Finding and keeping a good Yacht crew

This topic came up in a boat buying thread. It's one I have very strong opinions on starting with criticism of how many owners, and in turn captains, have treated crew. In some ways it's no different than treatment in business, but in other areas there are very significant differences.

As a starting point I ask owners to consider two things. First, you entrust your safety, your life to your crew. Second, they're your housemates, you share your boat home with them, spending more time with them than your land friends.

We decided up front to break a few rules, to get the best people and provide them the best jobs and best lifestyles we could. We talked to people about the boats they'd been on, the owners they'd worked for and about why crew was unhappy and why the huge turnover.

Now, to do things the way we wanted is expensive and I'm not saying it's for anyone else in it's entirety, but I will hope some benefit by bits and pieces. Also, I'll offer the turnover many have is also expensive and the unpleasantness sure lessens the value of the pleasure on a boat you've invested highly in.

We decided we would compensate generally, provide full benefits, and we would make sure they had time off, both cruising and at home, to enjoy a home life and to enjoy the places we go. We pay at the high end of the market, but isn't that how the best should be paid? Benefits include health and disability insurance and 401K. We have four classifications on time records. Off, which means off in FLL and free to do as they please. Home work, doing work in FLL. Cruise work, on the boat somewhere and working. Cruise rest, somewhere other than home but not expected to work, free to site see or anything else. We count Home work, Cruise work, and Cruise rest all as paid work days. You're not off in my mind if you're across the country from home. Adding all those together our crew works approximately 220 days a year, with no more than 180 days away from home. To us a key is they can sleep half the time in their own bed. When cruising, they get a minimum of 10 hours rest a day and 77 a week. We try to always give them two days of rest, but a minimum of one plus part days.

I heard two major reasons for leaving boats or leaving the industries. One is work environment, often the owner. The other is "to have a life." Young crew is known for partying when off in port, spending their money, having sex with other crew. Not saying all do, but many are unable to have time at home and build normal relationships. We schedule things so that over the holidays everyone has two weeks off at home. Visiting family over the holidays is important to most people. We take time to visit so we see they have time.

For most of our crew we do provide housing. Probably not something most would consider. Our boats are US flagged, all crew US and paid and treated according to all US laws. We gross up to cover the taxes on any taxable benefits we provide.

We hired a married couple of captains as our Managing Captains before we ever bought a boat. How did we find them? Guess you could say we dock walked. We went to marinas and yards. We had lunch at Rybovich. Yes, we came here, although it didn't happen from here. Were we just lucky or did our approach work. We also spoke to builders, although nothing developed from there in our case. The teachers at schools observe. For lower levels, the managers of crew houses sure see a lot. People out there happily employed or servicing the industry know a lot. We were told about this couple who captained an almost 200' boat for an elderly couple that was having to sell due to health. They were still employed at that time. We met them, we met the couple and worked out a deal to hire them but they could still assist the couple until the boat sold. In business I always looked for logical explanations of why someone was available. If they were wanting to leave a company, I'd investigate that company a bit and see if it was logical to want to leave. I'd do the same here. If they're leaving a boat, talk to others who can give you a clue of whether the owner is a decent employer or not. Crew is very important, don't take it casually and don't leave it completely to a third party you don't know well.

Now, we cross a lot of lines. We're not big on formalities. Crew eats with us. We mingle and site see with crew. Over time, members of our crew are our best friends and we care deeply for them. As a businessman working for a large corporation I would have said "horrible practice." However, I can't see all that time with them and just sending them off to the "basement" or not having friendly relationships. One doesn't have to take it as far as us, but please really consider the time you'll be spending with crew.

Part of crew selection is compatibility with you. If you run a large business and it's a salesman you see 2 hours a month, no big deal. But when they live with you much of the year, it is. Write your rules and some guidelines and a bit about you and your expectations before you ever start hiring. Many might read our alcohol policy and say "no way Jose". That's good. Not the ones we want. Others might read that they may be exposed to nudity on the boat and be offended by it.

By all means have enough crew. Make it pleasant. Some of the most miserable crew members are those on understaffed boats. Same as business. You run a boat that needs 7 with 6 and there will be issues. Run it with 8 and you'll be amazed. Have enough to provide time off. Consider rotations or part rotations. It's important too to know what is important to each.

Provide time for and pay for continuing education. It is not vacation, it is work. It's job required.

We want professionals not vacationers. Very important in lower level positions such as stews and deck hands. We can train if we hire the right person but we can't make the person not serious suddenly so. Our stews see it as a career. Doesn't mean they'll never leave but they didn't come in thinking a year or two.

Our Crew also knows enough people in the industry that we don't have to post jobs anywhere, candidates flow naturally. For entry level stews we love those who just went to school to be one. Deck hands, we'd feel the same if we had them. We split normal duties among others.

Focus on "How can I find the Best Crew" and "How can I make this the Best Job". We may lose people eventually who decide to leave the industry or even decide to buy and operate their own charter, but I'd be surprised and disappointed to lose anyone to another boat or owner.

A few other random comments.

-Owners who don't offer their boat for charter need to consider the lack of tips in their compensation. People do jump to busy charter boats for the tips.

-Never hire someone you haven't met. Also do thorough HR work including background checks. All people I hire get interviewed by three people and if any one of those three says "no" they aren't hired. The one person probably picked up on something the others missed. Have those hiring be honest about you, your good points and your bad. Aware of your pet peeves.

-Never hire out of desperation. Better engage someone on a contract basis or anything. The wrong hires are very costly and will disrupt your entire crew. I mentioned compatibility with you, but compatibility with other crew is important too. Hire people up to the standards of those already with you.

-Hire for a lifetime. Sounds silly, but honestly think like that person will work with you for as long as you boat.

-Treat all crew as your equal. Don't make them feel you think you're better than them and don't respect them.

There are so many potential crew candidates out there. If you hire poorly, it's not their fault. You did your job poorly. Likely you tried shortcuts. You didn't put forth the full effort. It must have the elements of good business hiring and then added to that a bit of the elements of choosing a roommate. It takes time and effort.

Final thought. You buy a $10 million boat as an example. You spend a million a year on it. You really want to devalue your experience by saving $50k somewhere on crew costs? Investment in crew is an investment in your pleasure as much as the boat purchase is.

There are boats with horrible crew quarters that I would absolutely never stick a crew with.

Ken

I have this odd belief I guess that people should be happy in their careers and jobs and in their lives having those jobs. Lack of time with family is an issue throughout our society but for those working on yachts it's far more difficult. I've heard of all the yachts with 40% and more turnover every season. I see many who clearly don't value stews and deckhands treating them as easily replaced commodities.

I think of our Managing Captains and my goal is simple, to do whatever necessary to keep them as long as they choose to work.

Two of our key early hires were highly regarded pros who had gone to contract and seasonal work on charters to have time for themselves. We met them on charters we took and felt we could meet their needs. Our chief stew works 140 days a year but she's trained and developed such great stews in that time and remains invaluable.

I also look at the prevalence of alcohol issues among yacht crew as an indicator of the problem

Thank you. It sure makes things pleasurable. I'd rather spend 8 months a year boating with our best friends who are working as we go than with distant crew just doing a job. Also, much of the time we have no other guests. Ours gets more interesting too because we are Captains and spend a lot of time at the helm.