Bluewater Crew & Training move to fantastic new premises in the heart of Palma

Friday marks the first complete week of business for bluewater crew & training in our brand new premises in the old town (La Lonja) Palma.

After 8 successful years of business in Portal Nous the Crew Training Centre has relocated to a new facility complete with two classrooms and a Navigation Simulator to be more convenient for the crew that we work with…

You can find our new office right in the heart of the yachting scene on Mallorca… right in between the Ritzi hostel & the corner bar.

For more information about crew recruitment and training that we provide from our Crew Training Centre in Palma, please contact palma@bluewateryachting.com, crewpalma@bluewateryachting.com or call +34 971 677 154.

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The super-yachting industry is one of the fastest growing in terms of employment opportunities for enthusiastic, focused and motivated people from all walks of life. Yachting journalist Rupert Holmes looks at how to get started in a career in this dynamic sector.

Staggering growth in the number of superyachts worldwide has created an ongoing recruitment crisis in the yachting industry. Unbelievably, the world’s richest people can’t find enough people to crew their luxury yachts. Main-stream media has picked up on this recently, including the BBC: “Despite the obvious perks, there is a global shortage of the deckhands, engineers, silver-service stewards and gourmet chefs needed to run the world’s 4,000-strong fleet of super-yachts,” reported the corporation’s Kate Hunt, adding: “Demand for the ultimate status symbol is at an all-time high …but the vessels’ captains and owners are struggling to find the crew they need.”These difficulties are perhaps not surprising given the rapid rise of the size of the global fleet of superyachts. More than 900 new vessels of over 24m (80ft) are in build, or scheduled for construction, according to Showboats International 2008 Global Order Book. That’s an 18 percent increase on the total of 777 yachts last year, and nearly four times the orders a decade earlier.

The industry’s recruiting problems are certainly not the result of a lack of benefits and rewards for appropriately qualified crew members. Remuneration and rewards for crew are generous, and living expenses are all-found, including accommodation on board, food, clothing, and travel, with up to two flights home a year, so day-to-day expenditure can be minimal.

According to leading crew agency, Fort Lauderdale, Florida based Luxury Yacht Group, deck hands (the role in which most crew enter the industry) earn $2,000-3,800 per month. Interior staff are equally in demand, with a steward/ess starting on $2,500 per month, rising to around $4,500 for experienced second steward/ess with around three years’ experience.

There’s a particularly acute shortage of engineers, so salaries are high – junior engineers on a large yacht can start on $3,000 per month, rising to $5,000 or more for those with 1-3 years’ experience.

Although working as a deck hand is a short-term job for some, perhaps during a gap year, the superyacht industry offers excellent long-term career prospects. Crew are often well qualified academically, many having degrees. An Officer of the Watch with five year’s experience in the industry can expect to make $5–7,000 on a 150-250ft yacht. Captains earn $4-8,000 per month on relatively small yachts of 60-100ft, while those in charge of 160-250ft vessels can double that figure.

Surely there must be a catch?

Not at all, but it’s not the kind of work that appeals to everyone. “It’s important that people thinking of a career in the industry have an appreciation of what both the work, and the life on board is actually like,” says UKSA’s Emma Baggett. Having worked in the industry for two decades, including 12 years in a variety of roles aboard superyachts, classic yachts and tall ships, she fully understands the rigors of life on board, as well as the qualities captains look for in prospective crew.
“It’s easy to see the glamorous aspects of the life, but the reality is that there are times when it’s really hard work, with long hours and no personal space. You live with maybe 10 strangers in very small cabins, and the captain inspects your cabin every morning, so there’s no escape.”

When the boat’s in port most crew will work a five-day week, but once guests are on board that goes out the window – you work until the work is finished, even if that means long hours seven days a week. “You must be prepared for the intensity of the work – with guests on board. It’s full-on. Someone who has worked in a top hotel, or as a PA in a big company, will probably be up to speed working with these kinds of people. But if you’ve not done so it can come as a big shock.”

