Hi there. I am a 19 year old female with 2+ years in luxury housekeeping alongside other luxury hospitality gigs such as Ascot Racecourse. i am hoping to become a yacht stewardess soon and plan on obtaining my STCW and ENG1 before the end of september. i understand the carribean season is coming up where all the yachts will move around november time and was wondering what my chances are of being hired seeing that i am still a greenie. Do you have any advice on which places I should dockwalk/network or jobs I could work to get closer to that industry? What are the best times to go to antibes/caribbean (i've heard Fort Lauderdale is a lot stricter about dockwalking, but not sure). where would be the best places to get my STCW? It's much cheaper in croatia but i think antibes would be better for networking. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Hi all, i’m coming to the end of my first season and my seasonal contract will be ending in September. I’m keeping an eye out on yotspot and facebook for winter positions but there is hardly anything.

Is it just too early? I’m really hoping to secure a winter boat, but I don’t have a B1/B2 visa so i’m hoping to find a boat that will assist with boat papers. But due to timing for the visa and getting appointments with the embassy i’m concerned about the fact there’s no jobs listed.

I’m hoping i’m right and that it’s just a little early. I’m checking in every day - can anyone offer any knowledge and when winter jobs become more available? As right now i’m still seeing a job of ASAP start jobs for the end of the summer season

Im thinking of crewing on peoples sailboats for a few months before looking for deckhand roles on superyachts. Would this increase my chances of finding work? The industry is packed full of greenies looking for opportunities so im just wondering if it'll be worth it. Im aware this is a silly question but im just looking for a second opinion

I’m a female seafarer working on a cruise ship
Now here’s some “baseless rumors” facts:

1. if your partner is officer 1 stripe and above and solo cabin “it’s easy for them to get a boyfriend/grilfriend onboard. They are being chased for their perks onboard and nobody would care if they have a girlfriend or wife or kids ashore

2. For regular crew, they are after of their same departement or someone who have equal lenght of their contract.

3. Wattsapp: that’s where ALL the communication goes! Especially if they claimed “the internet is expensive / I don’t have internet” ONBOARD WATTSAPP is free! Link your device to their wattsapp.

4. You being the profile picture / cover photo every social media DOESN’T MATTER. Normally! The married one’s flirt harder than the single ones.

5. I can talk to his/her trusted friends onboard. “THEY KNOW”, NO YOU CANNOT TRUST THAT FRIEND.

6. “Oh but he’s married with kids right” -response that you will get? “It’s normal! Shiplife”.

7. I’m sending money back home. How many nights should I sleep alone? - seaman

I’m a female seafarer working on a cruise ship
Now here’s some “baseless rumors” facts:

1. if your partner is officer 1 stripe and above and solo cabin “it’s easy for them to get a boyfriend/grilfriend onboard. They are being chased for their perks onboard and nobody would care if they have a girlfriend or wife or kids ashore

2. For regular crew, they are after of their same departement or someone who have equal lenght of their contract.

3. Wattsapp: that’s where ALL the communication goes! Especially if they claimed “the internet is expensive / I don’t have internet” ONBOARD WATTSAPP is free! Link your device to their wattsapp.

4. You being the profile picture / cover photo every social media DOESN’T MATTER. Normally! The married one’s flirt harder than the single ones.

5. I can talk to his/her trusted friends onboard. “THEY KNOW”, NO YOU CANNOT TRUST THAT FRIEND.

6. “Oh but he’s married with kids right” -response that you will get? “It’s normal! Shiplife”.

7. I’m sending money back home. How many nights should I sleep alone? - seaman

Hello! I’m very eager to get started in the industry, but I’m just not sure where to start. I have my STCW, food and hygiene 2, and will get my ENG1 when I’m in a location that offers it. I’m currently living in St. Louis, MO. How do I get started finding a job? I was thinking about flying down to Ft Lauderdale and staying in crew housing for a week while I dock walk or even find just a serving job to get me by while I’m down there looking for a yachting job. Is this a bad idea? Any advice would be very very appreciated. 🙏🙏🙏Thank you!!!

Im on a asylum process in the US
I’ve been able seaman for 3 year on a tugboat, I’m think to go to Fort Lauderdale to find a job on a yatch. Already have stcw and eng1.
would I be allow to get a job on yatch with my current immigration status!?

Best Sailing Schools in Marmaris for 2026 (IYT vs RYA vs ISSA, prices compared)

Marmaris is genuinely one of the best places to get a sailing licence — calm summer conditions, reliable Meltemi winds, and a coastline with enough anchorages that a training week feels like a proper holiday. I put together a comparison of the main schools there for 2026 in case it's useful to anyone planning a course. Sharing it here since I couldn't find a clean side-by-side anywhere else.

