Hello! I have just started the academy, and just now, after realizing the variety of jobs in maritime industry, i have just started to think long and hard on what type of ship I would like to work on. After reading all sorts of posts here, the topic of yachting seem to appear from time to time. It did raise the interest of mine, so I looked into it a bit closer. I was surprised, that to work on yachts, you do not need academic education, but instead, you need to complete all sorts of courses. So, really my question is, if one would be really serious about making his career in the yachting field, isn’t the time/money/effort that has bean put into the academy, be sort of wasted? In my case, I will be 25 when I graduate academy + I would need at least 1 year to make enough money to pay off my debts. That means, I would be at least 26 (or even older), when I would start to work as a junior deckhand. The type op spot, that is primerely aimed at 20 year olds. Wouldn’t I be better off just starting to collect sea time ASAP, and maybe be a mate on a yacht by the time, I am 26.
I really wish, that someone more wiser and more experienced than me would give me some of his toughs about this dilemma I got. For all the answers, thanks in advance!
[QUOTE=SpadeRunners;168694]Hello! I have just started the academy, and just now, after realizing the variety of jobs in maritime industry, i have just started to think long and hard on what type of ship I would like to work on. After reading all sorts of posts here, the topic of yachting seem to appear from time to time. It did raise the interest of mine, so I looked into it a bit closer. I was surprised, that to work on yachts, you do not need academic education, but instead, you need to complete all sorts of courses. So, really my question is, if one would be really serious about making his career in the yachting field, isn’t the time/money/effort that has bean put into the academy, be sort of wasted? In my case, I will be 25 when I graduate academy + I would need at least 1 year to make enough money to pay off my debts. That means, I would be at least 26 (or even older), when I would start to work as a junior deckhand. The type op spot, that is primerely aimed at 20 year olds. Wouldn’t I be better off just starting to collect sea time ASAP, and maybe be a mate on a yacht by the time, I am 26.
I really wish, that someone more wiser and more experienced than me would give me some of his toughs about this dilemma I got. For all the answers, thanks in advance!
CHEERS![/QUOTE]
If thinking long and hard has led you to the idea that dropping out of school and going to work on a yacht is a good plan you either need to think longer and harder or just stop thinking about it altogether. A degree and an unlimited license is worth far more then you think. If you are in school stay there.
[QUOTE=Kennebec Captain;168698]If thinking long and hard has led you to the idea that dropping out of school and going to work on a yacht is a good plan you either need to think longer and harder or just stop thinking about it altogether. A degree and an unlimited license is worth far more then you think. If you are in school stay there.[/QUOTE]
This is absolutely true. Stay in school, graduate and get your unlimited license.
There are many many academy grads in yachting. They usually start as mates and quickly become captains in yachting. Although the US does not require the vast majority of yacht captains and mates to have any license at all, usually owners and insurance companies do. Academy grads are often preferred. College grads are definitely preferred.
Its also nice to have the option to work and gain experience in different sectors of marine industry.
I’ve been in the commercial side and in yachting. Truth be told I’ve been in yachting now for the last 10 years.
There is some good wisdom mentioned in the previous threads already. Stay in school, get your degree and unlimited license. If I had a chance to start over, I would have gone to an academy and stayed commercial. You can always work on a yacht. Age is only a number. The license and degree won’t get any easier to obtain than right now. Do it.
I have been fortunate enough to work out a schedule with the owner similar to a workboat schedule. It all depends on who you end up working for, their schedule, etc. I have the boat schedule a month in advance. If the boat isn’t moving, I work 7/7, 14/14, etc. When the boss is aboard for a trip, I make sure everything is right and in place. Last trip was 34 days straight. (We have a crew that lives aboard, so it’s another reason this works.) There are some party crews on some yachts, but most are professional crews with good attitudes.
When I go home for a week or so, I’m still on the phone, troubleshooting problems, scheduling things, etc. I’m off, but not truly off. On a workboat, you do your time and go home.
I did training with a yacht guy who was trying to get some STCW courses. While STCW is not required for yachts, many owners want their guys qualified because it lowers their insurance rates. Anyways, he heard about the shipping industry and was interested in jumping ship and coming over to the commercial side, so i guess the grass is always greener on the other side. He said that he basically got the job from a friend of a friend, and that while he had a good working relationship with the captain, if he got fired or if the boat was sold and the crew was changed, he wouldn’t know how to get another yachting job.
That being said, it sounded like a pretty fun lifestyle. The owner only sailed a couple times a year, so most of the job was a 9 to 5 doing maintenance. Crazy parties and cool ports, plus he said the money was good (didn’t divulge actually amount).
