Career Articles: UKSA.org

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 10:01:00 +0000

Yachting career articles

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noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 09:37:00 +0000

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Getting into Motor Yachting

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:42:00 +0000

Getting into Motor Yachting

Morphing from landlubber to competent motor yacht owner and skipper can be a quick and easy process. Yachting Journalist, Rupert Holmes explains how.

Have you ever aspired to be the people you see heading out to sea on their motor yachts, leading a glamorous lifestyle away from the bustle of everyday life, yet thought it unattainable? Owning and skippering a motor yacht is more achievable than most people imagine – only a modest amount of training is needed to get started and good second-hand boats can be found at very appealing prices.

After less than two weeks training you could be spending your leisure time in glitzy marinas with buzzing harbour-side nightlife, or exploring tranquil creeks and estuaries with only the sea birds for company. In good weather sandy beaches make a great lunchtime stop, and door to door, France is less than three hours away from the south coast. What could be a better way to spend your hard-won leisure time?

Motor yachting encompasses a huge range of boats, from modest craft worth no more than a decent second-hand car to the latest and biggest yachts that are worth millions. What they all have in common is accommodation that enables their crews to sleep aboard, whether for a weekend, a fortnight’s holiday or in some cases a full-time cruising lifestyle. Although most motor yachting takes place around the UK’s coasts there are thousands of sea-going craft on inland waterways, particularly major rivers such as the Thames, Severn and Trent.

Your first boat

‘Traditionally people have thought that owning a boat is very expensive, but for older second-hand craft the initial capital outlay is relatively small,’ says Neil Chapman, a founder of yacht brokerage network Boatshed.com. ‘A second-hand boat represents extremely good value for money – unlike a house or a car the nature of boats means they tend to have had lots of time and care lavished on them.’

‘There are large numbers of boats that were built in the 1970s and 1980s that are now extremely good value. They’re mostly British built boats that were made to a high standard, so they’re robust vessels that will look after you well,’ he adds. Most owners find that annual maintenance, mooring and insurance costs are around 10-20 per cent of the capital value of the boat, providing it’s not kept in one of the top south coast marinas.

Getting the right skills

Sadly many committed people get discouraged from this wonderful pastime through bad experiences that can arise out of not having enough of the right kind of training before buying their first boat, or upgrading their skills when they start making more adventurous voyages. Manoeuvring a motor yacht in a confined space can be challenging and stressful experience, especially in strong crosswinds, but skippers with adequate training will find the experience more relaxing and more fun. And if you’re relaxed and having fun, your crew will follow your lead!

Training in the UK is co-ordinated by the RYA (Royal Yachting Association) which has a comprehensive scheme that covers everything needed for skippers and crew of motor yachts, right up to qualifications recognised by the MCA (Maritime and Coastguard Agency) for professional skippers. Courses are delivered by hundreds of independent sea schools in the UK and abroad.

The two introductory courses are the Helmsman and Day Skipper certificates. The former provides two days of brief familiarisation with basic boat handling and safety considerations. The Day Skipper has two elements – five days of theory and four of practical training. The programme teaches pilotage, navigation seamanship and boat handling to the level needed to skipper a motor cruiser by day in fine weather and familiar waters.

Although not formally part of the Motor Cruising Scheme, structured experience in a smaller powerboat can help enormously when it comes to handling a larger vessel. It’s therefore worth considering taking the two-day RYA Powerboat Level 2 course. This will provide an excellent introduction to the fundamentals of boating.

The Helmsman certificate and both practical and theory elements of the Day Skipper can be taken in a single nine-day programme at UKSA in Cowes on the Isle of Wight, making this an excellent choice for busy people. The organisation is one of the country’s largest provider of RYA courses, and practical elements of the training take place on a 38ft Fairline Phantom motor yacht, fitted with twin 370hp diesel engines.

The huge variety of motor yachts available means that when you buy your first boat it may be very different to the one on which you trained. But while you’re learning to handle it you also have to instruct your crew in the basics of crew work. That’s a tall order for a new skipper, so it makes sense to book an instructor to come aboard your boat for the first two or three days out. Tying knots is one of the most important skills for the crew of a motor yacht, so make sure your crew gets a head start by taking the free online Knotmaster course at uksa.org/knots.

Think safe!

Despite the potentially hostile environment in which it takes place, motor yachting has an enviable safety record, however it’s vital to have knowledge of basic safety equipment and procedures. In addition the skipper must take his/her responsibilities to others on board seriously. Lifejackets are obviously a must for everyone on board, as are two ways of attracting help. The best means for this are a VHF ship-shore radio and distress flares. If venturing further offshore a liferaft and emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) are also worthwhile investments. A number of one-day RYA courses go into more depth in the use of safety and emergency equipment than is possible during the Day Skipper. These include Short Range (VHF) Radio Operation, Sea Survival, First Aid at Sea, Diesel Engine Maintenance and Radar operation.

Even if your own boat is very modest a minimum of third party insurance is vital – if you’re held responsible for an accident you could be liable to pay hundreds of thousands of pounds in compensation. Among many other benefits, members of the RYA get a useful discount on marine insurance with Bishop Skinner.

Becoming an expert

Those who really get hooked on motor cruising will eventually find they want to attempt more adventurous voyages, whether crossing the English Channel for a holiday in France, navigating at night, or just acquiring the skills that enable them to put to sea in stronger winds. After Day Skipper the RYA scheme also includes Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster qualifications. The former covers the skills needed to be a safe skipper on coastal and offshore passages by day and night. It also includes more advanced boat handling and manoeuvring techniques. The Yachtmaster Offshore requires a great deal more experience, and qualifies the holder to skipper a vessel on long passages that take it up to 150 miles from the nearest port.

Gaining the skills needed to be an expert skipper isn’t only about doing the right training courses – it’s a constantly-evolving process in which you can learn from all experiences, whether good or bad. A good skipper is someone who looks at a trip they’ve just done and asks: ‘how could I have done that better?’ Sometimes boat handling or seamanship will come under the spotlight, but on other occasions the answer could be something that would have made the voyage more fun for yourself and others on board.

At the top end of the scale are those who seek a professional career on motor yachts. This has been a rapidly-growing employment sector for many years, with well qualified, reliable and hard-working crew remaining hard to find. As a result rates of pay are generally excellent, with positions almost universally all-found, so day-to-day living expenses are minimal and most crew are able to save a substantial proportion of their salaries.

Outsiders tend to imagine this kind of work requires a lifetime of experience, but that’s simply not the case. Although surprisingly few organisations offer motor cruising training that leads to qualifications with commercial endorsements, UKSA’s Commercial Motor Yacht Training programme will take a newly-qualified Day Skipper up to the RYA/MCA Coastal Skipper qualification with commercial endorsement in just six weeks. With this qualification you’re qualified to work as skipper or crew on commercially operated motor yachts of up to 24m.
The practical time afloat has a strong emphasis on boat handling, close-quarters manoeuvring skills, and improving command skills. In addition, participants build an in-depth understanding of advanced navigation and radar systems. First Aid and Personal Safety qualifications are included as an integral part of the programme, while optional bolt-on modules, which lead to qualifications for working on motor yachts of over 24m in length, include MCA Fire Fighting and Personal Safety and Social Responsibility. In addition, the MCA Approved Engine Certificate is a four-day course that goes into much greater depth than in the one-day RYA course.
More information on a wide range of careers in the yachting industry can be found at http://careerarticles.uksa.org

[NOTE TO SUBSCRIBERS – there’s no www in the above address]

New Career?... Start Here!

noreply@blogger.com (Ciaran) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 14:03:00 +0000

New Career?... Start Here!

Hi and welcome to the UKSA Careers articles website

Here you will find a selection of informative articles designed to give you the low down on a variety of different career opportunities in the yachting and watersports industry.

These articles are written and researched by experienced yachting journalist Rupert Holmes, and are designed to give you a head start on potential career routes. We are adding content to this blog every month, so its well worth subscribing to the sites RSS feed, or bookmarking this page.

Previous articles
Yachting Degrees - Your passport to a fulfilling career
Careers in Superyachting
Careers in Marine Hospitality
Working in Yacht Charter
Working on Flotilla
Yachting Careers in Engineering
Working as a Delivery Skipper
Working on Motor Yachts
What does it take to succeed in the yachting industry?
Working as a Cruising Instructor
Getting into Motor Yachting

You can also call our training advice team on +44 (0)1983 203038

Getting into Yacht Sailing

noreply@blogger.com (Ciaran) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:35:00 +0000

Getting into Yacht Sailing

Owning and skippering a sailing yacht is a dream many people can never imagine realising. Yet it’s a realistic and achievable goal, as Rupert Holmes explains.

Sailboat cruising covers a huge variety of activity. Non-sailors often picture highly-skilled crews crossing oceans on large and lavishly equipped vessels, but for most owners their craft is a more modest, but nonetheless highly valued, weekend escape. Typically they might sail for a few hours from their home port for an overnight stay in perhaps a quiet estuary, or a town quay buzzing with nightlife. Alternatively, they might make an occasional weekend dash across the English Channel or southern North Sea, or enjoy a more adventurous fortnight’s summer holiday cruise.

Another myth is that you have to be wealthy to own a boat. Granted, some cost eye-watering figures, but others are worth no more than a cheap second hand car. Equally, some rival plush city apartments in their space and sophistication, while others are more akin to camping.

Your first boat

There are many people, some who are surprisingly wealthy, who value the simplicity and ease of handling of a modest craft. They may even choose to sail boats small enough to be towed to different destinations behind a family car. A budget of around £10,000 for a second-hand yacht starts to open up many possibilities, including boats with standing headroom, reliable inboard diesel engines and separate toilet facilities. There are also boats at this price that will safely take a suitably qualified crew across the English Channel in favourable weather.

‘The large numbers of small and medium size yachts that were built in the 1970s and 1980s now represent extremely good value,’ says Neil Chapman, a founder of yacht brokerage network Boatshed.com. ‘These are mostly British built boats that were made to a high standard, so they’re robust vessels that will look after you well. A second-hand boat represents extremely good value for money – unlike a house or a car, the nature of boats means they tend to have had lots of time and care lavished on them.’

What should I look for in my first yacht?

