I often get asked a plethora of questions by everyone either highly intrigued by my job description and lifestyle or by young adults itching to start a new adventure and start their yachting career. In this blog I'll be covering the good, the bad and the ugly. Covering all of the Frequently Asked Questions I get asked on the daily, from how you get into it, to how you survive in it for so long and where you see your life going with it.
Is yachting really like the TV Show Below Deck?
It definitely has its similarities, but it is highly dramatised. We don't party with the guests and there isn't usually that much crew drama. We are never rude to the guests and we are always way better prepared for them before they arrive. There are a lot of little things only yachties will know that are so wrong with how they do things, but in general from an outside view, its very similar. My cousin always tells me he's obsessed with it because now he knows what my life is like and it does give people a sense of what we go through on the daily. In essence, they are ex crew and actors that are moving on with their careers and want to make good television. No one wants to watch boring.
How do I start yachting? What Courses do I need?
To work on any vessel at sea you need to have a basic STCW Course and a Medical Examination to prove you are fit to be at sea. The STCW includes modules such as Fire Fighting, First Aid, Personal Survival Techniques, Designated Security Duties and Anti Pirating. You are at sea with no other qualified safety technicians to help you, so you need to be qualified to handle all kinds of situations that may head your way.
You need either a SAMSA Medical or ENG1 to prove that you are fit and healthy to work at sea. Mental and Physical health issues are highlighted here and are taken into account to see if you would be fit to be off shore for long periods of time without having any health issues. To be honest, there is no difference between the SAMSA and ENG1. ENG1 was created for yacht crew and they charge you an arm and a leg to do (as with all other yachting courses they tell you you need to do). The SAMSA Medical is what all the ships use, and I have been using it for years on the yachts with no issues. The ENG1 and SAMSA are both valid for 2 years. The SAMSA is half the price.
My next point I can't enforce enough. Yachting companies are created as business to sell you courses. You DO NOT NEED ALL OF THEM like they tell you. The more they sell, the more they make. Excess courses are completely unnecessary and often actually inhibit your hiring potential. When a captain see's you have all these courses, he simply thinks you have enough money to waste and doesn't think you need a job and moves on to the next available crew option.
Here's the low down, Deckhands need to do all of the necessary courses such as Power boat level 2, Personal Watercraft Certificate, SAMSA SRC Radio, RYA Diesel and Radar. You do not need to have a OOW Certificate as this is only useful once you have accumulated a number of hours at sea. For Stewardesses, the scary thing is you honestly just need your STCW. Please DO NOT BOTHER WITH THE STEWARDESS COURSE. It is a waste of your time and money. You do not need a Barista Course either, we have coffee machines on board that do all of this for you. You do not need a Food Hygiene and Safety Level 2 Certificate unless you are a Chief Stew. If the boat really wants you to have it, they will send you on the cpurse themselves. You also do not need any of the aforementioned Deckhand Courses either. A Powerboat Level 2 is not necessary unless you just want to have that in general. They find it useful on smaller boats as you can help the deck out with tender runs. They are trying to sell you products you guys DO NOT NEED! They are not the Professionals, THEY ARE SALES MEN AND WOMEN. A Chef needs their relevant Cheffing Qualifications and a Food Hygiene and Safety Level 2 Certificate. If you want to work on the very large Mega Yachts, a Ships Cook Certificate is necessary.
How do I find a job once I've completed all of my courses?
You need to sign up on all of the main CREW AGENCY WEBSITES and fill in your profiles. You should check in everyday and apply for jobs directly from their website. Checking in brings your name up to the top of the list on the daily so that you have a better chance of the agents seeing you and putting you forward for the job. If you are in either Antibes, Palma or Fort Lauderdale, you should make an appointment to go meet the agents so they get to know your face and what you are about.
