How Much Does a Deckhand Make on a Yacht? (Private and Charter?) (2023)

FAQs

How Much Does a Deckhand Make on a Yacht? (Private and Charter?)? ›

The chef makes about $7,000-$10,000 a month, depending on experience and training. The deckhands usually make around $3,500-$4,500 a month, while a bosun would make a little more at approximately $5,000 monthly.

Starting out as a junior, a yacht deckhand salary can be anywhere from $3,000 to $3,5000 per month, with very rare cases reporting to earn over $4,000 per month. However, after a few years working as a deckhand you might expect to take home anything from $3,500 to $4,500 per month.

In many cases, yachties also benefit from tips and gratuities. Having said that, getting tipped is more common for those yachties who work on board a charter yacht rather than those who have such a position on a private yacht. If you're a new yachtie, you can expect to make around $2,500 per month.

For instance, a chief stewardess will typically have a salary in the range of $3,000 and $5,250 per month on a smaller yacht (between 80 and 140 feet), while one working on a larger yacht of over 140 feet could have a salary of over $7,000 a month.

But the mega bucks go to the top dogs, Captain Lee and Captain Sandy, who on a 185-foot superyacht make between $150-$210,000 a year.

How much does it cost to charter a yacht from Below Deck? The cheaper yachts from Below Deck can be chartered for $140,000 a week. The most expensive ones have charter costs close to $300,000 per week.

Charter Crew Private yacht owners often want to acknowledge crew financially for exceptional service, but this can be a slippery slope. It's common practice to tip the crew on a yacht. It is advised to tip between 5-15%, depending on how satisfied you are.

Gratuities are discretionary, but it's customary to acknowledge and reward a fine crew in appreciation for long hours and a job well done. Tipping guidelines vary according to the size of the yacht and the yacht charter destination.

There is a lot of positives to being a yacht crew member - you get to travel the world, meet incredible people and make great memories and lifelong friends. You receive a generous compensation and you live onboard so most of your daily expenses are taken care of, making it easy for you to save lots of money.

How many months a year do yachties work? ›

Winter/summer seasons each last around six months and refer to both location and time of the year; summer yacht charter season spans from around April/May through October, while the winter season starts in November and runs through April.

Captain Lee Rosbach has always begrudgingly said that Below Deck guest Timothy Sykes delivered the highest tip ever. Sykes tipped the Below Deck Season 5 crew $35,000, after initially appearing on Below Deck Season 2.

The amount of money the crew gets in tips is not realistic.

“On a yacht of that size, [a good tip] would be $5,000 a person for seven days of work,” she explained. “Our charters are a little bit shorter, just so we can make the show. But everything else is the same… we usually get around $2,500, $2,000.

What is the average age for working on a yacht? The average age of customer that trains with Flying Fish who intends to start a career on a yacht is between 22 and 35 years old. However, if you're under this age do not be put off!

But what is the average age of a yacht crew? Students who train with SYSA with the intention of starting a career aboard superyachts are typically between the ages of 18 and 30, with an increasing number in their late 20s and 30s.

Again, the pay rate depends on the experience of the mate and the size of the boat. Breen says that the typical pay is $150 for day work and $200 for fishing trips. The rule of thumb for a good traveling mate is $1,100 dollars per week, Breen says.

The charter guests you see on the show are genuine charter guests. They pay their own money to secure a space within the six weeks of filming time each season. It can cost tens of thousands of dollars to charter any of the superyachts featured in the series.

Q: Is Below Deck scripted? A: No. The direct answer to this question is a definitive 'no'. Nobody appearing on the show is reciting lines from a script, nor is anything staged in the strictest sense of the word.

Captain Lee demystified the tipping process further on Twitter, sharing that every member of the crew gets an equal cut of the tip, including the captain, as well as the couple of Below Deck crew members who have typically not appeared on camera, such as the first officer and engineer.

How long is a charter season? ›

Typically, there are two yacht charter seasons. That includes the summer season and the winter season. The summer season runs from the beginning of May until the end of October, while the winter one commences in November to April. However, there are a few exceptions to these time zones, depending on where you are.