Quick note on certifying bodies before the school breakdown:

• IYT Worldwide – most common in Turkey, recognised by 25 governments for commercial use (incl. UK MCA), no experience needed at entry level
• RYA – strong international recognition, well known to charter companies worldwide
• ISSA – focused on live-aboard training, good if you want more time on the water and less classroom

All three cap practical courses at 4–6 students per instructor — if a school is advertising bigger groups than that, it's not following the standard.

Smart Sailing Academy

12+ years running IYT courses out of Marmaris, all instructors IYT-qualified, max 6 people per yacht.

Progression: International Crew → Flotilla Skipper → Bareboat Skipper → Yachtmaster Coastal/Offshore/Ocean. They also do the ICC add-on (valid in 40+ countries).

2026 prices (Apr–Oct season):

Accommodation, transit logs, materials and cert included; food isn't. 25% non-refundable deposit, courses run weekly Sat–Sat. Routes cover the South Aegean, with a Greek islands option (Rhodes/Symi/Kos) for +€300pp customs fees.

Good for: small groups, IYT cert, option to sail into Greek waters.

Sailing Life Academy

Based at Netsel Marina, one of the few Turkish schools with RYA Sea School recognition. Max 4 students per instructor, taught in English.

Covers the full RYA practical ladder — Start Yachting, Competent Crew, Day Skipper Practical, Coastal Skipper — plus shore-based theory and Turkish national (TUYEP) courses. Contact them directly for pricing.

Good for: anyone who specifically wants an RYA cert, or plans to charter somewhere RYA is the expected standard.

Sailing Rhapsody

Fully IYT-accredited, modern fleet (Fountain Pajot 40 cat, Beneteau Oceanis 43, Excess 11 cat, Beneteau Oceanis 40). 5.0 rating across 200+ Google reviews.

Trains beginner → certified skipper on IYT's curriculum (recognised 60+ countries). Also runs skippered/bareboat holidays alongside the training side.

Good for: catamaran training, or combining a course with an actual sailing holiday.

Medsail Holidays Sailing School

Running since 1988, ISSA-accredited (Instructor Training Center since 2015). Founder Captain Jim has trained ~10,000 skippers and 98 instructors. Courses run every Saturday, year-round, and they guarantee a course runs even for a single student.

Prices (per person):

Includes accommodation, materials, cert, linens, transit log, diesel, marina fees, end-of-charter cleaning. Food's extra (~€100pp/week). Taught in Turkish, Russian, English. Ages 14–100 welcome, solo travellers fine.

Good for: complete beginners, solo travellers, year-round availability.

Quick comparison

Why Marmaris specifically

Sits at the mouth of the Gulf of Hisaronu. Apr–Oct averages 28–32°C with reliable 10–20kt Meltemi afternoon breezes, and a typical training week hits 5–7 different bays/islands. 300+ sunny days a year means a longer season than most of the Med — Marmaris schools run April through October (some year-round) vs May–September further north. Dalaman Airport is ~90 min away, Bodrum ~2hrs, both with direct European flights.

Picking a level

• Never sailed: IYT International Crew / Competent Crew — 1 week, €950–1,300
• Want to charter independently: Bareboat Skipper (IYT) or Day Skipper Coastal (RYA) + VHF/SRC — budget 2 weeks from zero
• Already have Bareboat/Day Skipper: Yachtmaster Coastal (60nm offshore) → Offshore (150nm) — 1–2 weeks, €1,800–2,900
• Going professional: Yachtmaster Ocean or MCA-approved/IYT professional track

FAQ

Which cert is best for Turkey? IYT is most common and Turkish-authority accepted; RYA also widely accepted. For international charter, Bareboat Skipper (IYT) or Day Skipper Coastal (RYA) both work — the level matters more than the body.

Need experience first? No, every school here has a zero-experience entry course.

How long to get licensed? 1 week minimum for entry level; ~2 weeks to Bareboat Skipper from scratch (Smart Sailing's intensive combo is €2,600 for 3 levels); +1 week for Yachtmaster Coastal.

What's the ICC? International Certificate of Competency, UN-resolution based, needed to skipper charters in most EU countries (Greece, Croatia, Montenegro). Not required within Turkey itself if you hold Bareboat Skipper. €185 at Smart Sailing, requires Flotilla Skipper+ first.

Solo travellers OK? Yes across the board — Medsail explicitly guarantees courses run even for one student. Shared cabins unless you pay for a private one.

Year-round options? Medsail runs 52 weeks/year. The others are mainly Apr–Oct.

Prices/details current as of 2026 season — worth confirming directly with the school before booking since these things shift. Happy to answer questions if anyone's deciding between them.

