SUPERYACHT DECKHANDS | How To Become an Officer on a Yacht and Why You Should Care About 3000 GT

[@WorkonaSuperyacht]

Which route do you like the sound of best?

[@mikaruthven1429]

Cadetship for sure! Very informative video. Thanks.

[@WorkonaSuperyacht]

Hello Mika and welcome to the channel. Good choice!

[@mikaruthven1429]

Work on a Superyacht looking forward to future content!

[@8atlantic8]

Just stumbled on your video, great content! Almost finished my cadetship in the North Sea awaiting an Orals date and then maybe transiting across to the yacht industry. I’ll definitely be going through all you’re videos to learn more about the industry.

[@WorkonaSuperyacht]

Hello 8atlantic8. It's really good to hear from someone who has done a cadetship. You'll be a great source of information for anyone on here considering doing it themselves. Good luck with your oral exam and I hope to see you in the yachting industry very soon!

[@John-q5p9m]

This, guy, likes, commas.

[@WorkonaSuperyacht]

Haha I'm also quite enjoying semi-colons at the moment; however, I'm not always sure when to use them!

[@Eleven132]

Great advice. Some of these things you just learn from experience but so helpful when someone has been there before and can assist. Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@carlogreco9245]

great video mate 🙌🙌🙌🙌🙂 thank you

[@DelfinAchaval]

Wuauu, im watching this video with 25 years, im studing for the Merchant Navy Officer carear!

[@rickhinkle2870]

You might have been talking about my life. :-) I finished college 25 years after starting, and discovered my “but, what do you want to do?” when I retired. Be careful with the “if only I did this” thinking. I like baseball great, Satchel Paige’s quote: “Don’t look back, there might be something gaining on you” as my inspiration to keep the bow into the wind. It is the journey. Sadly, experiential knowledge is often under appreciated. Thank you for sharing yours.

[@WorkonaSuperyacht]

Thank you, Rick. This is a great quote, and I must remember it next time I find myself thinking, "If only". As you say, it's all about the journey, and I appreciate you sharing yours here.

[@ralphcrawford8331]

In changing your goal, you gained wisdom and experience.

[@rafaelvargas4113]

Im a deckhand In NYC ferry, I love being in the water, but I want to work towards finishing my next 6 months to get my captain liscense and get my STWC I see and even dream of being on yachts instead. I love the hospitality and all the cleaning involved all of it speaks to me that its what I want to do. I'm 26 and wished I figured this out when I was 19. But I have no plans to stop cause my age or anything holding me back I want to do this some day im quite frighten, but I want to get involved in this industry and move to Florida.

[@WorkonaSuperyacht]

Hello Rafael. Thank you for commenting. I wish you every success in getting your captain’s licence, and making the switch to yachting.

[@markuswunsch]

To anyone who is interested in getting to the Master Mariner qualification without going the commercial route, there is now what is called the "Experienced Seafarers Route to the OOW Unlimited" and which can then lead to Master Mariner without working on cargo/cruise ships.

[@aleksandra19931993]

Hey Markus, can you please share more info about this way?

[@wynandoberholzer7634]

Absolutely love your videos. All the answers I’ve been looking for right here on this channel, presented clearly. Looking forward to more vidoes while I binge watch the rest!

[@WorkonaSuperyacht]

Hello Wynand. Thank you for the feedback. I'm really happy to know that you're finding the videos useful.

[@patrickabas1112]

solid advice for the young and upcoming

[@WorkonaSuperyacht]

Thanks Patrick! It's the advice I'd give myself if I could do it all over again!

[@maxfrickmann]

Hey, really great video and I love how humble you are and how honestly you speak of your actions! I am 18 and talked to some people who went down the cadet ship path whilst doing my stcw, and as I am lucky enough to be a danish citizen, I plan on maybe enrolling in Mærsk's cadet programme. Keep up the great videos, they have really helped me a lot!

[@Submarinatx]

I always hear length in feet. Just starting in the industry, but have being involve since a child.