Guests really do pay for their charter.

"They spend their real money to be on the show," executive producer Mark Cronin told Bravo TV. But since it may not be the most relaxing trip, guests that are featured on the reality show get a 50% discount on their charter.

While there are taxes every yacht owner has to pay, the flipside is that there are some tax deductions that can save yacht owners money on their taxes. The deductions depend on how the yacht is being used.

In general, there are several common ways to pay the tip on a yacht charter: Cash: The most common way to pay the tip is by cash, which is usually handed to the captain in an envelope at the end of the charter. The captain will then distribute the tip among the crew members.

Do I have to tip in cash? Generally, tips are given in cash to the captain but there are other methods of tipping too.

Getting Rid of Poo

Most boats have holding tanks, which can be pumped into an on-shore facility, and some have a Y-shaped valve with the ability to either store waste or directly release the contents of the holding tank into surrounding water.

Do: Follow the “barefoot rule” on board. The majority of yachts do not allow the wearing of shoes on board. And there are reasons for that. Street shoes, such as boots and heeled shoes, are prohibited on all boats as they can damage decks and floors and contaminate carpets and other exotic decorations.

Women can wear a bathing suit, whatever cover-up they feel comfortable with (such as a caftan), sunglasses, and sandals. Men can wear sandals, swim trunks, and a nice polo. You'll suit the occasion and be comfortable while you do it.

So In short, you're not too old for yachting, but you should still prepare yourself for a potentially more challenging job hunt. Networking is even more important for you as people will need to meet you and know you in order to know you are up for the job.

Workload demands vary according to whether you're looking after guests or preparing for them to arrive. Typically, a busy period might look like between 12 and 18 hours a day, and if guests are on-board that means 7 days a week. But it very much varies from yacht to yacht.

Do you have to be a certain weight to work on a yacht? ›

This isn't to say you have to be extremely slim to work onboard, you just have to be a healthy weight as the job is physically demanding and you must be fit for sea. Crew members are generally an extension of the yacht they work on.

All yachts differ and many Owners and their Captains do a phenomenal job of managing time off, making allowances for individual requirements. Some will even allow extra unpaid leave if individuals have no holiday entitlement left, as well as promoting leave during down time such as refit periods.

During off-season, yachts can schedule yard periods, haul-outs, and major projects.

You may be required to work some holidays, and in that case you should receive special pay or compensatory days off. Other benefits include room and board, basic living essentials, crew uniform, access to email, performance-based bonuses, and possibly life insurance.

Below Deck: Crew Received No Tip Only One Time In All Franchise Seasons. Below Deck fans may remember that the crew received no tip once. That was because Captain Lee kicked the guests off the yacht for breaking rules. The Below Deck crew received no tip only once.

Below Deck's chief stews are some of the hardest workers on yachts. They're the team lead for anything relating to the guests on the interior (aside from the chef).

Erica Rose and Charles "Chuck" Sanders drew the ire of staff and viewers alike after leaving a tip of $6500 for the entire crew of Parsifal III. The tip amount was apparently the lowest in Below Deck history.

Some specific yacht users are known to regularly exchange sex for gifts such as luxury watches. “It's the norm in the industry,” the captain said. “The owners want to hook up with the stewardesses.

Most crew members sleep in cabins, sharing their space with complete strangers, which means privacy is severely lacking. Most yacht crew must share bathrooms which can get interesting at the best of times!

Producers Cast Below Deck Based On Experience And Potential

"When it comes to casting, it really comes down to: Are they working now, how are they doing, and would they be able to continue to carry story?" Nadine explains.

What is the easiest job on a yacht? ›

Chef – The Best Entry-Level Yacht Job For The Creative Type

Every boat needs someone to cook for the crew, the owners and maintain the galley. This is one of the easiest positions to come into, especially if you have experience on land working as a chef.

Complete beginner training: To work on yachts, you'll need to complete the STCW (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping) Basic Safety Training Course. This one-week course includes fire prevention, personal survival techniques, personal safety and first aid/CPR.