‘What should I look for in my first yacht?’ is perhaps the most common question prospective new boat owners ask. Unfortunately there’s no single answer to this – it’s just as wide a question as what would make a good home. Choosing a boat is just as much about achieving a compromise that works for you – but it can be hard for first-time buyers to identify their key priorities. One solution is to sail a number of different boats before buying one. Chartering is one way of doing this, particularly if you’re looking at a newish model. However, if you’re looking for a smaller or older boat then contacting the owners’ association for the model you’re considering may yield better results. They will usually be able to find someone with the same type of boat to chat to you and identify its good and bad points. If you’re lucky they many even be able to take you sailing.

Getting started

Training for all types of sailing and motor boating activities in the UK is coordinated by the RYA (Royal Yachting Association). It has a comprehensive scheme that covers everything needed for skippers and crew of both sail and motor yachts, right up to the mandatory MCA (Maritime and Coastguard Agency) qualifications for professional skippers. RYA courses are delivered by hundreds of independent sea schools around the UK and abroad.

If you have no experience of sailing, but are keen to give it a try, the RYA Start Yachting weekend, or five-day RYA Competent Crew courses give a taste of life afloat, as well as covering the key sailing skills and safety considerations needed before embarking on skipper training.

After completing the RYA Competent Crew, a further 9-10 days of training, split between five days of theory and five at sea, is needed to achieve the RYA Day Skipper qualification. This programme teaches pilotage, navigation, seamanship and boat handling to the level needed to skipper a small or medium size yacht by day in good weather and familiar waters.

Although not formally part of the RYA Cruising Scheme, structured experience in a smaller boat can be an enormous help in developing key sailing skills. It’s therefore worth considering taking elements of the RYA Keelboat Scheme. This will also help introduce more advanced crewing skills, such as sailing with spinnakers, which are not directly covered in the cruising scheme.

The huge variety of sailing yachts available means that when you buy your first boat it may be very different to those on which you trained. But, while you’re learning to handle the idiosyncrasies of your new boat, you also have to instruct your crew in the basics of crew work. That’s a tall order for a new skipper, so it makes sense to book an instructor to come aboard your boat for the first two or three days out. Tying knots is one of the most important skills for the crew of a yacht, so make sure yours get a head start by taking UKSA's free online Knotmaster course at uksa.org/knots

Think safe!

Despite the potentially hostile environment in which it takes place, sailing has an enviable safety record, however it’s vital to have knowledge of basic safety equipment and procedures. In addition the skipper must take his/her responsibilities to others on board seriously. Life jackets are obviously a must for everyone on board, as are two ways of attracting help. (A staggering 84% of people who drowned at sea where not wearing a life jacket. Check out this sobering video by the MCA) The best means for this are a VHF ship-shore radio and distress flares. If venturing further offshore a life raft and emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) are also worthwhile investments. A number of one-day courses go into more depth in the use of safety and emergency equipment, including Short Range (VHF) Radio Operation, Sea Survival, First Aid at Sea, Diesel Engine Maintenance and Radar operation.

Even if your own boat is very modest, a minimum of third party insurance is vital – if you’re held responsible for an accident you could be liable to pay hundreds of thousands of pounds in compensation. Bishop Skinner has a policy for members of the RYA or RNLI that costs just £65 per year, for £2 million of third party cover.

Becoming an expert

As you come to want to make more adventurous voyages, where stronger winds and night sailing may be encountered, it’s important to upgrade your skills – those with proper training are much more likely to find the experience more relaxing and more fun. And if you’re relaxed and having fun, your crew will follow your lead!

After RYA Day Skipper the RYA scheme also includes Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster (Offshore) qualifications. The former covers the skills needed to be a safe skipper on coastal and offshore passages by day and night. It also includes more advanced boat handling and manoeuvring techniques. The Yachtmaster Offshore requires a great deal more experience, and qualifies the holder to skipper a vessel on long passages that take it up to 150 miles from the nearest port.

However, gaining the skills needed to be an expert skipper isn’t only about enrolling on the right training courses – it’s a constantly-evolving process in which you can learn from all experiences, whether good or bad. A good skipper is someone who looks at a trip they’ve just done and asks: ‘how could I have done that better?’ Sometimes boat handling or seamanship will come under the spotlight, but on other occasions the answer could be something that would have made the voyage more fun for yourself and others on board. In addition, sailing on different boats, in different places, and with different people will provide a rich experience to draw on when faced with new challenges.

Make it your Career

There are also excellent career opportunities to be had in the yachting industry. This has been a rapidly-growing employment sector for many years, with well qualified, reliable and hard-working crew and skippers remaining hard to find. As a result rates of pay are generally good, and many positions are all-found, so day-to-day living expenses are minimal and crew frequently save a substantial proportion of their salaries.

Outsiders often imagine a lifetime of sailing experience is needed to embark on a professional career in the industry, but that’s simply not the case. UKSA’s Commercial Yachtmaster programme will take a beginner to MCA / RYA Yachtmaster (Offshore) ready for commercial endorsement (dependent on passing an MCA medical) in just 12 weeks. Alternatively the 23-week Ocean Graduate training qualifies you to command sailing yachts up to 24m in length, or work as crew on sail and motor yachts up to 3000gt, anywhere in the world.

More information on a wide range of careers in the yachting industry can be found at http://careerarticles.uksa.org

Find a training course

RYA Start Yachting
RYA Competent Crew
Day Skipper
Coastal Skipper
RYA/MCA Yachtmaster(Offshore)
UKSA Commercial Yachtmaster
UKSA Ocean Graduate
uksa.org/knots

Working as a Cruising Instructor

noreply@blogger.com (Ciaran) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 07:36:00 +0000

Working as a cruising instructor

  

More than 30,000 people take one of the RYA’s practical motor and sail cruising courses each year, requiring a small army of instructors to work at the 400 establishments that run these courses. Qualified cruising instructors deliver training at Competent Crew and Day Skipper level, while the more rigorous Yachtmaster Instructor qualification is needed to teach at higher levels.   In addition to the practical courses, a further 25,000 people take the Day Skipper or Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster theory courses each year, as well as tens of thousands more enrolling on one-day programmes such as radar operation, VHF radio telephony and diesel engine maintenance.   

One of the key attractions for many instructors is that this is a job in which you tend to spend a huge amount of time afloat and sailing,Albeit on most RYA courses this is in 5 day blocks a successful instructor can expect to do several including weekend courses without a break, with a mix of passage-making and close-quarters manoeuvring. In addition although it’s a very responsible job, this is one that’s done at arms length from one’s bosses and employers. This makes it a excellent career choice for conscientious people who enjoy planning their own schedules and work without being micro-managed.

Essential personal skills

Although a high level of technical sailing skill is vital, instructing is above all a people job, and you have to be able to get a real buzz out of seeing others growing to love sailing and improving their skills. For some this comes in teaching the basics to relative beginners, while other instructors relish the challenge of honing the skills of already experienced sailors.  The RYA’s chief cruising instructor, Simon Jinks, oversees the entire sail and motor yacht training scheme. He identifies three key skills that make a good cruising instructor: ‘Communication, empathy with the people on the course, and the technical skills to back it up.’ Patience and a mountain of tact are also vital attributes – people learn at different rates and a few find some concepts incredibly difficult to grasp. Whatever their previous experience, most students are very apprehensive about being back in such an intensive learning environment, potentially for the first time since leaving school decades earlier. Instructors therefore need to be able to address mistakes and bad practices in a gentle, but effective, manner that doesn't belittle the student.

  Steve Rouse, UKSA's student mentor commented, "More and more today at UKSA we are finding that our student base is worldwide and therefore we not only need the ability to deliver a high standard of RYA training we also need to understand the problems of translation when dealing with foreign students indeed its tough enough learning the names of different parts of the boat without having to translate this into your own language. Instructors with a grasp of an other language in this global economy will without doubt be more employable."  Instructors will occasionally come across people doing incredibly obtuse things. I once encountered a student who literally didn’t know how to boil an egg – he attempted to serve part-charred, part raw grilled egg for breakfast! It would have been easy to mock him, but he had solid skills in areas that others find hard to grasp, and it’s the instructor’s job to identify and attempt to rectify gaps in any aspect of a student’s ability to operate a yacht effectively.   Getting qualified  In addition to the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster (Offshore) with commercial endorsement, you need to successfully complete the Cruising Instructor's course. These are run by individual sea schools, with the length of the course at the discretion of the establishment, but most are between 3-5 days.UKSA's unique way of delivering this training is through a mix of blended learning ashore and afloat involving a lot of role play and peer assessment. All designed to ensure a high standard customer service. -

‘A wide and varied experience is needed to do the job well,’ Jinks says. ‘I always suggest people do some skippered charter between gaining their Yachtmaster and commercial endorsement and enrolling on a cruising instructor course. Taking responsibility on a boat for people with no experience and whose primary motivation may not be the sailing itself helps to develop important skills most people don’t get when skippering their own boat. ‘

Those wanting to teach shorebased Day Skipper and Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster courses also need to do a two-day introductory course, and there are separate programmes for the RYA’s various one-day courses.  Experienced cruising instructors with a minimum of 7,000 miles of experience can go on to become Yachtmaster Instructors. At this level the role includes a much larger coaching element than is required at competent crew and day skipper level. ‘It differs greatly from the work of a cruising instructor,’ says Jinks. ‘You need to be able to identity people’s existing strengths and build on these without trying to teach them to suck eggs.’ Another difference is that at higher levels candidates are put into more complex situations, but the instructor must make sure the boat and crew remain safe at all times. ‘Navigating around the Bramble [sandbank] in the dark in a near gale in winter is a very different matter to a trip from Cowes to Hamble in hospitable summer weather,’ he cautions.

  On the technical side, the common failings of Cruising and Yachtmaster Instructors are boat handling (both under sail and under power), and theoretical knowledge, according to Jinks. However, when there’s a problem the RYA becomes involved with it’s nearly always down to communication. ‘Almost 99 per cent of complaints could have been solved at the time through better on board communication,’ he says.

One of the main attributes that UKSA look for when delivering cruising instructor training in addition to a high skill level and the ability to pass this knowledge on, is good people skills, a nice personality and a confident manner that delivers fun, safe and informative training.