With guests on board, the two days off each week you miss gradually accrues, and is added to the four weeks’ paid holiday crew typically receive each year. When charterers are on board crews are paid a 10 per cent bonus, in addition to the substantial tips they receive.

“The ability to earn really serious money is one of the attractions of the work,” says Baggett. “If you want to get on the property ladder it’s a great way to get some serious money in the bank.” In addition, as well as working hard you will also play hard, and as you’re working you’ll visit some amazing places. And when you’re there, you have money in your pocket, so you can spend as freely as the guests.

Is it for me?

Above all, you need to be someone with a lot of energy, enthusiasm, and be a positive thinker. Someone who likes a challenge, doesn’t want a 9-5 lifestyle and who’s looking for something different.

The ideal age bracket for setting out on a career in the industry is 20-35, although it’s also possible for those who are older or younger to break in. “Captains can be nervous about taking an 18-year-old on, but they would certainly consider someone who already has a track record of being involved and engaged with life.” Service industry skills are highly valued in the industry, so if you’ve worked part-time in a bar or restaurant it’s helpful, and any professional or Services background is popular.

Depending on the job you’re looking to get into, there is a cut-off point in terms of getting into the superyacht industry at about age 35. It is possible to get past that if you have the right background, but its much more of a challenge. “Having said that we’ve placed 38 year old firefighters and paramedics as deck hands, because they’ve been able to prove to captains that they have the energy and enthusiasm that’s needed and are happy to work alongside 18-year-olds,” says Baggett. “And once in, you can carry on until you’re 60.”

Superyacht crew training

All superyacht crew must have STCW95 certification – the statutory international safety requirements that comply with the 1995 amendment of the International Maritime Organisation’s Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for seafarers. Taken over a total of five days, this covers Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities, Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting, Personal Survival Techniques and Elementary First Aid, but does not prepare people for a career in the industry in any other way.

Training beyond this level therefore helps to give new crew a huge headstart in the industry, makes it easier to get and perform well in that all-important first job. UKSA, started training professional crew almost 20 years ago, as a response to difficulties the charity’s founder, MFI retail magnate Noel Lister, had recruiting crew for his own superyacht Whirlwind lX. More than 4,000 UKSA graduates now work in all parts of the world, and the organisation has become one of the most influential training establishments in the industry worldwide.
Six key training schemes, ranging from four weeks’ duration to a three-year foundation degree, are tailored to the needs of those wanting to work on superyachts, whether as crew, or working towards senior positions, right up to captain. All cover a great deal of knowledge in addition to the basic requirements of STCW95 certification:

Essential Marine Hospitality – a four-week course including cookery skills, high-class guest care and style of service. Students are introduced to life afloat with an RYA Competent Crew course and are taught to drive RIBs and other small powercraft.

Crew Training – a comprehensive six-week programme aimed primarily at those aged 18-25 who want to secure work as a deckhand. Includes RYA Day Skipper, RIB driving, yacht maintenance and other vital crewing content.

Professional Yacht Engineer – 10 weeks of training as a springboard for a career as an engineer, leading to the MCA’s AEC (Approved Engine Certificate) award, plus training up to the level required for MEOL (Marine Engine Operators License).

Commercial Yachtmaster – 12 weeks of training as a springboard for a career sailing vessels under 24m, for employment opportunities in flotilla, charter, deliveries and instruction.

Motor Yacht Skipper Training – 12 weeks, focused for work on motor yachts. Includes a commercially endorsed RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore (Power) certificate, a high level of marine engineering and yacht maintenance content. Sign off elements of the MCA Officer of the Watch Training Log.

Ocean Graduate – 23 weeks covering full training towards MCA Master 200gt, RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Ocean, AEC engineering, plus motor yacht RYA Day Skipper, Coastal Skipper or Yachtmaster, depending on level of existing motor yacht experience, if any.

Cadetship with Foundation Degree – a three-year programme combining formal study both on shore and at sea with periods of paid work experience in the industry. The ultimate training for those aged 18-25 who are serious about a successful long-term career in the superyacht industry.