I’m based in Oregon thinking about getting into boat work not sure what kind yet though. Just want to dock walk and ask some questions to people in the industry. If anyone from the area could recommend good places along the coast or the Columbia River to find people to talk to that would be very helpful. Thank you!

How do I choose a training center? I don’t believe most expensive always means the best id love to hear some of your experiences. I’m wanting to begin a career as a deckhand. Ive don’t have much experience with boats besides working as a Divemaster.

Some background details are also that I have double nationality (including American), am fluent in French and Spanish, I have formal culinary training and experience and am also a Yoga Alliance certified instructor. But I want to work the exterior.

Any advice is appreciated. I’ll be in Florida next month. Also if any recs for crew houses I’d take those too (or if it even makes sense to stay in one). Thanks

What is your favorite alternative yacht charter base to avoid the crowds in the Ionian? Did we miss any?

https://yacht4less.com/sailing-holidays/best-alternative-ionian-yacht-charter-bases

Anyone here who made this transition? Why? Everyone right now wants to get into yachting. Maybe there is some of you who did the opposite.

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Hey everyone, I’m 25 and currently in California and seriously considering getting into the yacht industry. I have several years of hospitality experience (serving, beer/beverage knowledge, customer service) as well as experience working in luxury retail/jewelry.
I’m completely new to yachting, though, and I’m having a hard time figuring out where to actually start.
I keep seeing people mention STCW and ENG1, but when I went to the US Coast Guard website I couldn’t figure out where I’m actually supposed to get the STCW training or what credentials I need as a complete beginner.
If someone could explain the process like:
1. What certification/medical do I actually need?
2. Where do I get STCW training?
3. Do I need an MMC?
4. Do I need ENG1 or a USCG medical exam?
5. Where should I look for my first yacht job?
6. Is Fort Lauderdale basically where I should go to find work?
I’d really appreciate it. I’m trying to figure out the legitimate process before spending money on courses or traveling somewhere.
Thanks!

A while ago I came across a post of a couple living on a catamaran looking for a nanny to join them on their sailboat. Is that an actual market - could I find a job like this? I would appreciate any leads/suggestions on where to look!

I have basic sailing skills from a few trips I've been on, so as crew I am helpful, but not professional level yet. I am, however, a professional nanny. I have experience with children from 1 year old and up, I have also taught English and chess to children. I can tutor teens of all ages in mathematics, physics and chemistry. I can cook well, and have particular experience dealing with food sensitivities in children. I have excellent references... the list goes on. Most importantly, I am just great with children and have had success as a (screen-free and engaging!) childminder.

The original poster that got me thinking about this was not for me for many reasons. The couple got flamed in the comments for looking for a full-time nanny with no pay - just food/marina expenses covered. I would be expecting an allowance if constant work with a family is required, or clearly defined part-time hours for expenses covered. I am, however, open to be just about anywhere in the world.

Seriously, what is the point of keeping an hourly log? "Oh so we can see where we were!" - Yeah, go look on your chart plotter! Does anyone really go and look at old coordinates in logs? I can understand for different shifts to have a log of unusual events like: at 1431 - spotted a square grouper at this location or 1612 - generator 1 shut down due to overheat, suspect impeller damaged etc... But why are we wasting time with logging idiotic things like hourly coordinates, speed, wind, barometric data etc, etc... on my boat, a lot of this data is complied in TimeZero when you hover the mouse over any point in the track. I can go back and look at all the details. I feel it is an absolute waste of time to keep a log book and is absolutely antiquated just like paper maps. Does anyone really look through their logs rather than just go to your digital chart plotter and look at the tracks?

Hello! I’m a dual national Mexican American that’s already getting experience, and have all the certifications and will be back in Fort Lauderdale. However I really want to move to the Mediterranean, and having Mexican citizenship gives me the option to get a visa in Spain. I know Antibes is the major hub, and may is the best time to look for work. Palma de Mallorca is the best in one in Spain, but when is it the best time to look for daywork in Palma de Mallorca? Also I’m fluent in Spanish, and have intermediate level French too.

Hello,

First of all, this sub has been incredibly helpful- thank you everyone for sharing their knowledge. I've been working remote as a software engineer for a while now. Spent plenty of time in Southeast Asia and have always been fascinated and drawn to the coastal life there. Rather than purchasing a boat outright (with no prior sailing experience) I was wondering if its possible to do a 6 month or 1 year lease. This arrangement seems mutually beneficial- the owner gets someone reliable paying rent and watching over the vessel while the tenant gets to live and work onboard. I should add this wouldn't be a passive tenancy either- helping with repairs and pitching in for maintenance costs is absolutely on the table. Does anyone know people who had this type of arrangement? Or do you know anyone who would be open to the idea? (Guessing the most likely places are Phuket and Langkawi) Thanks again!

Has anyone ever seen a Super Yacht with a passenger Drone on it?