Benefits of the job

A huge amount of job satisfaction can be gained from introducing people to sailing, or helping them get more from the sport. In addition, this is a fantastic training for working elsewhere in the yachting industry. In just their first season most cruising instructors find they learn more than in all the time up to gaining their Yachtmaster, not just in a technical sense, but also in the areas of communication and dealing with people. The people skills and seamanship that cruising instructors gain make them suitable for a wide range of roles, both within the industry and elsewhere, including skippering of larger yachts and managerial roles that may include more of a shore-based element. Yachtmaster instructors, for instance, are qualified to be principal of RYA recognised sea schools. Good instructors are always in demand, according to Jinks, with pay varying from £70-150 per day. And the drawbacks? One downside is that you'll often tread the same piece of water week in, week out. That said, even within the same locations there's an enormous variety as the weather and seasons change. Another disadvantage is that weekends are always busy, so you're lucky if you get many of them free and at the height of the season, you may be asked to work many days in succession without a break. However, good instructors and employers know it's important to pace themselves – it's a demanding job and once the initial flush of enthusiasm has worn off it's vital to have proper breaks. On the other hand, the nature of the work – most instructors in the UK work on a freelance basis – can also make it an ideal part-time occupation.

  

Geographical locations

  Although the greatest concentration of sea schools by far is in the Solent area, there are hundreds more around the UK. South Devon and Cornall, Essex and Suffolk, North Wales and the Clyde estuary in Scotland are particularly popular. In addition, there are 130 establishments running RYA cruising courses overseas, instructing is now a year-round business, especially for operations based in the relatively sheltered waters of the Solent. Naturally there's less work available in the winter in the UK, especially midweek, although operations that teach more experienced or aspiring professional sailors such as UKSA may have as much work in the winter as in the summer. In addition, some sea schools employ instructing staff in maintenance roles during the off season.              

For free guidance and advice on training at UKSA please call+44 (0) 1983 203038

What does it take to succeed in the yachting industry?

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:13:00 +0000

What does it take to succeed in the
yachting industry?

An overview of the key skills, qualifications and personal attributes needed to forge a thriving career in the yachting industry, by freelance yachting journalist Rupert Holmes.

From the outside it looks like a dream life – a glamorous lifestyle living on board amazing yachts in stunning locations. And getting paid for it! But the reality of working in the yachting industry is that hours can be relentlessly long, and clients both demanding and discerning. The pay off is that you get the buzz and satisfaction of doing a demanding job well, excellent pay and benefits, and the chance to visit some of the world’s most sought-after destinations.

The industry offers a huge variety of career paths on sail and motor yachts of all sizes right up to the largest superyachts. Roles include interior crew, charter, flotilla and delivery skippers, engineers, deck hands and MCA-qualified superyacht deck officers.

This diversity suits a huge range of people with differing personalities, aptitudes and interests. This includes those who gain great satisfaction in providing ultimate levels of service, petrol heads who get paid to maintain engines of several thousand horsepower, and skilled captains with consummate people and seamanship skills.

Despite the enormous variety of job types, all the industry experts we spoke to agree on the key qualities that are needed to succeed in the industry, whatever the role. ‘It takes people who are intelligent, capable, perceptive, able to work hard and use their own initiative,’ says Emma Baggett, who joined UKSA after more than a decade working on board some of the world’s largest sailing yachts.

The background you’re from doesn’t matter – it’s how you do the job that counts, according to Jen Errico, author of Working on Superyachts and editor of www.crewtraders.com. ‘Whether you’re a deckhand, chef or captain, a stable personality and consistency regarding rules is really important,’ she says, ‘... as are organisational skills, attention to detail and a good work ethic.’ These are the qualities that separate an outstanding crewmember from an ordinary one, according to Errico. ‘And if you have a genuine enjoyment of the job and the environment, love the sea and are able to cope with people, it’s a fantastic way to make a very good living,’ she adds.

The right training

All crew on boats over 24m in length need a minimum of STCW95 basic certification – essentially a week’s basic training on safety issues. However, if you can point to having a wider skill set you’ll find there are more job opportunities, even for junior roles. ‘It really helps to be able to show an employer that you have skills relevant to the role in which you want to start out,’ says Errico. ‘A budding steward/ess could offer to work for a florist for free for a week, in exchange for learning the basics of flower and silk arranging.’ In a similar vein, silver service can be learnt through volunteering to work for a good restaurant, while prospective deckhands could spend time in a boatyard.

UKSA’s Ciaran Rogers points to some more unusual examples of skills gained from other areas that can help secure employment, including the delivery skipper who presented the owner of a large Oyster sailing yacht he delivered with an ice sculpture of the boat – he was offered the skipper’s job on the spot.

There’s no escaping, however, the need for formal qualifications and training – the industry is heavily regulated at all levels, and employers are increasingly choosy about who they take on. While smaller yachts can be relatively informal work places, notwithstanding the frequently heavy workload, the larger vessels have increasingly hierarchical structures. The industry is perhaps unique in that even the most senior staff generally started at the bottom of the ladder, usually as interior crew or a deckhand, but to progress up the career ladder you need to fit in periods of study and training at the same time as building sea miles. Starting your career with a higher level of qualification will open more job opportunities and speed progress into more responsible jobs.

The right attitude

This is perhaps the single most important element in building a successful career in the industry. ‘The most important thing is for people to be aware that it’s very hard work,’ says Christine Lewis, manager of Sunsail’s Sporades Yacht Base in Greece. Despite the glorious surroundings of her base on Greece’s idyllic Pelion Peninsula, she says: ‘People must understand they’re not coming here to do a glamorous job at all. There’s a lot of hard word and cleaning – cleaning being the key point – most people we get are not prepared for that part of the job.’

This aspect pervades every part of the industry – superyachts don’t gleam all by themselves – the exquisite finish is the result of a huge amount of daily effort on the part of their crew. Even with yacht deliveries taking care of the appearance of the boat is vital, even in difficult conditions mid ocean: ‘Preparation and presentation of the boat are key skills for our skippers’ says Nick Irving, director of Reliance Yacht Deliveries. ‘Our objective is to get boat from A to B in the best possible condition – at the end of a 4,000 mile voyage to the Caribbean we would expect the boat to still look brand new.’

The ability to adapt to changing conditions, problems and requests is also vital. ‘People need to be prepared for all eventualities,’ says Lewis. ‘When things go wrong, they need a willingness to try and use their initiative to solve the problem.’ Owners, guests and charterers can also exact a demanding toll on staff: ‘Some bosses can ask for the most unbelievable things,’ according to Errico. ‘But declining a client’s request is rarely an option!’ Although this could appear potentially infuriating it can also lead to very high levels of job satisfaction, when you successfully fulfil an apparently impossible request.

The people question

Getting on with the widest imaginable variety of people is a pre-requisite for a successful career in the yachting industry. Excellent technical skills and qualifications appropriate to your line of work are of course vital, but they count for little if you’re unable to work effectively as part of a very close-knit team. ‘On a boat you’re with everyone in a small space 24/7, so discretion, tolerance and the ability to live with others without gossiping are important,’ explains Errico. In addition, if you can derive satisfaction and a buzz from providing clients with the best possible experience it will help keep your motivation and drive strong through difficult times.

Of course, not everyone starts out with every single one of these skills and attributes at the beginning of their career. But if you’re able to identify any fundamental weaknesses and actively seek to improve your skills in these areas you’ll soon be oceans ahead of those who try to hide from their vulnerabilities.

Guidance, advice and further reading

If you would like to find out more about careers in the yachting industry, visit UKSA's training pages or find out about their monthly UKSA opendays which include presentations on careers and training available at UKSA.

You might also benefit from our free download booklet "Guide to careers in yachting" written by Jenifer Errico

You can also speak to the UKSA careers and training advisory team on 01983 203034

Working on Motor Yachts

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:56:00 +0000

Working on Motor Yachts

Some professional yacht crew will always gravitate towards sailing craft, but for many people there's nothing to match the power and status associated with large motor yachts. Yachting journalist Rupert Holmes looks at the career opportunities available on these exclusive craft.

Large motor yachts have a presence that far exceeds the power and status of any supercar and never fail to evoke a sense of intrigue. Yet as crew you immediately become part of a small inner circle of billionaires, celebrities and their guests. And for petrolheads nothing can match the sheer size and power of these craft – their multiple engines each have power outputs measured in thousands of horsepower and the largest have cylinders big enough to climb inside!

It’s a surprise to many that well qualified, reliable and hard-working crew are hard to find, even though rates of pay are generally excellent. Positions are universally all-found, so day-to-day living expenses are minimal and most crew are able to save a substantial proportion of their salaries.

Apart from the lack of rig and sails to look after, what are the biggest differences between working on sail and power yachts? ‘The clearest distinction ... is the money that you can earn – motor pays more than sail,' says Jen Errico, a former superyacht chef and author of Working on Yachts and Superyachts

‘Another benefit is that crew on motor yachts tend to have better accommodation’, Errico adds. ‘As sailboats have less interior volume for a given length the crew quarters can be very restricted.’ To make matters worse, crew are often asked to stow gear or supplies in this precious and limited space, in order to maximise space for guests.

There are also many similarities between the two disciplines, and motor yacht crews must provide the same superlative standards of service, client care and maintenance of the boat as those working on sailing yachts. In fact, motor yacht owners and their guests are often even more exacting on their expectations than their counterparts on sailing vessels.

As with the sailing side of the industry, motor yachts come in all shapes and sizes. Roger Guy is captain of ‘Bel-Ami’, a 25m classic built in 1963 and based in San Remo, Italy. It's his first motor yacht command following a career running 60-80ft sailing yachts with his wife Lisa.

‘Day to day it’s not a lot different from sailboats, given the amount of time we have actually spent sailing in the past, deliveries apart,’ he says. ‘And there’s no rig to wash, sails to flake or winches to service; oh and the boat stays level most of the time. As far as skills and attributes are concerned at this size it’s just the same as a sailboat – hard work, attention to detail, communication, practical skills and cleaning! Other than that, parking is a bit different with two engines and there is a bigger engine room to keep clean.'

Although the rewards are good, crew of all disciplines must be prepared to work hard. In addition to attending to every whim of guests, keeping a big yacht in gleaming concourse condition in a hostile environment of sun and saltwater requires daily hard graft.

Harnessing the beast

Taming the huge power of some of these boats, which may have multiple engines each of several thousand horsepower, is a vital skill for captains and mates of motor yachts of all sizes. In particular, parking skills are important, and also present the opportunity to show off your prowess in front of others – like supercars, big motor yachts always attract lots of attention.