If you would like to know more about a career in superyachting, contact UKSA and request their training prospectus, or ask for information about their monthly careers seminars.

Source : careers in sport

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If, when the crisis struck and the work dried up, you headed for bed with strict instructions: don’t wake me until it’s all over, it may be time to start rattling your cage. But will the Med season 2010 really be worth shaking a leg for?

Even superyacht industry experts can’t say exactly which way the wind is blowing, but Deborah Blazy, crew placement manager at Camper and Nicholsons International, senses a whiff of good news blowing in. “Things are much more positive than this time last year. When we came back in January, there was a surge in enquiries from owners looking to fill positions across the board. Last year at this time, it was looking bleak but this year there’s a lot happening – even compared to normal’ years, » says Blazy.YCO Crew General Manager Hatty Campbell agrees. She says things are busier with owners who feel ready to re-stock their human resources and crew who feel more confident about making a move that they may have put off last year.

The folks who will get the good jobs this year will have properly adjusted their compass settings to be in line with the change in “trading conditions. » Blazy explains, “The guys getting the jobs have aligned their expectations to the market place. Salary should not be your number one priority; rather look for the good boats, good owners and the long term prospects. Junior crew who used to lay down demands for salaries with I won’t work for less than… won’t get away with it anymore. »

“We don’t have queues outside the door yet, but crew are definitely waking up and we’re placing crew from a distance. The guys that get here early will get the jobs. It seems to be pretty busy already so I’d say get here by March, if you can, » adds Blazy.

Others are more circumspect in their predictions. Chloe Collet, manager of the crew agency at Peter Insull Yacht Marketing, says it’s still a question of “wait and see. » Junior crew will be up against tough competition from qualified crew, especially chefs and steward/esses who were the first to be laid-off.

Phones are also ringing at Blue Water Yachting in Antibes where Louisa Gallimore is taking calls for positions across the board, but especially for engineers. She agrees that even junior positions need at least a season behind them to find work but adds, “Yachts tend to broaden their requirements later in the season and some boats like inexperienced crew who can be trained to suit, for example, the chief stew’s needs. »

It’s busy in Palma too, where Erica Lay of YCO Palma is getting job orders for all positions whereas last year there was more of a focus on captains. She says, “It certainly appears to me that owners are loosening the purse strings and dusting off the Biminis to get their yachts back on the water again. Judging by the amount of job orders we’ve received already, there’s hope of a busy season. »

New recruits need not lose heart with all the talk of tough competition. Lay has a theory that goes like this: “Last year there was a significant shortage of deck jobs; although we did have a number of OOW positions which were tricky to fill. There wasn’t much room for new deckhands to enter the industry as most captains simply hired an experienced deckhand as there were so many available. Many Yachtmaster level deck crew took their OOWs last year when they couldn’t find work, so this year we should see more senior deck crew competing for bosun/mate positions, which frees up the deckhands who’ve done their Yachtmasters to move up into senior deckhand or bosun roles, allowing new deckhands to break into the industry. I might be completely wrong, but it’s fun to speculate! »

Source : Dockwalk

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You can actually live on a luxury yacht and you may even follow all the exotic ports you are interested in; the only thing that you will have to do is to search for a yacht crew agency that can provide you with the necessary information about the existing jobs.

You may actually fulfill all your travel fantasies because you can work in the crew of a yacht; you may be paid for this luxury trip too and you will have the opportunity to visit amazing sites. But you also have to be fully aware that working on a yacht can also become quite grueling and this aspect will highly depend upon your working conditions and co workers. You may also have difficulties with the owner of an yacht; therefore, you must think twice about the type of boat you are interested in working on.There are two categories of boats: the motor yachts and the sailboats. Both these types have their own disadvantages and advantages. If you are interested in yacht jobs, you may consider crewing on sailboats as a quite different experience. If you decide to crew on such sailboats, you will be able to enjoy real adventures due to the fact that the sailboat does not use a motor in order to reach its destination. If you choose a motor yacht, you will be able to enjoy the dependability and speed that come along with a motor vessel. You also have to be aware that if you are looking for yacht jobs, you may be required to have previous sailing experience. But this is not a general rule and you can also learn to sail during your trip.

