How do you go about looking for the yachts that have good to great accommodations for the crew? Is there a website that has detailed reviews of certain yachts in the fleet? I guess my biggest fear is getting a job and the working and living conditions are horrible. All advice is appreciated.
I'm not looking for anything extravagant but for the amount of hours working during the day, living conditions are important. In other words, I would like to find a boat where the owners do consider the crew. No one wants to work on a boat where the owner could care less about the crew and only focuses on what the boat can bring them. I served on board a 378 ft Coast Guard Cutter and living conditions were not bad but not great either. So living in very tight quarters would be nothing new to me. I would like to know where I can get information on boats about crew turnover, berthing conditions, stuff like that.
I recently watched a video of GOOGLE'S workplace. Now granted that is an extreme, but the days of employees alowing themselves to be treated as second class citizens is fading fast. I was recently offered a job with a crew quarters that was smaller than my closet at home (mine not the wife's). From what I've seen that boat hasn't moved all summer. The only way to check out a boat is catch the talk on the dock and when you get that gut instinct walk away. An interview is a two-way street.
Thanks for the reply NYCAP. I practically lived in a coffin while in the Coast Guard but it really wasn't all that bad. The dimensions of my space were about 7' long by 3' deep with about 2' head room. I'm a pretty big guy so anything much smaller, I wouldn't be able to handle. Our storage was under our racks and we had a locker so I adapted easily. Considering the yachting industry doesn't lock you in with a 4 year contract per se, most owners would have to look after the crew to a certain degree.
Ah, but when you left your reck you left your coffin. Search the threads here under crew quarters Good luck.
Small quarters is the norm. You have to be ready for living in the triangle lounge, and enjoy it for what your there for in the first place. Travel and the love for being on the the water, and the great outdoors. I've worked in an office with less space than my quarters and I'm glad I've sailed away from that. I can't sit up in my upper bunk with out hitting my head but I can reach everything I need from one position. Heck we're not in there much anyway.
I just received notice of a post that hasn't seemed to make it onto the thread yet and hopefully won't. It sounded suspicious so I Googled the company and found this fron & center:
Hi, A similar thing has appeared in Dockwalk in regard to someone using the yacht Princess Marianna for the same sort of thing. If anyone has access to the online version maybe they can post it. It was first posted about here: http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/71619-post10.html
Just Ask There's no harm in asking to see the crew quarters and also in talking with other crew members after or at the end of the job interview. Just ask.
That's a must although it usually has to be handled in a discreet manner. After all, an interview is a two way street. You don't want to come aboard a boat that doesn't fit you any more than the owner wants to bring in someone who doesn't fit him and his boat. Although I'd have to assume that most of these scams are done to make money for the scammer don't be surprised if some of these scams are aimed at nothing more than wasting your time and money. Before anyone travels to a different country on a job offer they should always be sure to check out the source.
Lars & I caught-on to this guy in the first 5 minutes of posting. He posted in several threads before I removed his membership.
During any interview I've ever gone on back when I was a mate, the Captain always offered and some insisted on me looking at the crew quarters. The best way to hear about different owners and crew quarters is word of mouth. Also the source of your interview is to be highly considered. Yacht brokers will only usually refer people to an owner, if he/she is a good owner........let me rephrase that, reputable yacht brokers.