*side note. I was recently in Palma and met some new yachties looking for work. There are no crew houses there and they were staying in a party hostel with us. It's a lot harder to find other yachties here. I think being part of Palma Yacht Crew Facebook page is vital if you are staying here, so you can find other yachties to mingle with. There aren't any "yachtie bars" per se. When we go we head to the bars at the port, but they aren't cheap and aren't really places to hang out and walk around and meet people. The agencies organized some greenie events which I thought was cool. This is the downside I guess, but I've heard the most success stories getting hired from Palma, so you need to weigh out your options.
Some Agencies:
Yotspot
Crew and Concierge
Bluewater
yaCrew
Sovren Crew
The Crew Network
YPI
Crew Unlimited
Another huge way of finding jobs is via the FACEBOOK YACHTING PAGES. Every day hundreds of jobs are posted and you need to reply within the first hour of it being posted. Thousands of people are sending in their CV's for that same job, so if you are too slow they wont look further than a certain time stamp. You need to constantly be on your phone applying for these positions. This is where most people find their jobs.
Some Facebook Pages:
Antibes Yacht Crew
Palma Yacht Crew
Monaco Yacht Crew
Fort Lauderdale Yacht Crew
Asia Yacht Crew
SAFFAS Unite in the Med
Crew Yacht Jobs
Lastly, NETWORK! Go out to the Yachting bars and pubs. Get chatting to people, lots of them. Mingle and have fun. Please still be professional but have a good time. There are always crew at these places and they may be looking for new crew to fulfil positions onboard their yacht. What a better way than letting people getting to know you and your vibe. When you get along with them at the bar, they are more likely to recommend you to their HOD's because they know you will get along with the crew. I found my two year gig by talking to a guy at a beach party who had just met another girl who was looking for a chef. We met, hit it off and worked together for two years straight. EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE.
Is it easy to get a job?
The truth is no. You need to work harder than everyone else, put in hours of work looking for suitable positions and applying for them as soon as they are posted. You will get short listed and then not get the call back. You will have to just keep on pushing! There are over 100 people looking for 1 job, so you really need to be on it. ALWAYS! Only the strongest will remain. If you really want it you will have to put the work in. There is nothing easy about this industry. It is not a holiday like everyone makes it seem. It is extremely rewarding, but even that has its price.
I started looking mid April and only got my first official gig in the beginning of June. I had many days of Day Work, spent hours on my phone and laptop looking for jobs. Went to countless interviews. Broke myself down many a time with self doubt about not finding work. Finally found my dream job, to being called back the next day to say they actually didn't want to deal with South African Passport issues. To finding another job, where the guests loved me and I still got let go because the captain wanted his girlfriend to work onboard with him instead. Flew home because my visa expired, thought that was it and FINALLY got a call back from my dream boat again to tell me they actually really wanted me. We sorted out my correct visa to head back and I started my journey with them. Was it easy? Nope, not a way in hell, but I never gave up and I grew so much and learned so much about myself through those experiences. IT'S DEFINITELY NOT EASY, BUT IT'S WORTH EVERY SECOND!
What Visa do I need?
To go over to America you need a B1/B2. B1 is to conduct work in the Americas, whereas B2 is for Tourism. You need to get stamped in on a B1 to work on the yacht. If you fly over on a B2 and they catch you working, or even looking for work, you will be expatriated and have your visa cancelled. Don't ask me how they do, but they always figure it out. I have had many friends who lied about what they were there for and where they were going, and their bank statements were checked and they got busted for that. They also look on the facebook pages and see whos applying from jobs from there. Be so careful with this guys! I can't explain this enough.
For Europe you will need a Schengen Visa. If you have a job and go over with boat papers, you will get a Business Seamans Visa to work there. This is their new way of controlling us, as there are so many South Africans go over. Sadly it is one of those situations whereby you need a job to get the right visa and you need the right visa to get a job. South African Yachties helps with a lot of Visa applications and issues. I still dont recommend them. They have a really bad name for themselves in France as they are illegally providing paperwork they aren't allowed to give you. They are expensive, and usually can only give you the visa you would be able to apply for yourself. I think they charge around R6000. You can apply yourself for R2200. People still use them so use it to your discretion. You can find them on facebook and google.
