Unfortunately, like any industry, yachting has its share of people trying to exploit job seekers. Scammers may try to steal your personal information, request money, or worse. As you embark on your yachting career, it’s essential to stay informed, alert, and, most importantly, safe. Here are Yotspots Top Tips to help you avoid yachting job scams: 1.Meet in Public Places If you’ve agreed to meet a yacht captain , owner, or recruiter, ensure the meeting takes place in a public locat... More
The tech platform and job board Yotspot, which is headquartered in Southampton and has a global reach, provides everything from deckhands to captains. It has seen huge growth in the last year, cementing its place as the market leader in providing crew on the world’s biggest private yachts. Founded in 2010, Steve Crawford and his business partner, Daryl Bradley, have spent the last 13 years helping people find work below deck. Last year Danielle McLaren was appointed managing directo... More
With boats of all sizes taking to the seas, are we seeing more accidents in yachting or is this just an artefact of increased yacht numbers? Let’s take a look at the questions around yachting safety. What factors contribute to high accident rates in yachting? The answer may not be as simple as ‘more boats on the water equals more accidents’. There could be other factors at play that are contributing to higher accident rates. For example, inexperienced boaters may have less knowledge abo... More
Sustainability in the superyacht industry extends beyond hardware and materials. Industry professionals and seafarers alike are taking an active interest in living and maintaining sustainable lifestyles aboard super yachts. Sustainable living is the new buzzword in the world of yachting, and for good reason. With the increasing concern over climate change and the need to reduce our carbon footprint, industry professionals and seafarers alike are growing ever aware of their impact on planet ea... More
It’s no secret that staying safe while navigating the seas can be a perilous endeavor. But what is the yachting industry doing to battle cyber security for yachts? As with any online activities, there are measures that yacht owners and crew must take to ensure their data is secure and their vessels remain protected. Let’s take a look at some of these steps and explore how they help protect yacht owners and crew members alike. It is essential that yacht owners and crew take measures to protect... More
Welcome to the annual Superyacht Survey (2022) brought to you by Yotspot - The leading jobs board in the yachting industry.. and Faststream Recruitment Group . A total of 556 Superyacht Crew took part in this survey. It hasn’t been business as usual in the superyacht industry. In 2020 and the first half of 2021 yachts and crew were heavily impacted by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Many yacht itineraries were put on hold and some Captains and their crew found themselves facing period... More
In the ever changing circumstances following the outbreak of COVID-19, just to let you know, that HRCrew is very much operational, fully functional and working remotely with great resources, such as our database, video interviewing and team connection tools. The first quarter of 2020 was our busiest ever! We’ve made plenty of placements, from Captains to Interior crew, with many further placements in the pipeline. We are still servicing our own fleet yachts, as well as our additional lo... More
If you are a seafarer wishing to buy in the UK why won’t banks consider you for a mortgage? More
A collection of tips, tricks and hacks to help you find solutions to problems, and maybe be a little inspired to try different things too More
The Med season is almost upon us, and the marinas will soon start filling up with boats returning from the Caribbean, or further afield. The end of a season for many is a time of upheaval and change – leaving a current yacht to move to another, or ashore. The beginning of the new season is a time when current and new crew are searching for their next position and the next adventure. Consequently, the docks can be flooded with hopeful crew, and you can quickly be lost in a sea of faces all wan... More
The Maritime Skills Academy is happy to announce it will be running the Approved Engine Course, starting April 2018. More
Global specialists in Maritime recruitment, Faststream, welcome Nic Jones as new Group Marketing Manager to their UK headquarters. Nic will be responsible for shaping the global recruitment group’s marketing strategy, particularly online with the imminent launch of three new job and industry insight websites for candidates and clients alike. Commenting on the new appointment of Nic, CEO Mark Charman said: “Nic brings a wealth of marketing experience and expertise from outside the... More
Thank you to everyone that made it to the Viking Maritime Skills Academy (MSA) stand during The Monaco Yacht Show. It is always a pleasure to meet new and current clients, candidates and crew we speak too regularly and ones that want to meet for the first time. The overall atmosphere of the show was very positive, with a great deal of optimism about the future. It proved to be another fantastic and very busy show. An exciting element of this year’s show was the airing of our new promo... More
The Great Britain Sailing team flew to Sheboygan on the 9th September 2017 to the Blind Sailing World Championships. Over the 5 racing days, the 4 teams came together to win an overall Gold and defended their world title. Here at the MSA and Viking, we have been keeping up to date with the day by day bulletins and couldn’t be prouder of all 4 teams. They truly deserve this after all the hard work and effort they put into training. Chairman Founder, Dieter Jaenicke said, “It has been a... More
Housekeeping on yachts and superyachts is a fantastic role to enter into whether you have lots, little or no experience. We have seen many successful candidates enter this role and work their way up to head of house or simply use the role as an entry position into the industry who have then gone onto becoming a Chief Stewardess for example. If you are looking at entering this career pathway, read on to discover what experience is beneficial and the requirements needed to be successful. ... More
Life as part of yacht crew certainly isn’t like any other so if you’re thinking about a career in the yachting industry, this is the blog post for you. From blissful morning coffees with a view to late night requests dragging you out of bed, yacht jobs certainly have their pros and cons. However all of this will give you an unforgettable experience like no other and is extremely rewarding. To really give insight into what its like to work as yacht crew, especially for anyone thinking about pu... More
On Monday 26 June Curriculum Leaders, Head of Year 12, Career Coordinators and Education Advisers from across the county of Kent attended an Open Day at Viking Recruitment’s Maritime Skills Academy (MSA) in Dover, supported by Kent County Council and the Careers and Enterprise Company. Taking place during Seafarers Awareness Week, the Open Day was an opportunity to showcase training and career opportunities within the Maritime Industry. Year 12 students from the Goodwin Academy in D... More
Whether it’s your first interview or fiftieth, it’s always a good idea turn up well rested and prepared. To help our crew candidates nail their next interview, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 most popular interview questions for working on yachts and superyachts with helpful tips on how to answer them.What about your current position do you dislike? With this question, it’s very important to remain professional but be honest. For example, a good answer would be “ I enjoy the yacht and... More
Last month Nikki travelled to Antibes to check out the awesome facilities at Secrets de Cuisine – a purpose built MCA-approved training centre offering career development and food safety courses to Superyacht Chefs. The centre also acts as a one stop shop for direct distribution of over 50,000 galley equipment items. Secrets de Cuisine is now offering a discount to all wilsonhalligan candidates looking to complete their Ships’ Cook Assessment and food safety courses. Read our latest blog ... More
Is any course enough on its own? Liz Baugh, Medical Training Consultant from Red Square Medical, gives her views... My answer would be probably not. STCW First Aid and Medical Care courses are actually really well designed with all the essential topics covered and provide a good solid foundation, but once you return back on board the skill fade has already begun. After 4 or 5 weeks you feel confident, you can remember that to do Basic Life Support you need to push hard on the c... More