Regardless of your boat experience, the yacht crew agency is likely to hire you because you will get the necessary experience while working onboard. If you are looking for an engineer job, you must have some experience in this area. But if you are looking for yacht jobs that do not require any previous experience, you have to be ready to face other demands. For instance, there are some jobs that will require attention to specific details; you will have to be flexible enough in order to work for longer hours and you have to be able to change your plans quickly. Your personality should mesh quite well with the other employees because you are likely to live with these people in close quarters that will come along with the necessary communication skills. You must have the ability to clean on a regular basis and you should not be bored by doing this daily.

While the engineer and the captain are less likely to clean the deck by themselves, they must chip whenever the owner is onboard because the boat must shine. Some of these duties are more relaxed ones when it comes to different yachts but you have to be aware that your type of captain and owner is likely to influence the amount of work. They will decide the length of your future work that you will have to accomplish while being onboard.

The salaries n yachts and boats are quite high; they will depend on your previous experience and your ability to face the daily duties. The yacht crew agency will also underline the importance of performance when it comes to the yacht jobs because you can actually transform an ordinary job into a career opportunity. The yachting industry is very tempting for many people because the employees do not have to pay rent while living onboard and even their meals are likely to be paid. You have to get the necessary information in order to find everything about the features that are entailed by every yacht job. Research is t be made in order to decide your future yacht job.

There are various ways when it comes to getting the yacht job; for instance, you may choose a yacht crew agency in order to take care of all the details. This agency is to be regarded as a true headhunter that will match your resume to almost every yacht that is interested in hiring new people. This type of constant hunt is likely to end up with you being hired onboard because the agency is highly interested in getting the money that the owner of the boat is paying for every new employee. But you should not rely completely on the agency; on the contrary, you must do your homework in order to find out more about a particular yacht that was considered as the perfect match by the agency. All the factors are to be considered before starting to work on the yacht because you are not likely to be able to complain about them later.

The yacht jobs may provide you with financial opportunities and the yacht crew agency may help you find the job of your life.

Source

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Following this year’s successful events in Antibes and Palma de Mallorca, CrewShow – the only trade exhibition focused exclusively on professional yacht crew – announces its first Caribbean event: CrewShow- St Maarten. The new show is scheduled for Saturday, January 9, 2010, at Yacht Club at Isle de Sol, an Island Global Yachting (IGY) marina.

The Sacks Group Yachting Professionals (TSGYP) have signed on to sponsor this exciting inaugural event. “The quality of the crew is just as important as the quality of the yacht when it comes to successful luxury yacht vacations, » said Jennifer M. Saia, The Sacks Group President and Charter Specialist. “This show will help crew to find the tools they need to do their jobs better – as well as giving us a new place to introduce them to some of services we offer, together with our new Strategic Alliance marketing partner, IMA Yachts. »

CrewShow founder Celia Wagstaff will host the new event together with Brian Deher, IGY Marina Manager for Yacht Club Isle de Sol. “The show runs from morning to evening at one of the best venues on the island, » said Celia. “Anyone interested in attending should mark the date and ensure they are part of what promises to be one of the Caribbean’s most talked-about events in 2010. »

Strategic support for CrewShow St Maarten also will be provided by Ann E. McHorney, who heads TSGYP’s Caribbean division and runs Select Yachts NV, another show sponsor. McHorney will provide her staff and office in Plaza del Lago, Simpson Bay, for use as the headquarters of CrewShow St Maarten.

“I am really excited at the prospect of bringing CrewShow to the Caribbean, especially with Brian and Ann E. on the team providing local knowledge and expertise, » Celia said.