*NB Please be aware!!! There are no cheaper shortcuts with your visa applications. You will spend thousand of Rands on them. It's just the nature of the beast. Luckily you earn well so it covers it within your first pay check.
When Should I go over?
Mediterranean Season is May to October but a couple jobs start hiring earlier like beginning of April.
Caribbean Season is Late November to May.
Where should I fly? Where are the yachting hubs?
Flying into France, you will book your ticket into Nice. The yachting hub here is Antibes, meaning this is where the main yachting activity takes place in the area. Most of the Agencies are here or in surrounding areas. There is a train that takes you to all of the necessary ports along the Cote d'Ázur. I like to stay in Nice or Cannes because they have more of a real living city feeling than Antibes, which is filled with tourists and so many South Africans (I didn't move away to live with ya'll (as much as I love you)). From Nice it is about 30 minutes to either Antibes, 45 minutes to Cannes and 20 minutes to Monaco, and its much cheaper to stay there too.
Spain's Yachting hub is Palma del Mallorca. There are no direct flights to there from what I know from internationally. You usually would fly to a main aircraft hub in Europe and then fly to Palma from there.
The hub for the Caribbean is Fort Lauderdale. You fly here and the islands start from about a 2 and a half hour yacht ride from there.
Where do I stay when I get overseas?
I didn't stay in a Crew House when I arrived because I was shocked at what they cost, but to be honest, even just for one week, it is a really good place to start and be around people in the same boat (pun intended) as you. They crew houses are well connected to Captains and people looking for day workers, which give them the perfect opportunity to give the jobs to the crew staying in the Crew house over any other lone wolf. It is also a great place to learn how it will be on the yachts and to meet many like minded friends. These are usually the friends you will keep through the rest of your lives. They see you at your most vulnerable, most emotional and biggest growth stage you will most properly ever go through in your life. Stay away from the drama queens, the party animals and the loud, obnoxious fighting kinds (sadly mostly what young South African guys are known for (yes Brandewyn Ego)). People are always watching you, so find people that you connect with. You want to be remembered for your good and not bad attributes. Yachting is surprisingly really small.
After about 2 weeks you will probably be comfortable and sick of talking about yachting every breathing moment of your life. Find a couple of mates and hire an airbnb. Its way more quiet and homely and you feel somewhat human again. It is also much cheaper. Aim for about 160 Euro (R3200) a month each for that. Whereas the Crew houses range around 250 Euro (R5000) a week in comparison.
Some Crew Houses:
The Grapevine Chain (Antibes)
The Crew House (Antibes)
Amma's Crew House (Antibes)
Debbies Crew House (Biot)
The Boat House (Palma)
Caimari Crew Accommodation (Palma)
Hostal Apuntadores (Palma)
Crew and Concierge (Palma)
Peter Pan Crew House (Fort Lauderdale)
Mary's Crew House (Fort Lauderdale)
Fort Lauderdale Crew House (Fort Lauderdale)
SeaPark Crew House (Fort Lauderdale)
How much money do I need to save?
This obviously depends on wat courses you do and what kind of lifestyle you live. Here is a more or less idea of basics that you will have to pay for. It is an expensive journey, but you cover almost all of the costs in your first salary, so it is worth it.
Some Average Costings:
STCW R8750.00
SAMSA Medical R1200.00
Visa +/- R2200.00
ENG1 R3000.00 or SAMSA Equivalent for R1200.00
Deckhand Courses +/- R32 000.00
Chef: Food Safety and hygiene Level 2 R2000.00
Accommodation in a crew house per week R5000.00 (250 Euro)
Accommodation in a backpacker hostel per week R2800.00
Accommodation in a shared airbnb per week R3200.00
Food per week (cooking at home) R1200-R1600 (60-80 Euro)
Alcohol (drinking out is extremely expensive) you can buy bottles of wine for under R60 (3 Euro)
Spending Money to get you through before you get hired at least R60 000- R80 000.00 (3000-4000 €).
What will I earn on the yachts?
