to 12,000 school leavers per event attend seeking information on future careers.
This new resource can be found on our Superyacht Australia website.