The CrewShow concept was born in 2007 when Celia Wagstaff realized there was a gap in marine trade shows – an event aimed exclusively at crew, providing them with the information and products they need every day. “The crew are the working heart of any yacht, and are often responsible for expenses totaling thousands with little outside help, » she said. “CrewShow opens the lines of communication between yacht crew and service providers who can offer them affordable and efficient solutions for all their professional needs. »

“One of CrewShow’s distinguishing features is we make the event as interactive as possible, » Celia added. “Our focus is to make this a really fun day out for everyone – both crew and exhibitors. »

If the European CrewShows are anything to go by, crew based in the Caribbean this winter are in for a treat. The Antibes and Mallorca events have proved hugely popular with a wide range of exhibitors who have seized this unique opportunity to showcase products as diverse as specialty foods and crew insurance. Crew agents and financial advisors also will be on hand to provide their professional expertise.

“There will be something for everyone, as well as a guaranteed great time, » Celia said.

For more information, please visit www.crewshow.com

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Super-yachts are the ultimate status symbol

Wanted: crew for luxury super-yacht.

Travel to some of the world’s most glamorous destinations with free board and lodging and an attractive tax-free salary of between 2,000 euros (£1,600) and 10,000 euros a month, depending on experience.

Despite the obvious perks, there is a global shortage of the deckhands, engineers, silver-service stewards and gourmet chefs needed to run the world’s 4,000-strong fleet of super-yachts.

These hyper-luxurious motor yachts can cost as much as $50m (£25m) and stretch from 24m to 100m in length.

Demand for the ultimate status symbol is at an all-time high – the industry has grown at 500% a year over the past decade – but the vessels’ captains and owners are struggling to find the crew they need.

The yachts are ridiculously big, it’s really shocking Rachel King, super-yacht stewardess

The newly-established Flagship Superyacht Academy, based in Portsmouth, is attempting to address this shortage.

The academy offers training in all aspects of seamanship – health and safety, engineering, navigation and hospitality.

Royal Navy standards

Sir Tim McClement, the academy’s director and a former Royal Navy Deputy Commander-in-Chief Fleet, gives super-yacht crews bespoke courses at its facilities in Portsmouth and flies out to marinas worldwide to provide on-board training.

The Superyacht Academy doesn’t disclose its billionaire clients

He says that 3,000 new crew members will be needed each to staff the hundreds of new yachts being built. Turnover is also high, with many crew only staying with a yacht for a season.

“It’s cut-throat,” he says. “If a captain has to go sea and he hasn’t got someone, he’ll go to the boat next door and offer them an extra 100 euros a week.”

Sir Tim says the increased size and sophistication of newer yachts means specialist training is paramount.

The academy has access to the Royal Navy’s state-of-the-art facilities, including its sinking-ship simulator and naval fire-fighting training centre.

Its clients – rumoured to include the yacht management company of Roman Abramovich, the billionaire owner of Chelsea Football Club – like the Royal Navy cachet.

The bespoke courses cost 10,000 euros a crew member, while individuals looking to get into the industry can take part in basic sea safety courses for £720 for the week.

Helipads and mini subs

Rachel King, 23, completed the academy’s basic sea safety course earlier this month and begins work as a stewardess on a yacht based in the French port of Antibes this week.

SUPER-YACHT JOBS Captain – navigation and cruising, leading the crew, looking after the owner and guests, controlling budgets Mate – the captain’s assistant and second-in-command Engineer – ensures that every piece of equipment on board remains operational Chef – responsible for preparing meals for both guests and crew Interior staff – ensure that guests experience an enjoyable time while on board Deckhand – the first role that individuals entering the super-yacht industry would normally undertake Source: Flagship Superyacht Academy

“It’s looking after the guests – silver service of course. A bit of laundry, cleaning cabins and the deck,” she says.

She ultimately hopes to find a job as a permanent crew member.

Walking along the docks in Antibes, Europe’s largest yacht harbour, Ms King’s jaw dropped.

“The yachts are ridiculously big, it’s really shocking. Some have their own helicopter pads.”

Others sport gyms, mini submarines and swimming pools.