I’m not much older than you, but I do have some life experience. I joined the Navy out of high school. A lot of my friend’s dad’s were in the maritime field and told me that I should go to an academy, but I didn’t listen. The Navy was alright, did 5 years, had good times and bad, got out and used my GI Bill to go to an academy. I don’t regret my choices, but I’m 27 and I’m the new third on the boat; the first engineer is 28, he did the academy right out of highschool. So you can drop out of the academy, go yachting, and do it for a few years. The academy will always be there. However, you open a door and another one closes, someday you may find yourself playing catch up with your peers. But hey, life’s a journey, not a race, so do what feels right to you and will allow you to look back at life with no regrets.
I had a second mate (U/L 2M, 1600 ton master) a few years back that sailed captain on a yacht. He had some photos of himself with some very famous people, not to mention some very nice looking young women.
He was a good shipmate, very sharp and did a nice job as second mate, on deck and in the wheelhouse, he had a good appreciation for what it took to keep the show on the road. I gave him an excellent letter of recommendation, when he read it he said “wow, thanks, this is the best letter I’ve ever gotten.” I told him in that case to give it back and I would dial it back a notch but he said it was too late.
[QUOTE=SpadeRunners;168694]I really wish, that someone more wiser and more experienced than me would give me some of his toughs about this dilemma I got. For all the answers, thanks in advance!
CHEERS![/QUOTE]
you’re not fooling anyone here Mr. Berke Deveci…your dirty fingerprints are all over this one. Confess and maybe the Court will be lenient.
Wow. I was quiet surprised by the amount of answers I got in this short time period. Thank you guys, really!
After reading the comments, academy it is! Most of you did think, that leaving academy to enter yachting industry is crazy talk, so it probably is. I did not know, that there are guys, working on yachts with academic education.
I will try to get SCTW this year, so, maybe, I could get a summer job as a junior deckhand for a few months, and than get back to academy for a second year.
[QUOTE=Bayrunner;168695]Good luck if you are an American.
[/QUOTE]
Every thread that I have ever read about someone thinking about working on a yacht, there is comment like this. Must be truth than, but can someone, please, explain to me, that why being American would be a problem finding job in the yachting industry. Actually I am not American tho, but still I am curious.
I really wish, that someone more wiser and more experienced than me would give me some of his toughs about this dilemma I got. [/QUOTE]
The only dilemma you face is self induced. Finish school, get a license and then look for work on one of the rapidly growing number of commercial yachts over 3000 GT that require unlimited licenses. Very few of the current herd of yachties can or will be able to cross the 3000 ton barrier so your real license will be very valuable in that industry.
There is no such thing as a commercial yacht in the US, most of the rest of the world (at least those where commercial yachts - charter yachts that trade internationally - are registered and operated) fly a Red Ensign Group flag and the crews are required to hold at least BST certification and officers must be licensed. Most licensed crew hold what the MCA (British maritime authority) issues as a yacht limited license that has absolutely zero value except on a yacht and is not acceptable for working on one of the new >3000 ton yachts.
Thanks for the recommendation. Just finished watching season 1. All tho a lot of the show seems staged (I mean it is a reality TV after all), one could still get a bit of insight about the work envorement, and for me the job does look awesome. While I am still young, at least.
I know most of that show is bullshit, but I guess people like it if it’s been going on for that long. A friend of mine has an uncle that ran a 100’ sailing yacht for some rich guy. Was paid pretty damn well. Made a career out of it. Just him and his wife and no bullshit. Just have to be in the right place at the right time.
[QUOTE=z-drive;168792]Do we really need 3 threads on this topic at one time?[/QUOTE]
we should not even have one single thread on the topic of yachts here. REAL professional mariners DO NOT go to sea on any yacht…I don’t give a PHLYING PHUCK how big it might be!
I know, I know, but it supports me and my family. I don’t care what or who it is. Joe Boss is Joe Boss. Steel, fiberglass, or wood. I’ve told people in the past, I’ll drive your bathtub if you paid me enough. Just make it float!
I have quite an experience onboard Yachts. What I found apart noticing captain depression for being onboard for too long or having no real mission apart scrubbing and running for the owner, is since they have very little experience, they have no choice but to reinvent the four holes button. When you have to explain why the wheelsman-mate has to repeat wheel-heading orders, there is a long way to go! Real professional mariners would have as much difficulties to adapt to yachts as yachties to adapt to merchant ships. A different world. I was ounce ordered by a pseudo seaman to take off my 400$ Mephisto soft sole shoes upon boarding, even if the decks were entirely covered with cardboard to prevent scratching the wax. I advised them that they should have order a barefoot pilot and if they were not happy with that, I would walk off. They made a temporarily regulation amendment for me…
Must be truth than, but can someone, please, explain to me, that why being American would be a problem finding job in the yachting industry. Actually I am not American tho, but still I am curious.