Crew: Go with Owner or Stay with Yacht

The latter is the norm, IMO.
Finding a crew, that works well together, over a long term in various situations is harder to find than learning a new boat.

The boat is the commodity. A functioning crew is an asset.

Hi,

In my experience when an Owner gets a new yacht some of the crew change over but not all as it is a good way of weeding out non performers.

I know of a yacht where the Captain took 5 of his previous crew of 14 to it, one of those had been on it with the Captain since it was new 9 yrs previously, this was not for the same Owner.

I also know of another where the Owner wanted the whole crew brought over, it lasted about 3 months after the boat was handed over and now 4 yrs down the track the Captain, both C/E's and Chef are all that's left although the Chef did leave and return.

I've stayed with one Owner over 2 boats then stayed with that boat when the new Owner took over, circumstances made it so (well, the ex G/F told me to ).

On the first boat a young deckhand joined and when the boat sold he stayed with it and moved up to Bosun, it sold again and he was upped to Mate. On the next sale he was made Captain and ran the boat successfuly for many years. It also good to know your boat.

This is what my Father's done. In his case, the Captain, First Mate, Chief Stew, and Chef. The Engineer he has came with the boat. (who had been with it from it's prior life, rebuild and refit.)

I'm heading into my 4th boat with the same owner right now, and the 2nd boat with another. Much will also depend on whether the owner is heading straight into another boat also. On larger boats with more crew you also often have a core crew that stays or goes together. Bottom line is that the longer a crew works together, and the longer an owner works with a crew, the better they all function. Sort of like an old marraige.