Unlike many crew, who simply want to spend a summer travelling to exotic destinations and rubbing shoulders with billionaires, Ms King plans to have a long-term career in the industry. She hopes to go into yacht management and charter marketing.

“If I go and do a few seasons as crew, I’ll know the industry inside and out.”

The training offered by the Superyacht Academy is not for the faint hearted.

Its fire fighting facilities at HMS Excellent in Portsmouth simulate on-board fires in the yacht’s galley, engine room and living quarters with a maximum temperature of 300C.

As part of the basic sea-safety training, trainee crew members must climb down a ladder into a blazing room.

Training

There is not only a shortage of quality staff on board the mega-yachts. The skills needed to build the hand-crafted vessels are also in high demand.

The credit crunch doesn’t affect those who can pay millions and millions for a yacht John Graham, Paragon Skills

Britain, along with Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the US, is a key centre for building super-yachts, which take at least 20 months to build.

Toby Allies, marketing director of Pendennis, a luxury boat builder based in Cornwall, says new demand is coming from Russia, the Middle East and the Balkans.

“People say that shipbuilding is a dying industry in Britain, but our business is thriving,” he says.

Pendennis takes on 12 apprentices each year to keep up with demand.

Buoyant industry

John Graham, marine division director at vocational training firm Paragon Skills, says that Britain’s marine industry workforce is ageing.

Superyachts take at least 20 months to build

“There was a move away from apprenticeships in general about 10 -20 years ago, so we lost people at the base level,” he says.

Mr Graham is working hard to correct this.

His firm offers training and apprenticeships in all areas of the industry – from building a humble wooden dinghy to ship upholstery.

But it is the super-yachts that drive demand and hold the most allure.

All the signs are that Mr Graham’s apprentices face a bright future.

In the past month alone, US yacht builder Palmer Johnson has said it will begin building 100m-long motor yachts in Southampton, while UK motor yacht maker Sunseeker International has announced the expansion of its base in Portland, Dorset – creating a total of 1,050 jobs.

As Mr Graham explains: “The credit crunch doesn’t affect those who can pay millions and millions for a yacht.”

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“Wanted: crew for luxury yacht ». This announcement may soon be seen all too frequently in the pages of specialist magazines.

It is estimated that there are about 4,000 large yachts sailing in the world, of which 2,000 are over 36 metres in length. And it is assumed there are 200,000 thousand people in the world that can afford to buy a superyacht. This gives us an idea of the potential growth of this super-premium sector, a growth that is being confirmed year after year. Just look at the expansive figures of the world’s boat shows dedicated to large yachts, such as the Monaco Yacht Show (the only one in the world that concentrates around a hundred mega-yachts in the same place) or the ones in Genoa, Barcelona or Fort Lauderdale, dedicating increasingly more space to these units every year. Not to mention the new marinas that are being built, both in Spain and in the rest of the world.
The result is that the mega-yacht industry is growing pace, but boat owners and their captains are encountering real difficulties in finding the right crew that meet the requirements of these luxury boats. Captains, mates, deckhands, engineers, chefs and their assistants, interior staff…. If we take into account the fact that a boat over 24 metres usually provides space for at least four crew members, and above this size the crew can easily reach 12, or 16 for more than 50 metres, it’s easy to see why boat owners are becoming concerned. In fact, the recently established Flagship Superyacht Academy in Southampton estimates that the demand for jobs of this kind will soon exceed 3,000. Crew rotation is also high, as many hands are only hired for a season and seasonal chartering is also on the rise.
Hence schools to train crews are starting to proliferate. This is as yet unexplored territory for us, as the basic knowledge supposedly held by the “ordinary » sailor or steward is no longer enough. The size and sophistication of these boats demand a lot or at least a certain degree of specialisation in areas such as safety and security, communications and yacht handling, as well as a lot of etiquette, presence, language skills and discretion.Things that are not learned by just working at a workshop, a retailer or a fashionable restaurant.

http://www.superyachtsreview.com/crew-crisis_id29707/editorial_id986685

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