This obviously depends on your position and the size of yacht. As a deckhand or Stewardess basic is 2500- 2700 Euro per month. Please don't let anyone tell you it is okay to earn less. That is an industry standard and it is important to stand your ground and know your worth. It has become a problem, whereby some crew take lower pay jobs and it is lowering the pay standards. As a chef your basic should be between 3500 and 4500 Euro per month depending on size and itinerary factors. As you get more experience your salary will increase. This is just a starting salary. All of you accommodation, food and toiletries are covered by the yacht. What you earn, you take home tax free.
Where do I keep my money to keep it tax free?
Standard Bank has a brilliant offshore division that specializes in Yacht Crew Accounts. Once you are employed and have all the necessary paperwork, you can open an account with them. This keeps your money in Euros or Dollars and keeps it offshore and tax free.
Please Please stay away from United Marine Advisors to help invest your money! They have been so useless to everyone I know. We have all lost so much money from them.
What is Day Work?.
Day Work is exactly that. A yacht will hire you for a day or week or month and pay you a per day rate to help them out with excess work they can't keep up with themselves. You don't get a contract but it is brilliant experience to learn how the yacht and its crew work together. If you work hard and get a good HOD you can even get a reference letter for your CV which is absolute gold. My advice to to keep your head down, work your ass off, don't complain or ask when you will get a break. Don't look at your phone. Listen well to orders and learn as much as you possibly can. Remember, you are working with equipment that costs monumental amounts, and one slip up can cause millions of euros in damage. You don't know better than the crew, even if you think it is basic. If you ever want to know where OCD comes from, here is your place. Remember there are hundreds of people dying to take that experience so one slip up and they will replace you before you blink. I am not saying this to scare you off, but I have seen Green (newbies) Crew coming in too many times and stuffing themselves over because of these silly mistakes. Working on a yacht is not the same as working on land. You live and work CLOSELY with everyone, so be respectful of everyone and everything. You can get fired for anything without warning in your probationary period and there is no Workers Union like we have on land to protect you.
What is dock walking?
A necessary evil for Stewardesses and Deckhand. Luckily Engineers and Chefs with higher Qualifications don't need to do this as we can just apply online and on facebook for jobs. You literally walk up and down the docks with your CV's and a smile on your face. Walk up to all the yachts with visible crew and get their attention. don't go full in the the sale of giving them your CV. Chat to them and see if they are hiring, see how their day has been. Make them remember you. The more memorable you are, the better your chance of them asking you to help them out in the future with day work.
NB* PLEASE do not dock walk around 12pm. The crew will hate you. We get an hour of freedom a day and as nice as you are, we hate out lunch being ruined buy more work chat. Respect this and the crew will respect you.
What is the best age to start yachting? Am I too young/ too old?
There is no best age, but I have noticed that the younger you are, the higher the chance of you falling into bad life choices with regards to drugs, partying and alcohol. There is suddenly a whole new world available to you, and if you aren't mature enough to deal with the good and the bad of it, it can ruin a person. So if you have good self control and your head screwed on straight you should be perfectly fine starting around 20. With regards to starting older, there is no rule book of how old you can be, but it is a bit harder to find a job when you are over 30 or so. I say this because, as people start in this industry young, they land up being HOD's by 25, and they worry that the older you are, the harder it is for you to follow orders from someone younger and higher up than you and it often causes drama. Not every yacht is the same, this is mainly when looking for work on bigger yachts with more crew. Being a Chef or Engineer in hindsight, the older you are, the more experience you have in your field so they prefer those crew to be older. In saying this, my whole crew on my previous yacht were in their 30's and we worked so well together because we were all more mature. It completely depends on the yacht and the crew that's hiring you.
What kind of personality do you need to have/be?
This is a trick question. You need to be a peoples person in the sense that you cant be an asshole (for lack of better words). You don't need to be Miss/ Mr Popular but you need to get along with people as you live in such close quarters with them. A service stew needs to be good with people as you are working in the front line with the guests, but a laundry or housekeeping stew can be introverted. A Chef, Captain or Engineer doesn't really interact as much with the guests, so quiet introverts may apply here too. Deckhands can be either. The only thing you cannot be is a drama queen or sensitive person, because this industry is tough and you need to be head strong to survive in it.