[@vasanthraphael8750]

Thanks a lot. Can you please make a video for guys who wish to switch from merchant navy to super yacht as an engineer with unlimited EOOW license?

[@peterlazuric5641]

I checked out Warsash cadet program and then Cunard and P&O Cruises and it appears to be a great way to go. If I were young again and went that route, after serving a year has a third officer on any of their ships, I might find it hard to leave either company.

[@blewyd]

Very informational video. Thanks for posting.

[@WorkonaSuperyacht]

Thank you blewyd. I really appreciate the feedback.

[@Submarinatx]

Is it very necessary the certifications to be chief, or more about qualifications and skills?

[@The_david_vision]

Hi Matthew! I just found your channel and love the content. I just recently did a deck hand course recognized by the MCA including my STCW and RIB masters I’m also going to do my PWC soon too and I can’t wait to get into the industry and start my career. I just wanted to find, I have done a lot of surfing and water sports such as spearfishing, wake skiing and free diving. All of which I am fairly good at does having a lot of experience in these activities help at all as a deck hand ? And how would you suggest putting this on a CV. I look forward to hearing from you , keep up the great work !

[@WorkonaSuperyacht]

Hello David and welcome to the channel. It's great to hear that you've done all your courses and are excited to get started in the industry. Your watersports skills and interests will be a HUGE benefit to you. When you haven't got any yacht specific experience, it's things like this that Captains and crew agents use to make a decision on who to hire. You can include them as hobbies/interests on a CV, but make sure that they stand out. A lot of people won't even read past the first few lines of your CV, so try to include the information within a personal profile at the beginning too, where it will hopefully encourage someone to read on.

[@daym5009]

Thanks a lot for that great explanation! I am working in my second season now and I know for sure that I won't pursue an officer role, but anything below that is something I'd love to do! Unfortunately, both yachts I have worked on only had a crew of 3 (including myself), so I could never see the different roles in action. Do you think that you could shed some light on positions like lead deckhand or bosun with an explanation like you delivered right here? :-) Thanks a lot for your work, I love your channel!

[@WorkonaSuperyacht]

Hi Damien and thank you for your comment. It's great to hear that you're enjoying the channel. You're right, on smaller yachts there is a lot of crossover in each crew member's duties, but on the bigger yachts it becomes more defined. I will do a video for you that breaks down the different roles.

[@davidgeer3581]

Congratulations!

[@HORNET6]

With an RAF tech background Is deck officer a feasible aim at 57?

[@fredericciura5757]

i'm the 200th likes! thanks for your awareness

[@WorkonaSuperyacht]

Thank you, Frederic. Now let's see if we can get your comment to 200 likes! I'm the first 😊.

[@Gisarwanda]

Can you please locate me the school where i can study that in poland?

[@staffordshiredashcamvideos889]

I have only just found your channel and find it interesting and informative, better than some South African crew videos which are just drone footage and loud music. I realise you are exterior crew but could you look at doing videos about the other roles onboard, Stews, Engineers, Electronics etc

[@WorkonaSuperyacht]

Hello Staffordshire Dash Cam Videos! Welcome to the channel and thank you for your feedback. I'm really keen to include videos of the other departments on the channel, and I hope to be able to start bringing you this information soon.

[@EuroGuy85]

Did you just take a jab at Watney? Damn, son! 😂

[@shamanicmonotheism]

Is yacht officers or captain eligible to work on Merchant ships in any capacity? Is there any way for doing so? Thanks for video.I was just waiting for video on career progression from deckhand to captain.Volume of sound is bit low but I think it can be due to my device.

[@WorkonaSuperyacht]

Hi Gopesh. Yes, the sound on this one isn't so good. The time has come for me to buy a proper microphone! Yacht officers who hold yacht 3000 tickets are not eligible to serve in the same capacity on merchant ships. If they want to, they must take the courses and exams to get the unlimited qualifications. These are the two big limitations of the yacht qualifications: 1. They currently only allow you to serve as a deck officer (or Master) on yachts under 3000 GT. 2. They don't allow you to serve in the same capacity on vessels other than yachts. There seems to be a lot of interest in career progression, so this is something I will try to focus on in future videos.

