How much vacation time?

And truthfully, two duplicate crews may not be needed.

With a 2 for 1 rotation, and depending on how the manning is set up, and how much the vessel is used, a rotation can work quite well without having 2 duplicate crews.

I have seen this working on the commercial side, where the boats are running 24/7, but here is how it works:

In the bridge you have two masters and a mate. Master #1 is what is called the "Lead Master", and he is overall responsible. Hypothetically, lets use a rotation where the crew works 2 months on and then has a month off.
In the first month, Master #1 and Master #2 are both onboard. Master #1 is the actual Master, while Master #2 is serving as the mate. The third member of the bridge crew is off work for a month enjoying himself doing what he wants to do, where he wants to be.
In the second month, Master #1 is off work for the month, he gets to enjoy himself doing what he wants to do, where he wants to be. Master #2 (whom we call the Relief Master) is now the Master onboard, the mate is the mate.
In the third month, the Master #1 comes back to work, Master #2 gets his month off, and the mate is working his second month with the Lead Master.

The same rotation works just as well with the other departments, as long as each department has several people in each department.

Another advantage to this is that there is more than one person in each job function who is familiar with what the work entails. Should someone need extra time off, or cannot work due to injury or other personal circumstances, it is a bit easier to get someone back to the vessel who is already familiar with it, as opposed to starting fresh. I have seen some programs where sometimes the key players, senior crew members, are so vital that if they were out of the picture everything would come to a screeching halt.

CaptPKilbride

What you describe is much how we do things. Not the exact same but we have a lot of versatility with our crew. We have our Managing Captains (Married couple) who would be your Lead Master.

Our situation is complicated by the fact we have multiple boats which require different numbers of crew plus require some crew to maintain the ones at home. Then you add on the fact that we are Masters.

We also have a couple of older crew members who will want to gradually reduce their load and a couple of others, our age, who will do the same. So, we're training at all times so others can take on more responsibilities.

On some trips we will be overstaffed with crew. However, that also allows the crew more time to sight-see the places we go, which is important to us.

In the totality of our boating costs, having a couple more crew than we absolutely need is such a minor expense, even when we count all the employee cost, not just the salary.

OB sounds to me like you are doing it right ... nice to hear about programs like yours.

Hi,
I am new to full time boating. We have a 90' motor sailer and are docked in Panama at present. My husband and I live on board full time while he is starting up a business here. We have two crew members, a captain who lives at home and takes weekends off. Rarely, when we are sailing on the weekend he is with us. Our other crew member has just turned 19 and has been with us for 4 months. Her first 2 months with us she went home to her parents at night time too, and also had weekends off unless we are sailing with guests. This has been rare. Now her parents have gone to Brazil so she is on board, still has the weekends off. She has asked for leave for about 3 weeks plus, go go see her parents in Brazil. What is the protocol re wages at this early stage of her employment?

This is how I do it, for non rotation.

Normal leave is 30 days, to move up to 6 after a certain amount of time employed (several years)

We break it down to days earned per month, so if it is 30 days, then it is 2.5 days per month. So every month worked they get 2.5 days. So if this crew member has been with you 4 months, then she has 10 days paid vacation. Once earned it is earned, if they quit/resign or get fired you pay out unused portion. I used to do "use it or lose it" but I had to many crew take their vacation and then come back and quit.
The rest of her requested time would be unpaid.

I strongly suggest making a simple contract spelling this out.
1. Salary, and how often it would be paid, and how paid.
2. vacation time, and how it accrues.
3. Port of repatriation
4. Bonuses and how they will be earned or paid out (if applicable)
5. Emergency contact
6. How you base the pay, ie- Are they paid on the assumption of working 5 days a week/ 260 days or is it based on 365 days/ 52 weeks
(personally I always do 365, if they work weekends/holiday, you don't have to pay them more. On the other hand you are paying their weekends off)

I suggest working with your Captain on this.

Hope this helps

Thank you very much, a great help. Is she expecting us to pay her air fare to Brazil?

Traditionally, one plane trip home a year, at the end of the year.
At 4 months, no.

At the end of the day, you have to decide how much you appreciate her work and how happy you want to keep her?

What I gave you is the minimum, you might decide to give more.

A ticket from Panama to Brazil and back typically runs $600 or so.
(Unless the young lady prefers to fly in Business Class.)
Maybe use the ticket as a bonus for a job well done, which will be an incentive for doing good work in the future, hopefully a good investment..

Flight = no
You are in Panama
She was hired in Panama
Her home is in Panama

If she wants to visit her parents in Brazil that's her dime.