(Drama Queens/ Kings need not apply)
What is the unfortunate truth of weight and looks in yachting?
It's sad but it is a thing. Very few overweight people get hired for many reasons. You need to be fit and agile to fit into all the small places crew need to climb into. If you can't do this, you make it harder for the crew because you need to get other crew members to help you with your job, when they are just as busy. You also need to be physically strong for all the manual labour you will be subject to. There is lots of heavy lifting and you will probably need to run up and down 100 flights of stairs on a good day so you need to be fit and able. They also don't want to have to go buy new uniform if they don't have your size. I have been on many yachts where the stewardesses have said that the crew either has to go on diet or leave because she has no more available uniform sizes for them. It's sad but a big reality everyone is too afraid to talk about. When it comes to Deck and Interior Crew, you will sometimes find yachts that only allow Blonde or Brunettes with Green or Blue Eyes. Or that you have to be over 1.8m tall. These are all set out by the owners and need to be adhered to when in the midst of the hiring process. Basically, if you are not hired after being shortlisted for a job, it may have nothing to do with you or your qualifications, but by what you were born with and have no control over. We are dealing with the richest of the rich and what they ask for, they get, no matter how socially incorrect it it. Its one of those deal with it or leave it situations.
You look like you are always living your best life?
The gram as we all know can be completely deceiving. We like all other mere mortals, work everyday, all day. People always tell me I live such a lavish life and ask me when I actually work. The funny thing is that, those beautiful photos we post, are from the 5 minutes we went out to take out the garbage or collect something from another department. When we have guests on board you very rarely get time off to be out on deck unless you are deck crew. The wonderful thing though, is that you are still lucky enough to be in these places to see even the slightest snippets of them. You get to experience the most magical sunsets and moments out at sea and when you do have time off, you get to play in these places too. If the guests get off the vessel for dinner, you are usually allowed to get off for a little, and this is where I get to see most of the places I post photographs of. There is a magic in the evening when all the people are out eating, and you are the only one out adventuring. The silence is so calming and you see things you usually wouldn't if it was light or crowded. Your experiences all depend on you and how much effort you put into seeing everything.
The great thing is that when and if we can get time off in between trips, the captain will usually give you as many days off as he can to lift up self moral. Depending on how you spend your off time, you can drink and sleep in late, or if you are like me, get up and adventure, ensuring that you actually get to see enough of these places to feel like you have travelled them.
The truth about drugs and alcohol in Yachting
Sadly, with big earning potential comes big spending potential. As crew we are subject to long tedious hours of hard manual labour, hardly any sleep, no time to our selves and high levels of stress. Many crew take to the bar the minute they are allowed a free moment to breathe and let go. Copious amounts of drinking has become a huge means to destress oneself and many crew don't know when to stop. It's a go big kind of mindset, not knowing when your next release will be. When it comes to long hours with hardly any sleep, many take to drugs such as cocaine to keep themselves alert and aware. All yachts ask if you are okay with regular substance testing when you sign your contract, but I have yet to see anyone actually ever being tested. I have watched people waste thousands of Euros per month buying drugs and drinking excessively over the years. One really needs to have good self control and a non addictive personality to survive in this industry. I try to find other things to do to keep myself alert and awake. Caffeine is my drug, but I also train as often as I can. I go for runs at night rather than heading out to get pissed at the bar on a Tuesday evening. Ï limit myself to only drinking from a Friday to Sunday. It is important to find what will keep you sane and healthy. To find a routine within the chaos, so that you can maintain your health mentally and physically to be the best at your craft. In essence, you are everything on the yacht, a medic, a fire fighter. We are the only ones trained to deal with what could turn into a disaster if something were to go wrong. We need to always be alert and aware of our surroundings. Being under the influence really just inhibits you and the safety of your fellow crew members.
How do I need to act to get a job?