Most newcomers to the industry start as deckhands, even if they later climb to one of the highest positions available, with a six-figure salary. In this entry role cleaning, polishing brightwork and varnishing take up a large chunk of time, while the ability to work effectively as part of a close-knit team is particularly valued by employers.

'There is perhaps more of a social gap between crew and guests on a motor yacht and the general atmosphere is usually more formal,' says Errico. 'Sail by its very nature demands that crew are on deck ...[so you] end up mixing more with guests, whereas on a motor yacht there is far more opportunity to make yourself scarce.' But this is not universally the case – and at least one UKSA graduate has stories to tell of playing poker with bikini-clad A-list celebrities.

Available roles

Smaller motor yachts of around 60-80ft are frequently run by a couple, while bigger vessels will also have deckhands, a larger number of interior staff, and dedicated engineers. The largest vessels have several dozen crew, including captain, deck and engineering officers, deckhands, (or dual deckhand/engineer roles), chef and other interior crew, including cooks and steward/ess. Pay starts at around US$1,200-1,500 per month for new deckhands, rising to well over US$10,000 monthly for captains, chief engineers and chefs on the largest superyachts.

Many employers are impressed by well-qualified candidates who can offer skills they have learnt through previous employment in other areas, or activities outside work. Most yachts have a good range of toys for guests to use, so qualifications in watersports (RIB driving and diving are always useful), can help those new to the industry secure some of the most desirable jobs. Equally, bar tending, cocktail waiting or even ice sculpting can all get you an advantage.

First steps into the industry

All crew on vessels over 80ft (24m) must have completed STCW95 basic training. These five days of training primarily cover safety onboard and dealing with emergency situations. A few years ago it was possible for people with no other qualifications to head to a superyachting centre such as Antibes and cast around for a job, despite having never before set foot on a yacht. While there are still a large number of jobs available on large motor yachts, captains are now able to select crew with better qualifications.

The industry has a clearly defined career structure that's tightly controlled by legislation. This means that, in addition to helping secure a first job, training is essential to move up the career ladder into more responsible and better-paid positions.

UKSA's Commercial Motor Yacht Training programme takes you up to RYA/MCA Coastal Skipper Power with all the qualifications leading to commercial endorsement. With existing mileage, you also have the option to upgrade your qualification to the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Power Certificate of Competence. Most students on this course are late 20s to mid 40s, although other ages are also successful, and afterwards typically go on to work in a variety of positions on medium to large motor yachts.

Those with MCA (the UK's Maritime and Coastguard Agency) Deck Officer qualifications can expect to make rapid career progression to senior roles within a few years of completing their initial training. UKSA's three-year Cadetship is a structured and supported training programme leading to senior MCA qualifications and includes substantial periods of paid work experience on large yachts.

Other UKSA training relevant to working on motor yachts includes the 6 week Crew Training, 4 week Essential Marine Hospitality, and 11-week Professional Yacht Engineer programmes.

For more information on careers and training call 01983 203038

or check these pages out:-

Working on Superyachts article
Foundation Degrees article
Careers in Marine Hospitality article
Work as a Yacht Engineer article

Relevant UKSA programmes

Commercial Motor Yacht Training
Cadetship
Professional Yacht Engineer
Crew Training
Essential Marine Hospitality

Working as a delivery skipper

noreply@blogger.com (Ciaran) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 12:19:00 +0000

Working as a delivery skipper

Most skippers spend at least a part of their career working on deliveries, while for others it’s the bread and butter of their living. Freelance yachting journalist Rupert Holmes looks at how to break into this part of the yachting industry.

Yacht deliveries offer an opportunity to work in a somewhat different side to the industry to the client facing roles of charter skippers and superyacht crew. In particular, delivery skippers tend to spend a lot more time at sea and on passage than those working on private yachts and charter vessels. They need to become experts at getting the best from a small crew and at making the most of challenging weather situations.

‘Our skippers need a different skill set and attitude of mind to those running a private or charter yacht,’ says Nick Irving, a director of Reliance Yacht Management, one of the largest companies in the business. ‘The object is to get boat from A to B in the best possible condition - after a 4,000 mile trans-Atlantic passage the boat should still look brand new.’

Preparation of the boat is a crucial skill for delivery skippers. Crews working for another big company in the industry, spend at least 24 hours checking all the boat's systems and in general preparation, even for short passages. With all new boats all vulnerable areas of joinery and so on are routinely taped up and protected with foam, while protective covers are put over the upholstery to ensure that vessels arrive in as-new condition at the end of the every voyage. Even when delivering a large and luxurious yacht, in order to preserve the condition of the rest of the interior, the chances are you will only use one cabin and one head.

Qualifications and experience needed

Delivery work tends to go to those with considerable experience, but by volunteering to crew on a few deliveries newly-qualified yachtmasters can get a foothold in this part of the industry, while also gaining mileage and valuable experience at minimal cost. In terms of learning, when working for delivery skippers you are working for some of the best skippers around – they get results even when working with only a skeleton crew. ‘It’s a very cheap way of putting what you’ve learnt at UKSA into practice with a very experienced captain and have a good time,’ says Irving.

Reliance recruits all its skippers after they have crewed for existing captains and have been directly recommended. ‘This works well for both parties,’ says Irving, ‘as it gives us an opportunity to assess new people, but also they may decide that deliveries are not for them.’

‘Ingenuity and patience are the two qualities delivery skippers need most,’ says Spike Dawson, a UKSA graduate who has worked as a delivery skipper for the past three years. ‘Lots of things can go wrong on deliveries,’ he adds. ‘You’re getting onto a strange boat, and although the owner may say it’s fine, you need to spend time checking it over and getting the problems you find sorted. Safety kit can be an issue - a lot of owners don’t have life rafts – but you must not expose yourself or your crew to unnecessary risk.

New skippers need to select the jobs they accept carefully - it’s important to know your own skill levels and don’t be tempted to overstretch yourself,’ he advises. ‘This just means being sensible and not taking chances with yourself or your crew, especially in heavy weather, when you risk damage to the boat as well. There’s pressure on you, especially in bad weather, when you’re sat in port with a deadline to meet. But there are times you need to tell an owner you can’t meet the deadline.’ Most are understanding, as they don’t want their boat beaten up in bad weather.

Above all, don’t take a boat out if you don’t think it’s seaworthy – walk away from it. Both the boat and the crew are your responsibility and if something was to go wrong after you went out knowing the boat wasn’t really safe you’d have that on your conscience.

People skills

A common misconception is that yacht deliveries are perhaps the one area of the yachting industry in which people skills are not of paramount importance, but that is most certainly not the case. Although the role is frequently not client facing it’s important for skippers to understand their client’s objectives and keep them up to date with progress and any problems encountered during the voyage. In addition, on a long passage top-rate people skills are needed to mould the group of strangers that form the crew into a cohesive and mutually supportive team.

'People and management skills are vital to the success of a delivery,’ says Irving. ‘Skippers have to deal with crew that have varying degrees of skill and knowledge and must create a good positive environment so people who have never met can live for weeks on end in a confined space.’

‘You’ve got to work to the strengths of your crew - that’s part of a skipper’s job, adds Dawson. ‘You want the crew to be happy, even though they will be working hard, without being paid for their efforts.’

‘It’s important for delivery skippers to be quite rounded in their knowledge, including seamanship, engineering and people skills,’ says Dawson. Deliveries often take place at a time of year that is not ideal for the proposed voyage, so skippers need to have a good understanding of weather systems (so they can identify weather windows and periods of heightened danger) and of boat handling in strong winds, both at sea and in harbour.

‘You’ve got to go unless the weather’s really bad,’ says Dawson, ‘and you need to maintain a good average speed. Depending on the boat, you set a speed target, and if your speed under sail falls below that, then the engine goes on – in fact on some trips it’s never turned off.’

Conditions of work

Yacht delivery work is freelance, so it’s ideal for those who gain satisfaction from doing a job well, but prefer not to be micro managed. As you’re free to work when you want, and for who you want, it’s a great filler that can work around other jobs and most skippers do some delivery work at various points in their careers.

Many people think delivery work is quite glamorous,’ says Dawson. ‘You fly somewhere sunny to pick a boat up, others imagine that when you get on a boat everything will be hunky dory and you’ll have a nice sail in the sun. But it’s hard work, you can be doing hours on and four off for a week or more, which is tiring, especially if there’s no autopilot and you’re on the helm for the whole watch.’

Often jobs are paid by the mile – which can result in a great rate for wonderful sailing in strong favourable winds. However, inclement weather and strong headwinds can make for an unpleasant passage for which you earn a fraction of the daily rate earned in good weather. ‘The pay depends on the job - sometimes it’s good money, but other times it’s not,’ says Dawson.

‘Don’t think you’ll make lots of money,’ adds Irving. ‘It’s a hard discipline – you’ll sail a lot more than on a superyacht, but the rates of pay are much lower. Skippers need to work within a very tight budget and those with more experience manage their budgets better, so they can take a lot more money home than those who are relatively new to deliveries.’

For training suitable for launching a career in yacht delivery visit our Commercial Yachtmaster or Ocean Graduate course pages, or call our training advisers on +44 (0) 1983 203038

Yachting careers in engineering

noreply@blogger.com (Ciaran) — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 12:48:00 +0000

Yachting careers in engineering

The complexity of modern yachts is such that a skilled engineer is vital to keep the many on-board systems operating reliably. Yet the shortage of qualified staff in this discipline is more acute than any other in the industry. As a result opportunities for progression are first-class and salaries are good, with senior positions often paid more than captains.

The world’s ever-expanding fleet of superyachts provides a wide range of work opportunities for engineers. In addition, bareboat charter fleets recruit a large number of engineers to keep their yachts in top condition, which proves to be a good starting point in the industry for many. Tui Marine, owner of Sunsail and The Moorings, for instance, employs base engineers in more than 60 locations around the globe to look after the company’s 1,200 yachts.

There are two key elements to an engineer’s role – routine maintenance/servicing and repairing broken equipment or systems. There’s a multitude of things on a boat that can break, many of them items that even the most experienced of engineers haven’t fixed in the past. Engineering therefore suits methodical people who relish the challenge of tackling problems that do not have an established solution. As with other roles within the industry it’s important to approach the work with a committed and totally professional attitude, and be prepared for periods of very intense and hard work.