[@shamanicmonotheism]

@@WorkonaSuperyacht Thank you for reply.How can a yatch officer take unlimited qualification? Are they eligible to take unlimited qualification? I am curious to know completely about it.Also please make a video on job options on land for captain or senior deck officers .

[@WorkonaSuperyacht]

@Gopesh Upadhyay Deck officers holding yacht 3000 qualifications will need to convert them by proving they have sufficient days at sea (3 full years for the OOW), completing the additional modules and then sitting the OOW Unlimited oral exam. To then progress to Chief Officer Unlimited and then Master Unlimited, they will need to fulfil all the requirements in terms of additional modules and watchkeeping days, whilst holding the OOW Unlimited. I will plan a video for jobs ashore after a career in yachting. For now, I will just say that Unlimited qualifications will be more valuable than yacht 3000 qualifications when applying for land based jobs in the maritime industry.

[@mattc7911]

Hi Matthew, Cool name 😉. I was wondering if you are familiar with the UKSA Superyacht cadetship? At this stage I have no preferences as to what GT of yacht I want to work on but I certainly have aspirations of working my way up through the ranks. Would you recommend the cadetship or are there other options open you could recommend? Thank you :)

[@WorkonaSuperyacht]

Hello Matt C. You too have a pretty cool name! I've read about the UKSA Superyacht Cadetship, but not spoken with anyone who has done it. From what I understand it is a formal process of training that will keep you on track, and help you to gain the OOW 3000 qualification in the shortest possible time. In contrast to the cadetships that I speak about in this video, I'm not sure if they actually place you on a yacht, or if you must find work for yourself during the on board phases. If it is the latter, this will of course bring with it an unknown element, and the time taken to secure a job may interrupt your progression through the cadetship. More recently (and after I filmed this video) I was introduced to another option: the OOW Unlimited Superyacht Cadetship, which is offered by the City of Glasgow College. This looks really interesting to me, and may just tick all of the boxes! I'd be very interested to hear what you think.

[@mattc7911]

@@WorkonaSuperyacht Thank you Matthew! From what I understand you do have help securing the experience period onboard. I have also looked into your suggestion and it does look extremely interesting. I have contacted the colleague to get some more information. Thank you so much for the suggestion. :)

[@WorkonaSuperyacht]

@matt c Thanks for the update. Please keep me posted on this, because it's something that I think could be really interesting to others wanting to get started in the industry.

[@Seb0495-y3f]

Thanks for the great video! Bit of an unrelated question, but what's the social life like for crew onboard a yacht ? are there generally many nights out, days off ashore sightseeing things like that ? Thanks!

[@WorkonaSuperyacht]

Hello Seb and thank you for your comment. Yacht crew are typically very sociable and often have a work hard, play hard attitude. Busy summers (and winters in the Caribbean) mean that any chance to get off the yacht for a night out during these times, will be taken. Days off to explore are generally deferred to periods of downtime, at which point crew are often encouraged to get off the yacht and enjoy a change of scene. During more extended periods of downtime such as a winter in the Mediterranean (and possibly in a shipyard), weekends will generally be free and the crew will have chance to enjoy a more "normal" life before doing it all again the following year.

[@diana7002]

love your channel! very clear and straight lined information. thank you! does it late to start a deckhand career at 27 y.o.? i'm ending my bachelor's degree next year and I want to change something in my life ahah please, be honest :D

[@WorkonaSuperyacht]

Hello Diana. I don't consider 27 to be too old to start a career in yachting. I employed a green deckhand last year who was 27!

[@diana7002]

@@WorkonaSuperyacht so I have a little chance! Thank you!😎👍🏻

[@Zombie101]

Why is everyone talking about cadetship? Can you not just start off as deckhand then bosun then officer? How old are you rn Matthew? I am 33 and hold yachtmaster but don't think I could handle being a deckhand at this age

[@WorkonaSuperyacht]

I'm 34 years old. You can just work your way up the ranks whilst working on board superyachts, but the cadetship offers a more structured training program that takes a lot less time. In addition, the qualification attained will be Unlimited.