You need to be well behaved. You don't need to be stuck up and not drink or have fun, but you do have to be aware of how drunk you get and how you act and react to the situations around you. People are always watching and you don't want to be associated with a bad incident or with people who cause trouble all the time. Have fun, be happy but be responsible whilst doing so. Don't post dodgy situations/ insulting posts on your social media and be aware of what you have to say. People don't have an issue with people with a voice, but they do have an issue when you are using it to slander or insult others. Just be you because you will have to keep up with whoever you allow people to meet. Secrets are very hard to keep when people live in such close proximity.
Does my social media affect my hiring potential?
Big time. People are always watching, always talking, always stalking (like you haven't). Its the 21st century and we look to see what kind of vibe you have and what you attract, because we will be subject to that if we hire you. If you are half naked, stripping or partying and acting like an idiot every weekend and posting about it, it may definitely affect your chances of getting that job.
Tattoo's. Yes or No?
Every yacht is different again. Way back when, when yachting was still relatively new, tattoos were highly frowned upon. Fast forward to now they are a lot more lenient with them. I have even seen a shift in the last 5 years from when I started to now. Obviously, the more experience you have the more you can get away with having them. People with work experience is hard to come by in an industry where crew only stay around for 3 years or so, because of its intense lifestyle. Having a full sleeve or leg piece is only really okay when you are a male chef (yes, sad but true, females don't get as much leeway) and in the galley not being seen by guests. I have seen some yachts where the deck crew have full sleeves, yet I have only met one Chief Stew in my career with a full sleeve. Small visible tattoos are no longer so highly frowned upon.
With our lifestyle comes a certain group of personality characteristics, such as not wanting to be placed in a box of conformity. Alas, it is us non conformists who are usually tatted up. Since yachting has attracted a certain type of character to work in it, it difficult to crew a yacht with cookie cutter crew. They simply don't exist anymore. The yachting industry is propelling forward at a vigorous rate, times are changing and it is adapting accordingly. The one thing that remains, is that it will always rely on the type of guests or owners and what they like to see. If they find tattoos tacky, they will not hire anyone with any visible ink. In my opinion, and I may only get to say this because I have experience under my belt, but if I am not hired because a physical attribute of mine doesn't suit them, we simply are just not the right match. When your work ethic, skill set and expertise mean nothing in the hiring process, it will mean nothing on the job either. Trust me, you do not want to start off a season or career like that. There are thousands of yachts, crew and owners that will hire you without judgement. What we wear on our skin doesn't affect our brains and our ability to perform our jobs. Old Captains are learning this, New Captains are creating this change and owners are becoming more lenient in listening to the Captains and respecting their choices and expertise. Give it time, it will come.
How much time do you get off?
Another trick question. Depends on the yacht and what time of year it is. I've had jobs where I had every Monday off and jobs where I have only had a couple days off during the whole season. The more you work though, the less you spend and the more tip earning potential you have. You need to choose what you want more. Some yachts only have their owners come on board every 2 or 3 weeks so you get a lot more time off. This is with regards to in season. If you are working the winter period you will usually work Monday to Friday and have the occasional Weekend Watch Duty, where you will have to stay on board and carry out certain safety duties, but you will still be off.
What is the typical Itinerary you travel on board?
Once again, every yacht has a different itinerary. You get world cruisers which travel all over the world, research and exploration vessels that go to some of the most unseen locations in the world for research or diving purposes and then you get leisure vessels which most yachts fall under. In Europe the most common routes are Ibiza, Palma and Barcelona; St Tropez to Monaco through the French Riviera; The Italian Riviera down to Naples and the Amalfi Coast; through to Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily; Montenegro, Greece and Croatia and down to Turkey if you are very lucky. In the Caribbean you will sail around all of the Islands down to South America. Routes are never guaranteed as guests change their minds so often. I have been on 3 yachts that said they were heading to Greece and I've still never been past Sicily for work. It's the luck of the draw, but it is always one hell of an adventure. You get to see places most will never get to see in their lifetimes. The views from the sea looking at the land is a sight for sore eyes and not many people will be able to have experiences like you will get working onboard these Super Yachts.