Jen Errico, author of Working on Yachts and Superyachts, gives a flavour of the scope of the engineer’s role: ‘An engineer’s job is certainly not restricted to engines. He will find himself being required to fix the water maker, the fridge, the dishwasher or the tumble dryer... the stewardesses’ hair dryers and much more.’

Highlighting the reliance that’s placed on a yacht’s systems she adds: ‘...it can be a very real crisis if the refrigeration units stop working at their maximum efficiency… their contents can be worth tens of thousands of pounds, so loosing refrigeration can be a disaster.’

‘When faced with a problem they’ve not met before, a willingness to get involved and investigate is the most important thing for our engineers,’ says, Christine Lewis, manager of a Tui Marine charter base responsible for a fleet of 50 yachts. ‘Many problems are the same ones that keep recurring, but engineers also need to be able to have a go at solving problems they haven’t previously encountered.’
Although engineers may spend a lot of time on their own in the engine room, or wrestling with equipment in the bilge, they must also be prepared to lend a hand with anything else that needs doing on board. These activities can be as wide-ranging as serving drinks, ferrying guests ashore in the tender and standing an anchor watch.

Qualification structures

No specific qualifications are needed to work as an engineer on yachts of less than 24m, but those who’ve completed a comprehensive training programme have vastly greater employment prospects.

For work on yachts of over 24m there’s a structured system of mandatory Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) qualifications. After STCW95 basic training, the first of these requirements is the four-day Approved Engine Course (AEC). This qualifies you to work as chief engineer on yachts over 24m, but under 200gt, operating within 60 miles of a safe haven.

After 24-36 months’ sea time on a yacht over 15m and a period of further training, engineers are eligible for the MCA’s Marine Engine Operators License (MEOL). This qualification enables you to work worldwide as chief engineer on superyachts of up to 200gt, or as second engineer on a yacht of up to 1000gt. Beyond this, MCA engineering officer qualifications, the first of which can be gained with as little as 12 months additional experience, are the qualifications needed for more senior roles on larger superyachts.

Getting started in the industry

There’s a limit to what can be covered in a course as short as the AEC, so those entering the industry inevitably need knowledge beyond the scope of the course. ‘AEC is a fantastic starting block,’ says UKSA’s Ciaran Rogers, ‘but in four days it’s impossible to cover all the skills you need to be a fully-fledged engineer. Employers therefore look for more experience and a wider skill set, even from new recruits to the industry.

‘That’s why we created the 11-week Professional Yacht Engineer programme. This covers all the training needed to reach MEOL, including the MCA Engineering Workshops Skills Test, leaving the minimum of training and preparation for the oral exam once you have the qualifying sea time.’ The programme also includes RYA Day Skipper (Power) and Powerboat Level 2 qualifications, as well as STCW95 basic training.

uch of the shore-based part of the course takes place in UKSA’s state-of-the-art engineering workshop. This is equipped with three-phase generators, Catapillar engines, watermaker systems, and two and four stroke outboard testing facilities, giving a realistic introduction to the systems typically on large yachts. In addition the UKSA's TRANSAS engineering simulator and big-scale electrical fault-finding boards are invaluable for learning diagnostic procedures. See here for a detailed list of the syllabus and qualifications.

Graduates of the programme therefore have a wide range of skills that are immediately useful to employers. This both helps with gaining your first job in the industry and accelerates progression to more senior and better-paid roles.

Career progression

As an example of what you could do after a year in the industry, Fort Lauderdale and Antibes based crew agent Luxury Yacht Group suggests those with an AEC, an interest in learning about engineering systems and the willingness to help in any area could work as junior engineer on a yacht upwards of 160ft, earning US$3000-5000 per month. Alternatively, at this stage of your career you could look for a position as combined engineer/deck hand on a boat of 80-160ft, earning US$3000-4000 per month.
With two or more years of experience post-MEOL, a strong cv, and excellent references you could be looking at being second engineer on a superyacht of up to 1000gt, earning in excess of $US5000-6000 per month.

As with other staff in the industry, engineering positions are normally all found, with accommodation, uniform and food provided, so your salary does not need to cover basic day-to-day expenses. In addition tips can be substantial, and are shared equally among the crew, so even if your role is not predominately client facing these can significantly boost basic pay.

For further information regarding Marine Engineering training at UKSA click here

Working on Flotilla

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 00:08:00 +0000

Working on Flotilla

A report by yachting journalist Rupert Holmes

Flotillas are a vital part of the bareboat charter business – they are intensely sociable holidays that have introduced thousands of people to sailing in warm waters over the past 30 years.

Flotillas are groups of 4-12 yachts that sail in company for a 7 or 14-day holiday, under the guidance of a lead crew of skipper, host(ess) and engineer who live on one of the boats. Initially the idea was aimed at charterers with limited sailing experience, but the social aspect of flotillas quickly became recognised as an important element and many people now book for the camaraderie they encounter, and the friendships they forge, during their holiday.

With a more experienced client base there’s now considerable scope for boats to head off on their own for free sailing, before rejoining the fleet at a later stage. Another development is that over the years boats have become larger – at one time flotilla yachts were often relatively small vessels, but a significant proportion of clients now book boats of around 40ft.

The basic concept however remains unchanged. Flotilla skippers act as a local guide, giving clients an informal (although often comprehensive) daily briefing, as well as helping them leave their berths each morning and moor without hassle, or loss of dignity, each evening. In addition the lead crew is there to organise evening entertainment and smooth out any problems that may occur, whether fouled anchors, problems with the boat, or medical emergencies.

The industry started in the Eastern Med in the 1970s and is still predominately based in Greece, Turkey and Croatia, although a few flotillas also operate in other parts of the world, most notably the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. Dozens of companies run a huge number of flotillas between them. Two of the largest are Sunsail, which has 28 flotillas during the 2009 season and Sailing Holidays, which dedicates all its 140 yachts in Greece and Croatia to flotilla sailing.

‘There are many different ways a skipper can approach the job,’ says Christine Lewis, manager of Sunsail’s Sporades base in Greece and herself a former flotilla skipper. ‘There’s a basic formula for a flotilla, and we expect that to be followed, but otherwise skippers can put their own interpretation on it and do their own thing. That’s what makes flotillas different for guests that return in successive years.’

The perfect job?

‘It’s the perfect first job in the industry,’ says UKSA graduate John Connelly, who has spent two seasons as a flotilla skipper in Greece for Seafarer Cruising and Sailing Holidays. ‘You gain lots of experience with clients and boats, sometimes in difficult conditions. There’s also great scope for informal instructing, and it’s loads of fun!

‘The job combines lots of responsibility with the opportunity to be your own boss,’ he continues, ‘…and it’s a good way to strengthen your skill base. You’ve got to be good with people, patient, self motivated and willing to do everything that’s needed, whether it involves tea towels or spanners.’

How does the role of flotilla skipper differ to that of bareboat skippers?

‘Flotilla skippers have a lot more responsibility than bareboat skippers,’ says Lewis. ‘Flotillas can have 8-12 boats – that’s a lot of people to deal with – so good interpersonal skills are vital. You’ve got to be able to deal with people who are not skilled at manoeuvring yachts in a way that doesn’t make them feel inadequate.

‘Skippers have to be totally confident in their own skills,’ she adds. ‘That’s why a flotilla skipper in the Med is usually best off having been a bareboat skipper first – it gives the opportunity to get to grips with Mediterranean mooring in all conditions. The minimum age for flotilla skippers also tends to be a little older than bareboat skippers. People don’t seem to have the respect for a flotilla skipper who’s too young and they need to have a general air of confidence.’

As with working in charter, it’s important to recognise that flotillas can be very hard work. In particular those working one-week flotillas may go for many weeks without a day off. A reasonably high standard of fitness is needed too – you’ll need to climb masts on occasion and there’s quite a lot of diving to unfoul anchors, check for underwater damage and untangle props.

Tolerance of others is perhaps the most vital personality trait for flotilla staff. ‘We occasionally have problems with flotilla staff not being tolerant of each other,’ says Lewis. ‘Although our lead boats are much larger than in the past, you’re still living together in a confined space and working in a pressurised environment. That means you need to be able to put up with other people’s problems and inabilities.’

Flotilla engineers and hosts

However much training they’ve had flotilla engineers will inevitably face new problems from time to time, so a willingness to try, and to ask for advice when necessary is important. ‘Engineers need good communication skills and must communicate effectively with the base,’ says Lewis. ‘If they don’t problems just escalate.’

The core of the job, however, involves dealing with a relatively small number of repetitive problems, including basic plumbing, marine toilets, electrics and simple handyman tasks such as fixing locker doors that fall off. Basic engine maintenance and servicing is important, but there’s little complex engine work now that modern marine engines are generally reliable. In common with other flotilla staff the engineer does plenty of cleaning on changeover days.

A host(ess) needs to be an all-rounder who’s able to help with anything as and when needed. There’s lots of time spent looking after the guests, so it’s important to have good social skills. In addition, on a turnaround day the host is essentially a housekeeper for 8-10 caravans, making sure the safety inventory and standard of cleanliness are correct. If it’s not she’ll have to sort it.

‘We have a crew of cleaners in every turnaround day, but I don’t expect them to get it perfect every time,’ says Lewis. ‘So the full-time staff need to join in so that the sparkle our clients expect is always there. If you’re organised it’s not hard work, it’s just a long day… and hot.’

‘Ideally hostesses should be over 21,’ she says. ‘It’s helpful to have a bit of people experience as you never know what you’ll have to deal with. For instance, if there’s an accident or someone becomes ill you may have to drop everything to make sure the guest gets the right care.’

