Yachting

 

Life onboard a superyacht as a stewardess..

What is yachting?

What happens onboard? 

How do you enter the industry?

Yachting is a very diverse and ever changing industry which allows people to travel along with an insightful working environment. Don't get me wrong it is also very hard work and very long working days and you will be pushed to your limits, as it can be tough living and working with the crew onboard. However I have found that this makes you stronger and you will discover a lot about yourself in these situations. 

I decided to join the yachting industry this year, I completed all my courses in order to find work. I flew to one of the main yachting hubs in Europe which was Antibes. (See my Antibes blog for more about Antibes) I found it so easy to meet others in the industry and others that were also new to the industry and on the hunt for work. It is a funny dynamic to be very honest as you make lots of friends living there but you also realise that all the people you meet are all in competition with you. 

Crew training courses

There are a number of training courses required to work on a yacht, some are essential and others are extras that can help you stand out from others when applying for work.

STCW 

One of the requirements for working onboard vessels is to carry out and complete your STCW (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers). It is an internationally recognised certification standard required by all seafarers working on commercial vessels above 24 meters (79 feet). It is a week long course which I completed on the Isle of Wight.  

It consists of 5 modules designed to keep crew safe onboard:

1. Fire Fighting and Fire Prevention
2. Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities (PSSR)
3. Proficiency in Security Awareness (PSA)
4. Sea Survival
5. Elementary First Aid

When I undertook the course I thoroughly enjoyed it as I was living on the Isle of Wight and had such a great group of people that were doing it with me. 

ENG1 Medical 

This is a medical examination which determines if you are fit and healthy enough to work at sea, an MCA (Maritime & Coastguard Agency doctor) must complete the examination and sign off the applicant. The examination involves a health check measuring height and weight, testing eyesight, hearing, urine sample, blood pressure, checking medical history and an overall physical check for any abnormalities. 

Once these two certificates are obtained the legal requirements to work on a yacht are met.

For stews another certificate which is beneficial and most yachts ask stews on service to have is Food Safety Hygiene Certificate Level 2. Which comprises of food-borne illnesses, food laws, food preservation, storage and temperature control, personal hygiene and the principals of HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point). 

These are the most essential courses required however there are so many courses out there that can add a little extra to your cv and help expand your knowledge of the industry and extra skills to help you shine. 

Other courses that I have completed...

RYA VHF Radio Short Range Certificate

This course covers:

• Basic radio operations 
• Correct frequencies (channels) to be used
• Distress, emergency and medical assistance procedures
• Ship to shore calls
• Digital Selective calling (DSC) using simulators
• Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS)
• Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB)
• Search and Rescue (SART)

There are many RYA training centres that run this course. 

RYA Level 2 Powerboat Handling 

This course is a 2-day entry level course which is recognised by the UK MCA ( Maritime and Coastguard Agency) as a certificate of competency for the operation of small powerboats up to 10m.

Mostly beneficial for deckhands, however if looking for a stew/deck role this is also very useful as it is required to drive any tenders onboard. 

I completed mine in Salcombe with Salcombe Powerboat School.