Do you get to play with all the toys on board?
This also depends on the yacht, its owners and its Captain. I have had one day in my whole career that we got to use the yacht and toys for pleasure purposes. Then again I have friends who get to play every time the guests leave. Usually yachts with kids are more lenient because they like it when the crew keep the kids entertained. You get to swim with them during your shift which is always a bonus when you see how clear the water is in some of the locations we anchor in. Family style owners are also more lenient and allow you to swim when they go ashore. The smaller yachts usually go into port between guest trips so you get to spend more of your off time on land, as opposed to being out at anchor with the opportunity of playing with the toys.
Do you party with the guests?
Contrary to Below Deck Popular Beliefs, this one is a HELL NO. We are there to work. Sometimes you may get invited to have a drink with the guests to say thanks, but that is as far as it goes. You need to maintain professionalism at all times, even if the guests are begging you to stay.
Have you ever met anyone famous?
Me, not personally. I know many people who have been lucky enough to though, but you aren't allowed to talk about it. You usually have to sign confidentiality agreements. I have seen thousands of Paparazzi stalking yachts with famous people around us. They are honestly everywhere, this is their playground after all. I have only seen a couple famous people walking past our yacht, which is just as exciting for me! (Did someone say Justin Bieber and Denzel Washington?). Crush!
Can you have a relationship in yachting?
If you are lucky enough to find someone onboard that you want to date, yes of course. If you can handle long distance with someone on land or back home, yes of course. It isn't an easy lifestyle to maintain a relationship in though. You are forever moving and always working, not really having time to be on your phone keeping up with people. I could probably say this is the main reason people leave yachting, to finally find their somebody and get a pet and live somewhat of a normal life. You need to decide what you want more.
For those who are lucky enough to find their someone onboard, the relationships are rather intense and move pretty quickly. Living with someone onboard for 6 months is equivalent to living with someone on land for about 3 years. You live, eat, breathe, shit and sleep with these people. Fighting never works out well for the rest of the crew, as the walls are thin, and people know everything about everything you do. There is a saying called "Don't screw the crew" for a reason. Only couples who have been together and worked together before usually get hired as a team because the captain knows that they can work together drama free. But never say never, I know many people who have had successful relationships onboard and are living and working well together. Nothing in Yachting has a simple yes or no, black or white answer. If it works it works.
Will I be able to work with my boyfriend/ girlfriend?
The truth as a Greenie (a newbie) is probably not. You will both be in tough competition trying to find a job and there are very few situations where you will both be suitable for the positions available. As you get more experience you could look into applying for couples positions but don't expect it in your first year. I have seen so many people turn down their own opportunities, hoping that they will find a position with their other half, and then running out of time on their visas before they can find another job and land up coming back home. Please guys, don't do it! If your bond is as strong as you think it is, allow each other to take what they have been lucky enough to get. You can hopefully get a job together in your second or third season.
AND The banger questions I get asked mainly after doing this for so long....
When are ever you going to get a real job?
A serious question I always get asked. What is a real job? I do what I love and get paid well for it. Ten times more than I would be by doing the same thing here actually. I travel the world for it. I get to meet incredible souls from it and get to backpack, during my 6 month holiday and learn even more from the world, because of it. I get to save for my future because of it. I am the person I am today; the worldly, courageous, independent, kind, giving, teaching, loving and spiritual person because of it. Why because it is not a 9-5 job, staying in one place forever kind of job, that it is not seen as a real job? Why must I come home and grow up. I have grown up. Maybe 10 times faster than most, because I don't allow myself the comfort of staying in one place. It is the comfort that hinders our growth. The world is changing. Real jobs include travelling influencers, street dancers, silly influencers to make us laugh. We all follow them and wish we could live like them, by getting paid to do what we love. But we still hate on them because we are too afraid to do a job that makes us a living and makes us HAPPY at the same time. There is no trick here, our lives as yacht crew are travelers who get paid to do so. We need to adapt our mindsets. The more I do this the more I realise how different our versions of living are. I hope to see change after this pandemic, that allows people to follow their dreams and make their dream job their real job. Life is short. /we need to make it worth living.