Pay, benefits and progression

Although on paper wages for flotilla staff don’t appear to be generous, at around £100-140 per week excluding tips, the full picture is rosier. Accommodation is provided on-board the lead boat and the tavernas you visit with the flotilla will cover the costs of evening meals, so day-to-day living expenses are minimal and many people are able to save a considerable percentage of their pay during the season

The bulk of flotilla activity takes place in the Mediterranean, but there are opportunities for work during the winter in the Caribbean and elsewhere on bareboat charter yachts. The technical and people skills you learn working on a flotilla also serve you well for year-round work on larger charter yachts and superyachts

Training for work on Flotilla

Flotilla Skipper - See UKSA Commercial Yachtmaster

Engineer - See UKSA Professional Yacht Engineer

Hostess - See UKSA Marine Hospitality Training

Careers in Yacht Charter

noreply@blogger.com (Ciaran) — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 10:42:00 +0000

Working in yacht charter

A report by yachting journalist Rupert Holmes

The yacht charter industry has continued to grow in previous recessions and a strong demand remains for skippers for boats from around 40ft upwards. It’s a demanding, but rewarding job, that suits people with good people and organisational skills. Large companies such as Sunsail and The Moorings often run smaller boats, while boats above 60ft are usually privately owned, with guests booking through a specialist charter broker.

Couples run many charter yachts, although once the 60-80ft bracket is reached some boats have three crew: a skipper, chef/cook and interior/deckhand. Even so a lot of multitasking is needed, helping colleagues out wherever necessary until all the work is completed.

Charters become considerably more expensive as yachts get larger, and the level of service and care guests expect rises in line with this. On smaller boats clients expect to be looked after really well, but it’s usually a casual situation and for example crew will often have dinner with guests. On medium size yachts, however, the relationship between crew and guests starts to become more formal.

Chartering takes place in many areas world wide, with the Mediterranean and Caribbean, east and west coasts of the USA, and a large range of Pacific rim locations being key destinations. Many companies operate year-round and larger yachts move around the globe to suit the seasons, so there’s plenty of scope to gain year-round employment. Opportunities for work in the UK are mainly based on the south coast, often on adventure charters, classic yachts, or for corporate clients.

For this feature we spoke to two experts in the charter industry. UKSA’s Emma Baggett has worked aboard large yachts and superyachts for more than a decade, while Christine Lewis is manager of a large Mediterranean Sunsail base and provides an insight into working for a one of the big operators.

The charter skipper’s role

The skipper’s role graduates through the various sizes of boat, with more experience and higher levels of technical sailing skills, organisational ability and people skills required to skipper larger vessels. “A charter skipper needs to have good sailing and boat handling skills, but must also be a good people person,” says Baggett, “You’re a hotel manager, making sure people enjoy their time on the boat, and pitch things so that clients get exactly what they want. That means you must very quickly be perceptive about your guests’ needs and be able to meet their expectations.”

With images of glamour abounding at boat shows it’s not surprising that some people come to the industry in search of a life of luxury. However, talking to Christine Lewis of Sunsail’s Sporades charter base in Greece gives a perspective on the reality of the industry on a day-to-day basis.

“The most important thing is for people to be aware that this is very hard work – it’s not a glamorous job,” she says. “There’s lots of hard work and cleaning – cleaning being the key point. Most people we get are not prepared for that part of the job, but a huge part of it is keeping the boats looking good. At times there’s very little sailing involved – people have got to like just being around boats, not necessarily sailing them.

“Skippers must be able to work independently and use initiative to solve problems,” she adds. “A willingness to try, and not just give up the minute something doesn’t go right is vital – skippers are there to take responsibility for everything that needs doing on the boat. They also need to be very tolerant of others, including those with less sailing ability than themselves. In addition, bareboat skippers have to be able to live on a boat with guests; fortunately those who’ve done courses like UKSA’s training already tend to be good at that.”

Although boat handling is a big part of the job, Lewis says she rarely experiences a problem in this respect: “Most people have learnt boat handling to an adequate standard when training, and we can easily cover Mediterranean mooring when they arrive.”

Delivering a high level of service requires a professional attitude to all aspects of the job and skippers must be equipped for all eventualities. “Even in the Med that means foul-weather gear,” says Lewis. “There can be bad weather mid season, and if you’re here out of season you’ll certainly need it. Also unbelievably this year no one arrived with leather deck shoes – they all had to get them posted from the UK. People must understand that all our jobs, including engineers, have customer-facing aspects – so it’s important to look smart in uniform.”

Working in charter as a couple

Most owners of medium size (up to around 70-80ft) charter yachts specifically look for couples to operate them. This has the potential to offer a fantastic lifestyle, but it’s vital to approach doing so in a realistic manner and you’ve got to be able to get on well when working together 24/7 in a pressurized environment. “Many people plan to share the tasks onboard,” says Baggett, “but one person has to be skipper and another do the cooking, so it rarely works out like that. You’ve both got to be committed to your respective roles and be passionate about them – working as a couple in charter won’t work if it’s just one person’s dream.”

Rewards of the job

The demands of a charter skipper’s job are balanced by some fantastic rewards. One of the most obvious of these is that you can work in some of the world’s most outstanding locations. In addition, Baggett says: “…it’s a very hands-on job – if people have chartered a yacht it’s because they want to go sailing, so you’ll do lots of it. There’s also a huge amount of variety, which can be very refreshing.”

“Skippers join in with other people’s holidays – what could be better than that?” says Lewis. “Here our bareboat skippers are kept fairly busy during July, August and September. At other times there’s always plenty of other work to do – if they’re willing to learn that’s a really good time for them.”

Pay and conditions vary with the size of boat or the company you work for, but in all cases you’ll be provided with a uniform, food and accommodation, so earnings are free for discretionary spending. The further you go up in boat size, or if you work for one of the big operators, you’re more likely to have better terms and conditions, including holiday pay and medical insurance, and skippers of large yachts can earn several thousand dollars a month, with commensurate benefits. In most cases earnings are also supplemented by tips, which can be substantial – on large yachts guests are contracted to give crew a tip of at least 10 per cent of the charter fee, which is shared equally among the crew.

Opportunities for progression

Working in charter is a great way to build experience and hone both technical and people skills, making it an excellent springboard for other jobs in the industry, including working on superyachts. “If you’re looking for a career working on larger boats, it’s good to start as mate of a medium size yacht, or as skipper of a smaller vessel,” says Baggett. “Skippers of larger yachts and superyachts, need to have worked their time, maybe both as a skipper on smaller boats and as a deckhand or mate on larger yachts.

“Age isn’t really an issue,” she adds, “…fitness and relevant life skills are more important. We’ve had candidates from UKSA in their early 50s that we’ve placed both with The Moorings and on 60-80ft yachts.”

“Bareboat skippers can progress to become flotilla skippers, or move to private boats and up the size ranges,” says Lewis. “The two bareboat skippers we had here this season were very young – just 19 and straight from training courses. They were also the best we’ve ever had, because they were willing to learn, and were happy to try engineering jobs. They arrived not being able to do very much in that respect, but went home being able to take masts up and down [without a crane], strip toilets, and confidently undertake basic engine work.”

“In recent years there have been more people coming off training courses and looking for their first job,” Lewis adds. “Sunsail is good for the first step, which makes it easier for us to recruit skippers than in the past, but it’s still not easy to get the right people and engineers in particular are hard to find.”

To find out more about UKSA training for the charter yacht industry look at

Request UKSA Training Prospectus
Get trained for career in charter
Train as an engineer
Train in Marine Hospitality

Click play below to hear interview with Emma Baggett

Careers in marine hospitality

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 13:47:00 +0000

Yacht Steward / Stewardess?

A Closer Look at Careers in Marine Hospitality

by freelance yachting journalist Rupert Holmes

The world’s luxury yachts offer excellent career prospects for people who can provide outstanding levels of service to discerning clients.

The ongoing expansion of the superyacht industry has created a strong demand for interior staff – especially stewards and stewardesses – on the world’s rapidly growing fleet of megayachts. Although service industry jobs, particularly in the catering sector, are often seen as low paid and with poor prospects, this is not the case for such crew on superyachts.

Growth in the sector continues, with the British Marine Federation reporting in late September 2008 that superyacht sector in the UK grew by almost 15 per cent in the previous year. Companies remain upbeat about the future with 92 per cent of businesses reporting their prospects as excellent or good.

The federation’s International Commercial Manager Tom Chant, says: "Despite the challenging economic climate felt in 2008, the UK superyacht industry is showing a great level of resilience and indeed success. It is particularly encouraging to see such an optimistic outlook for the year ahead.”

What are the key qualities employers seek from interior staff? “Professionalism in everything you do is vital,” says Jen Errico, author of the book Working on Yachts and Superyachts and website www.yachtingcrews.com. To deliver a top standard of service, even in testing situations she says, “…you need to be able to second guess a guest’s needs, as well as having the organisation and leadership skills – you also need to be someone who can think on their feet and keep their wits about them. The right attitude is important as well – not servile, but not arrogant – and with both patience and a sense of humour.” As the job frequently involves dealing with high-profile individuals, discretion is also a valued attribute.

Working on superyachts

“Employers are very open about what constitutes useful previous experience, providing you can show what you’ve gained from it,” says Emma Baggett, who worked on superyachts of all descriptions for more than a decade before joining UKSA, where her role includes overseeing the Essential Marine Hospitality programme. As an example she cites someone spending a summer running an ice cream van after their A-levels as being able to demonstrate a strong work ethic, experience of a customer-facing role and the knowledge and ability to keep a workspace clean to a very high standard. Anyone with a strong hospitality background or customer facing roles would obviously be in demand.

“They’re looking for motivated focussed people who’ve succeeded in what they’re doing,” she adds. “Drive and determination are essential and you have to be able to take the rough with the smooth, and accept that there can be some hard periods, but in between there will be some really good times.”

Work patterns will vary, depending on whether the yacht is in port, or whether there are guests on board. In harbour you’ll normally work a five-day week, but when guests are around everyone needs to work until all tasks are finished, which can involve long hours, possibly for several weeks at a time. However, this would normally be balanced by time off in lieu during quieter periods, often in stunning locations around the world. This isn't a job for the faint hearted, with very high expectations from your employers and sustained periods of high activity without any break during busy seasonal periods.

What are the key motivating factors, apart from the pay and conditions? “Travel and the opportunity to meet and mix with high fliers and celebrities are obvious benefits,” says Errico. “More important, though, is the satisfaction that when you’re doing your job well you’re making someone’s holiday a success. It’s incredibly rewarding when that’s down to your own hard work.”

Inevitably, with such high-profile client-facing roles in a glamorous industry, it’s attractive, well presented, confident and articulate people between 19 and 35 that are sought after by employers – others can struggle to gain their first employment, even with a good CV.

As with other employment in the superyacht sector, pay is generous, particularly as positions are normally all-found, including food, accommodation (albeit in relatively cramped crew quarters on board), uniform and up to two return flights every year.