Most luxury yacht charters come with a crew of between 1 and 6 members. Larger vessels, such as super yachts, often have a crew of up to 15 or 20 people. Each member of the crew has their own title and responsibilities, although they will often help out across different areas of the yacht.

Being a deckhand is a physically demanding career requiring hard work and determination. The key to becoming a successful deckhand is learning from experienced crew members as you work aboard an inland or large ship. Duties of a deckhand change depending on the schedule and function of a vessel.

The yachting industry is a notoriously difficult industry to get into; the old phrase 'it's who you know, not what you know' springs to mind! So how do you go about giving yourself the best possible chance of securing yourself that dream job aboard a yacht or superyacht?

To be considered for employment in a luxury yacht without experience, you'll have to complete some basic safety training and a clear medical examination. There are diverse job opportunities on a yacht which include stewards to laundry persons and from engineers to personal trainers and many more in between.

The Captain usually makes between $150,000 to $210,000 a year working on a 185-foot superyacht, assuming the Captain is working full-time. Additionally, the Captain can make up to $100,000 on top of the salary they are getting if they charter their yacht for the entire year.

According to the Alaska Fishing Employment Center, deckhands on the Deadliest Catch or in the king crab fishing industry can earn and make as much as $15,000 a month in salary. The king crab season lasts for 3 months, meaning they can make between $20,000 and $50,000 as a deckhand.

Guests pay tips

It's customary for this to be around 15-20% of the full amount for a week-long charter on the yacht in question (not the discounted rate), though some guests choose to pay less.

How much do Below Deck get paid? ›

The Below Deck Crew Makes A Salary & An Appearance Fee

The chef makes about $7,000-$10,000 a month, depending on experience and training. The deckhands usually make around $3,500-$4,500 a month, while a bosun would make a little more at approximately $5,000 monthly.

Average crab fisher's salary

Other related jobs include deckhands , who make an average salary of $14.65 per hour with additional compensation of $5,000 per year in overtime, as well as boat captains, who make an average salary of $20.55 per hour .

The average Alaskan King Crab Fisherman in the US makes $61,512. Alaskan King Crab Fishermen make the most in San Francisco, CA at $92,663, averaging total compensation 51% greater than the US average.

The average salary for a fishing vessel deckhand is $50,292 in the US. The average fishing vessel deckhand salary ranges between $20,000 and $121,000 in the US.

It's a good rule of thumb to stay in a position on board until you are ready to progress. For junior crew, a solid season to a year is ideal. For experienced crew, 18 months to 2 years + is the preferred duration of service before more senior roles can be expected.

Is there a tipping etiquette? Yes, all tips should be given directly to the captain so that they can divide the amount out between all the crew. It is important to remember that there may be crew that have worked just as hard as others but have been less visible during your trip.

Often the captain is doing an impressive amount of leg-work on day charters, from route planning and navigation to welcoming the passengers and preparing the ship for guests ahead of time. Tip between 10% and 20%, based on how long your charter is, your itinerary, and how well it's executed.

The average Yacht Captain salary is $106,785 as of May 01, 2023, but the salary range typically falls between $86,706 and $122,422. Salary ranges can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, the number of years you have spent in your profession.

While the show isn't scripted, it is dramatised. This is the bedrock of reality TV; it's how producers and editors ensure their show is entertaining and ultimately keeps fans tuning in.

But the mega bucks go to the top dogs, Captain Lee and Captain Sandy, who on a 185-foot superyacht make between $150-$210,000 a year. Then you have to add on the tips, reportedly average at around $15,000 per person for about six weeks of work.

Who is the highest paid cast member on Below Deck? ›

As for the chef, such as Below Deck alum Chef Ben Robinson, they make about $7,000 to $10,000 a month, depending on experience and training. The Captain of the boat is the highest earner, making between $150,000 to $210,000 a year working on a 185-foot superyacht like Captain Lee's My Seanna.

Below Deck: Inside the boats from the hit reality show

A Below Deck charter typically carries a maximum of 12 superyacht crew on board, including up to three resident crew who work on the yacht full time.