When will you settle down?
Only time will tell. I may or I may not. I may find the perfect island with the perfect location for my dream beach bar. I may find the perfect little pet and maybe even a husband. Or I may just love travelling and keep traveling until I feel like I have finally learned everything I feel like I need to learn. I may find a lover who wants to travel the world with me. Who knows. If there is anything I have learned from my journey thus far, is that I am constantly growing, learning, adapting, finding new interests. My 5 year plan has changed every year. The more I learn about myself, the more I want for my life. No ones 5 year plans 5 years ago were correct this year. We can't control what may happen in this world, and this year has been a great teacher of that. We never know what we may find. I am okay with settling in a moment I am happy in, but it may or may not necessarily be with a person or in a specific place. I have a pure nomadic soul. I believe in my heart of hearts that my soul will always need moving. WE HAVE FEET AND NOT ROOTS FOR A REASON.
What is your End Game Plan?
Right now, I would probably like to land up on an Island in the Philippines somewhere. It is honestly my favourite place in the whole world. From the people to the landscapes. Its pure paradise for me. Life is so simple there. Family, Community, Surfing, Eating and being happy. Everyone is honest and kind. There is no reason to be stressed being surrounded by crystal blue water and white beach sand and swimming with turtles everyday.
Opening a Beach Bar with a Gourmet Cocktail and Tapas Menu which changes bi weekly, so I never get bored of cooking the same thing everyday, is probably my dream career next to this one. Using only the most Organic Local ingredients so I have a low carbon foot print. Everything built from the land. That is my idea for if I ever want to "settle" in a place. It will probably change when I learn more about myself and the world, and I have accepted that. We need to be kind to ourselves on how we may grow towards or further away from our previous goals. My main goal is to be happy. I will definitely land up doing what gives me the most of that.
(And for the Ladies) Don't you feel like you need to fulfill your womanly duty and be a mother?
Time is running out. You are 30. When are you going to fulfil your female duty and have a child. You will be surprised how often I actually get asked this question and I am mind blown every time. Just because my body can make a child, doesn't mean that that's its only purpose. Just live your life ladies! Do what feels right. People will always ask you questions like this in hope you will give up living your dream life to come live theirs. We live in a world where people are used to a woman's role in the past, they may have followed it, and may expect you to too. DO WHAT FEELS RIGHT TO YOU! The world is changing. You will be surprised at how many women I've met on my travels that just have no interest in ever becoming a mother. They just want to focus on their career and their travels. Its invigorating to see how many women are breaking the cookie cutter mold and just being who they want to be. If this is you, YOU ARE NOT ALONE! I am by no means saying that being a mother is a bad choice. If that is what you want in your deepest dreams, that is absolutely incredible! I just feel it sad that people expect that of all of us, and I don't want the ladies who feel this isn't for them to feel lost and alone.
No matter what you land up doing, I just truly hope you know in your deepest true soul that you did everything your heart desired of in your lifetime. Did you inspire others to grow and learn? Did you fulfil your inner soul purpose? If you died tomorrow, would you feel complete and happy with what you have done with your life? Yachting was the starting point in finding my life's full purpose and my journey has only just begun! I can't explain to you how much I have learned and grown from my experiences. By being able to have the time and finances to backpack and travel the world. By meeting the elite of the elite and the poorest of the poor on my travels, it has opened my mind to things I have never imagined. If you do yachting right, it will be a stepping stone to a future you never imagined. If you choose it as a gap year, I hope you learn and take as much away from it as you can. It is only in wild difficult experiences that you truly learn who you are and what you want to be.
To end this off with my favourite quote:
"Travelling is a . It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is your except the essential things - air, sleep,dreams, the sea, the sky - all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it"
Please feel free to ask me if you would like to know anything else. I'll try my best to give you guys the answers you need.
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