According to Antibes and Fort Lauderdale based crew agency, Luxury Yacht Group, a steward/ess will start on around US$ 2,500 per month, rising to around US$ 4,500 for experienced second steward/ess with around three years’ experience (usually tax free).

After another two-three years you can be looking to become chief steward/ess, earning US$3-5,000 per month on vessels of 100-140ft and US$4-7,000 on yachts above 140ft. The largest yachts also employ a purser to undertake many of the administrative, accounting and management duties that are performed by the chief stewardess or captain of smaller vessels.

Equally, cooks and chefs are also sought after, especially those who can show a consistent work record. Monthly salaries start at around US$ 3,000 per month for a cook/deckhand on a relatively small superyacht though to US$ 10,000 or more for an experienced and well-qualified head chef.

Essential training

“Captains are looking for crew with longevity, and that means people who know what’s expected of them,” says Baggett. This means that training beyond the mandatory STCW95 safety qualification is strongly recommended.

UKSA’s Essential Marine Hospitality course is a very intense four-week programme with a broad and comprehensive syllabus for those looking to work as a steward/ess or cook in the luxury yacht sector.

It covers many different types of service, including yacht steward style, silver and butler-style. On the cooking side it will give even those with little or no cooking experience the confidence to start understanding food to a level that allows them to answers guests’ questions. Those who are already good cooks will be able to prepare meals to the high standards expected by charter guests, despite the problems of provisioning a yacht in remote locations. Bar tending and wine appreciation modules include product knowledge of wines, ports and cigars. The programme also includes STCW95, RYA Competent Crew, and Powerboat Level 2 qualifications.

“By the end graduates will have a very good CV targeted at superyachts,” says Baggett. “They’ll know what to wear to create the right impression, what to say in the interview , so they’ll be able to demonstrate to captains that they can fit in from day one. We can’t produce enough people and the demand is such that the right people will find work within two months of finishing their training.”

Request UKSA Training Prospectus
Contact UKSA
View Marine Hospitality Training podcast

Podcasts

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 10:27:00 +0000

Podcasts

Our Yachting Podcasts covers topics and issues of interest to recreational watersports users introducing you to experts from UKSA and outside organisations we work with. Our aim is to provide interesting and stimulating content of interest to beginners and experts.

Yachting podcasts

Episode 6: Interview With Quadriplegic Sailor Geoff Holt

Interviews with quadriplegic sailor Geoff Holt, yachting author John Blake on his book Historical Charts of the British Isles and the continuing series on environmental issues with Sarah Black from The Green Blue.

Episode 5: Weather Forecasting For Sailors

Our First Pod-Ucast. UKSA's Simon Rowel walks Ciaran through the basics and fundamentals around how weather comes about and how you can forecast the weather yourself on a local basis.Our First Pod-Ucast. UKSA's Simon Rowel walks Ciaran through the basics and fundamentals around how weather comes about, and how you can forecast the weather yourself on a local basis.

Episode 4: Working In Charter Special

We couldn't wait a whole month to bring you this, it was just too good not to share. In this special edition, we talk with Emma Baggett, who has ten years experience working in the yachting and charter industry. Emma Spills the beans on what its like to work in the industry, What employers expect, and how they reward.

Episode 3: The Safety Edition

Its a bit of a safety at sea focus in this issue. We talk with the RNLI about life jacket safety, and we have an interview with "Left for Dead" Author Nick Ward on his experiences in the 1979 Fastnet Race. And we round up with a talk with Sarah Black from the Green Blue discussing wildlife at sea and how we can help.

Episode 2: Dee Caffari Speaks On Her Next Global Challenge

Includes interviews with Reeds Almanac, British yachtswoman Dee Caffari on her Vendee globe campaign, +Green Blue on environmental issues at sea.

Careers in superyachting

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 15:58:00 +0000

Careers in superyachting

Superyachting: your route to a lucrative and rewarding career

A report by Rupert Holmes, yachting journalist.

The super-yachting industry is one of the fastest growing in terms of employment opportunities for enthusiastic, focused and motivated people from all walks of life. Yachting journalist Rupert Holmes looks at how to get started in a career in this dynamic sector.

Staggering growth in the number of superyachts worldwide has created an ongoing recruitment crisis in the yachting industry. Unbelievably, the world’s richest people can’t find enough people to crew their luxury yachts. Main-stream media has picked up on this recently, including the BBC: “Despite the obvious perks, there is a global shortage of the deckhands, engineers, silver-service stewards and gourmet chefs needed to run the world's 4,000-strong fleet of super-yachts,” reported the corporation’s Kate Hunt, adding: “Demand for the ultimate status symbol is at an all-time high …but the vessels' captains and owners are struggling to find the crew they need.”

These difficulties are perhaps not surprising given the rapid rise of the size of the global fleet of superyachts. More than 900 new vessels of over 24m (80ft) are in build, or scheduled for construction, according to Showboats International 2008 Global Order Book. That’s an 18 percent increase on the total of 777 yachts last year, and nearly four times the orders a decade earlier.

Impressive as this growth is, it only tells part of the story – the size of yachts is increasing at an equally amazing rate. “One of the biggest revelations this year,” the authors state, “is the large jump in orders in the 61-76m (200-249ft) segment. Our results show 47 projects in this size range, a 67.9 percent increase over the 28 yachts we reported in 2007.”

The industry’s recruiting problems are certainly not the result of a lack of benefits and rewards for appropriately qualified crew members. Remuneration and rewards for crew are generous, and living expenses are all-found, including accommodation on board, food, clothing, and travel, with up to two flights home a year, so day-to-day expenditure can be minimal.

According to leading crew agency, Fort Lauderdale, Florida based Luxury Yacht Group, deck hands (the role in which most crew enter the industry) earn $2,000-3,800 per month. Interior staff are equally in demand, with a steward/ess starting on $2,500 per month, rising to around $4,500 for experienced second steward/ess with around three years’ experience.

There’s a particularly acute shortage of engineers, so salaries are high – junior engineers on a large yacht can start on $3,000 per month, rising to $5,000 or more for those with 1-3 years’ experience.

Although working as a deck hand is a short-term job for some, perhaps during a gap year, the superyacht industry offers excellent long-term career prospects. Crew are often well qualified academically, many having degrees. An Officer of the Watch with five year’s experience in the industry can expect to make $5–7,000 on a 150-250ft yacht. Captains earn $4-8,000 per month on relatively small yachts of 60-100ft, while those in charge of 160-250ft vessels can double that figure.

Surely there must be a catch?

Not at all, but it’s not the kind of work that appeals to everyone. “It’s important that people thinking of a career in the industry have an appreciation of what both the work, and the life on board is actually like,” says UKSA’s Emma Baggett. Having worked in the industry for two decades, including 12 years in a variety of roles aboard superyachts, classic yachts and tall ships, she fully understands the rigors of life on board, as well as the qualities captains look for in prospective crew.
“It’s easy to see the glamorous aspects of the life, but the reality is that there are times when it’s really hard work, with long hours and no personal space. You live with maybe 10 strangers in very small cabins, and the captain inspects your cabin every morning, so there’s no escape.”

When the boat’s in port most crew will work a five-day week, but once guests are on board that goes out the window – you work until the work is finished, even if that means long hours seven days a week. “You must be prepared for the intensity of the work – with guests on board. It’s full-on. Someone who has worked in a top hotel, or as a PA in a big company, will probably be up to speed working with these kinds of people. But if you’ve not done so it can come as a big shock.”

With guests on board, the two days off each week you miss gradually accrues, and is added to the four weeks’ paid holiday crew typically receive each year. When charterers are on board crews are paid a 10 per cent bonus, in addition to the substantial tips they receive.

“The ability to earn really serious money is one of the attractions of the work,” says Baggett. “If you want to get on the property ladder it’s a great way to get some serious money in the bank.” In addition, as well as working hard you will also play hard, and as you’re working you’ll visit some amazing places. And when you’re there, you have money in your pocket, so you can spend as freely as the guests.

Is it for me?

Above all, you need to be someone with a lot of energy, enthusiasm, and be a positive thinker. Someone who likes a challenge, doesn’t want a 9-5 lifestyle and who’s looking for something different.

The ideal age bracket for setting out on a career in the industry is 20-35, although it’s also possible for those who are older or younger to break in. “Captains can be nervous about taking an 18-year-old on, but they would certainly consider someone who already has a track record of being involved and engaged with life.” Service industry skills are highly valued in the industry, so if you’ve worked part-time in a bar or restaurant it’s helpful, and any professional or Services background is popular.

Depending on the job you’re looking to get into, there is a cut-off point in terms of getting into the superyacht industry at about age 35. It is possible to get past that if you have the right background, but its much more of a challenge. “Having said that we’ve placed 38 year old firefighters and paramedics as deck hands, because they’ve been able to prove to captains that they have the energy and enthusiasm that’s needed and are happy to work alongside 18-year-olds,” says Baggett. “And once in, you can carry on until you’re 60.”

Superyacht crew training

All superyacht crew must have STCW95 certification – the statutory international safety requirements that comply with the 1995 amendment of the International Maritime Organisation’s Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for seafarers. Taken over a total of five days, this covers Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities, Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting, Personal Survival Techniques and Elementary First Aid, but does not prepare people for a career in the industry in any other way.

Training beyond this level therefore helps to give new crew a huge headstart in the industry, makes it easier to get and perform well in that all-important first job.
UKSA, started training professional crew almost 20 years ago, as a response to difficulties the charity's founder, MFI retail magnate Noel Lister, had recruiting crew for his own superyacht Whirlwind lX. More than 4,000 UKSA graduates now work in all parts of the world, and the organisation has become one of the most influential training establishments in the industry worldwide.
Six key training schemes, ranging from four weeks’ duration to a three-year foundation degree, are tailored to the needs of those wanting to work on superyachts, whether as crew, or working towards senior positions, right up to captain. All cover a great deal of knowledge in addition to the basic requirements of STCW95 certification:

Essential Marine Hospitality – a four-week course including cookery skills, high-class guest care and style of service. Students are introduced to life afloat with an RYA Competent Crew course and are taught to drive RIBs and other small powercraft.

Crew Training – a comprehensive six-week programme aimed primarily at those aged 18-25 who want to secure work as a deckhand. Includes RYA Day Skipper, RIB driving, yacht maintenance and other vital crewing content.