[@distantplaces6560]

Hi, Loving the vids and insight into the industry. Q: Is there an age limit to be a green deckhand? NB: I'm a UK registered Paramedic with a love of sailing and all things nautical. I'm leaving the NHS and am looking to move into working as a deckhand. Worried that even though I can pass my RYA yachtmaster, I'll be unemployable due to my age.

[@WorkonaSuperyacht]

Hello Rob. There is no official age limit. If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?

[@distantplaces6560]

@@WorkonaSuperyacht Hi, great to hear from you and thanks for taking the time to reply. DON'T LAUGH...but I'm (a very fit and very active) 60 year old. As you can imagine, my current profession has me running up and down stairs often having to carry the ill and/or injured + long shifts in less than ideal environments. For what it's worth, I'm also a mountain leader, climbing instructor, paddlesports instructor and ski instructor. I've also worked as an offshore medic. It has been my retirement plan to return to the sea as I used to do a lot of sailing. Now I fear that a Captain will immediately reject my application due to age. I'm nowhere near the knackers yard yet....

[@WorkonaSuperyacht]

@Distant Places Thank you for sharing all this information. It is very unlikely that you'll be considered for a green deckhand position; such positions typically favour candidates in their 20s and early 30s. However, this isn't to say that there isn't a place in the maritime industry for your wealth of experience. For example, there are a lot of schools that offer medical training for deck officers and masters around the world. Some of this training is even given on board, which would give you the opportunity to get out on some yachts even if you weren't employed full time as a seafarer.

[@brunocasella435]

Hello, i wanted to ask for your opinion. I am an OOW unlimited (from merchant navy) and this last year I decided to leave emrchant and start on yachts, I have been working as deckhand for a year now. My question is if it recomendable to make yacht master or should i just keep my OOW unlmited and keep upgrding that license? As i intend to finish this years as deckhand and start to look for an officer position. Thanks

[@WorkonaSuperyacht]

Hello Bruno. Congratulations on making the switch to yachting! Your experience would be of great value to a number of other officers from the merchant navy, who have left comments on this channel expressing their wish to do the same. If I understand correctly, you're talking about the possibility of doing the RYA Yachtmaster course? If so, then I don't believe it will be of any value in your search for a job as an officer. As a deckhand it could have benefitted you with tender driving, but considering your Unlimited qualification you'll most likely be going for an officer role on a large yacht, where opportunities to drive the tenders will be very limited. Your time would be better spent working on the Chief Mate Unlimited, and that is probably where any potential employer would expect you to be spending your time. If you do wish to get more small boat handling experience, then the RYA Advanced Powerboat course would be a good option (I presume you already have your Powerboat Level 2). The Yachtmaster goes further by teaching you about navigational theory and safety on board, but your Unlimited theory knowledge is already so much more advanced that this isn't necessary.

[@brunocasella435]

​@@WorkonaSuperyacht ok perfect. Then i will try to get MCA equivalent tittle to mine, as i am OOW of Spain, and I see a lot of empleyers prefer MCA tittles. Thank you

[@WorkonaSuperyacht]

@Bruno Casella I don't have any knowledge of converting merchant navy qualifications issued by other authorities to ones issued by the MCA. However, you're absolutely right that MCA qualifications command the most respect in the super yachting industry. Thank you for commenting and I wish you every success in stepping up as an officer. Please let us know how you get on.

[@stoystories]

Cool video😀.. sir Do Indians have opportunity to work in Yacht. I completed Bsc Nautical science degree and Is the selection in Yacht open to all people

[@WorkonaSuperyacht]

Hello stoy stories. I've just finished writing a video about how nationality affects your chances of finding work as a yacht crew member. Technically, yachting is open to everyone, but some people will find it easier than others to get a job. Please look out for the full explanation when I release the video on Sunday 25th July.

[@margaritastrode4752]

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