Professional Yacht Engineer – 10 weeks of training as a springboard for a career as an engineer, leading to the MCA’s AEC (Approved Engine Certificate) award, plus training up to the level required for MEOL (Marine Engine Operators License).

Commercial Yachtmaster – 12 weeks of training as a springboard for a career sailing vessels under 24m, for employment opportunities in flotilla, charter, deliveries and instruction.

Motor Yacht Skipper Training – 12 weeks, focused for work on motor yachts. Includes a commercially endorsed RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore (Power) certificate, a high level of marine engineering and yacht maintenance content. Sign off elements of the MCA Officer of the Watch Training Log.

Ocean Graduate – 23 weeks covering full training towards MCA Master 200gt, RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Ocean, AEC engineering, plus motor yacht RYA Day Skipper, Coastal Skipper or Yachtmaster, depending on level of existing motor yacht experience, if any.

Cadetship with Foundation Degree – a three-year programme combining formal study both on shore and at sea with periods of paid work experience in the industry. The ultimate training for those aged 18-25 who are serious about a successful long-term career in the superyacht industry.

If you would like to know more about a career in superyachting, contact UKSA and request their training prospectus, or ask for information about their monthly careers seminars.

More information can be found at the following links:

www.synfo.com – The Yacht Report website

www.yachtcareers.com – UKSA’s Careers service

www.ypicrew.com – Yachting Partners International, a top crew agency in Antibes, France

www.yachtingcrews.com – advice from Jen Errico, author of Working on Yachts and Superyachts (Working on Yachts & Superyachts)

Maritime Degrees - Your passport to a fulfilling career

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 02:05:00 +0000

Yachting Degrees
Your passport to a fulfilling career

A report by Rupert Holmes, yachting journalist.

UKSA’s Foundation Degree is the ultimate training for those aged 18 – 25 looking for top-level careers in the superyacht industry.

Work in superyachting

It’s hard to believe that the super-rich find it hard to recruit suitably qualified staff for their yachts. The superyacht industry is a rapidly-growing sector with employment opportunities expanding at around 10 per cent every year. There’s a real shortage of crew at all levels in the superyacht sector (yachts over 24m / 80ft) in length). The national press recently recognised this, with both the Sunday Telegraph and the Sunday Express reporting the problems faced by owners of such yachts.

The BBC’s Katie Hunt recently reported on the crew crisis in the super-yacht industry, commenting "Despite the obvious perks, there is a global shortage of the deckhands, engineers, silver-service stewards and gourmet chefs needed to run the world's4,000-strong fleet of super-yachts. The industry has grown at 500% a year over the past decade - but the vessels' captains and owners are struggling to find the crew they need."

Well-qualified personnel are particularly sought after – these multi-million pound vessels are complex entities that require a wide range of skills, including knowledge of electronics and engineering, in addition to navigation, meteorology, seamanship and boat handling expertise.

From her vantage point within the industry, Norma Trease, a director of the International Superyacht Society and editor of industry magazine The Crew Report is all too familiar with these issues: “The critical shortage of qualified crew members continues to present serious challenges for yacht owners, captains and industry leaders alike.”

Trease sees UKSA’s initiative in creating the degree programme, which leads to the qualification of FdSc in Operational Yacht Science, as an important step in addressing this problem, and recognises the outstanding opportunities that are be available to its graduates. “By adding the Foundation Degree to the already successful Yachting Cadetship, UKSA has taken a welcome and much needed leadership position to address the global crew shortage issue.”

What are Foundation Degrees?

Foundation Degrees are innovative university-accredited degrees that were introduced to the Higher Education sector in 2001. They are designed and delivered in partnership with employers to equip people with the knowledge and skills needed to work in specific industries. Designed for learning within the workplace, foundation degrees use the full benefits of blended learning, incorporating learning in the work place, classroom teaching, research, and distance learning.

The UKSA’s Patron HRH the Princess Royal launched their Foundation Degree last year. Issued by the University of Plymouth, the programmes academic content is delivered and assessed by Falmouth Marine School. In addition to the degree, students will undertake all the training modules required for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s (MCA) Officer Of the Watch (OOW) qualification.

Vocational training degree

“We developed the Foundation Degree to meet the increasing industry need for professional staff and to provide young people with a clear vocational career path in an exciting, vibrant and rewarding growth industry,” says Jon Ely, UKSA’s Chief Executive. “UKSA has identified the benefits both to employers, and to individuals from all backgrounds, in providing degree-level studies alongside professional qualifications and work experience.”

UKSA Yachting Cadetship

The core of the degree training benefits from UKSA’s experience of delivering its well-regarded Yachting Cadetship. The degree course is delivered in paralell with the Yachting Cadetship. The first phase of the course is 18 weeks study at UKSA, with a combination of classroom-based tuition and training at sea. This is followed by a period of 12-18 months of employment, typically working as a deckhand on a large yacht, which will often be voyaging in exotic locations around the world.

This kind of work is paid around £1000-1600 per month, all found, with no expenses and is often tax free. Having well-paid employment during their studies means it’s possible for students to repay their loans within around 12 months of completing their degrees.

After the first industry period students return to Cowes for 8 weeks of Yachtmaster Ocean training, preparation for the MCA Master 200gt, and yacht operations training. Then follows a second employment period for a further 12-18 months before returning to UKSA for the final phase of training to complete the MCA Officer of the Watch (3000gt) syllabus.

RYA Yachtmaster and Oceanmaster

Within the training at UKSA, students will initially gain the coveted RYA Yachtmaster (Offshore) qualification, with commercial endorsement. At a later stage in the course, after completion of further shorebased training and an ocean passage, they will gain the RYA Yachtmaster (Ocean) endorsement, enabling them to skipper vessels of up to 24m (approx 80ft) on ocean passages anywhere in the world. As the ultimate aim of the programme is the OOW qualification, students are drilled in its requirements from the outset.

Most of the degree’s academic content is delivered through blended learning modules while participants are on their work experience placements. “This will take up to about four hours a week, depending on the individual,” says UKSA degree programme coordinator Simon Rowell. “That means students need only to find the equivalent of two evenings of socialising time a week for studying.”

Jobs in yachting

Josslynne Masters started the Foundation Degree programme in May 2008. The first two weeks were spent shore-based in Cowes with navigation and radio operator training, followed by two weeks at sea on board a modern training yacht.

“It’s not a lot more work, compared to the Yachting Cadetship,” says Josslynne “and if we’re learning the material anyway, it makes sense to make the extra effort to take the exams as well.”

Why did she choose this particular programme? “Having the degree will help with employment in the future – if two people with the same yachting experience and qualifications apply for a job, the one with a degree is more likely to be guaranteed an interview.” Although at this stage she doesn’t envisage working outside the yachting industry, she also recognises that having a degree will help to open up opportunities in other fields at a later date.

In what ways is the UKSA degree programme different to learning at school? “At school we were mostly told facts and asked to write them down. Here when you’re taught something, you can then do it and practice it. If at first it doesn’t work you can work out why and practice some more – it really builds and tests your understanding.”

Josslynne, when asked about her ultimate career ambition, comments - “My main goal is to gain the MCA Master 3000gt qualification, so that I can take charge of a really big yacht.” This is the qualification needed to be captain of a superyacht of up to 3000 gt – that’s roughly the size of a naval frigate! “My aim is to achieve that ambition 10 years after qualifying,” she adds. “The UKSA Foundation Degree is great in that it enables you to work up through the ranks, while getting good qualifications, giving a really solid all-round grounding in the industry.”

Yachting careers advice

UKSA has its own in-house careers service that works solely on behalf of its 4,000 graduates, linking them with appropriate employers. The service assists UKSA graduates, educating them on the yachting industry and their expectations, and prepares them to market themselves at a high level within the yachting industry job market. “We work with many of the biggest recruiters in the industry, as well as with superyacht captains, to match them with suitably qualified and experienced crew,” says UKSA Careers Manager Cally Logsdon. “The reality is, if you have the right service attitude, and have applied yourself well in your studies, there is no shortage of exciting well paid career opportunities in the yachting industry.”

Request UKSA’s training prospectus
Contact UKSA about programme
Find out more about the UKSA Careers Service at www.yachtcareers.com
Find out more about the Academy’s Foundation degree programme Click here

Prospectus form thank you

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:06:00 +0000

Our prospectus'

Thanks for taking the time to contact us. The information you have requested will be sent to you shortly, and we will endeavour to contact you to provide further assistance.

If you have any immediate questions, please contact our course advisors on Tel: +44 (0)1983 203038

We look forward to speaking with you soon.
UKSA Team

Career Articles: UKSA.org

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Getting into Motor Yachting

Getting into Motor Yachting

Your first boat

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Think safe!

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New Career?... Start Here!

New Career?... Start Here!

Hi and welcome to the UKSA Careers articles website

Getting into Yacht Sailing

Getting into Yacht Sailing

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What does it take to succeed in theyachting industry?

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Working on Motor Yachts

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For further information regarding Marine Engineering training at UKSA click here

Working on Flotilla

Working on Flotilla

Flotillas are a vital part of the bareboat charter business – they are intensely sociable holidays that have introduced thousands of people to sailing in warm waters over the past 30 years.

The perfect job?

How does the role of flotilla skipper differ to that of bareboat skippers?

Flotilla engineers and hosts

Pay, benefits and progression

Training for work on Flotilla

Careers in Yacht Charter

Working in yacht charter

The charter skipper’s role

Working in charter as a couple

Rewards of the job

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Careers in marine hospitality

Yacht Steward / Stewardess?

A Closer Look at Careers in Marine Hospitality

The world’s luxury yachts offer excellent career prospects for people who can provide outstanding levels of service to discerning clients.

Working on superyachts

Essential training

Podcasts

Podcasts

Our Yachting Podcasts covers topics and issues of interest to recreational watersports users introducing you to experts from UKSA and outside organisations we work with. Our aim is to provide interesting and stimulating content of interest to beginners and experts.

Yachting podcasts

Episode 6: Interview With Quadriplegic Sailor Geoff Holt

Episode 5: Weather Forecasting For Sailors

Episode 4: Working In Charter Special

Episode 3: The Safety Edition

What does it take to succeed in the
yachting industry?

Yachting Degrees
Your passport to a fulfilling career