Why applications alone do not work
A CV in an agency database does nothing on its own. It is a record, not a strategy. Captains fill junior positions from people they have met, people their crew recommend, and people who did day work on the boat last week.
That is not a criticism of agencies — it is how the junior end of the industry has always worked, and it is why being physically present matters more than anything on your CV.
Dock walking, done properly
Walk the docks in the morning, before eight if you can, and ask crew directly whether they need day workers. Not a passive question — offer to start now.
- Dress for work. Plain polo, shorts, deck shoes. No sunglasses, no flip-flops, nothing branded.
- Bring printed CVs. One page, photograph, several copies. Nobody will scan a QR code at 07:30.
- Ask the crew, not the captain. Deckhands and stewardesses know whether the boat needs hands today.
- Be brief. Name, what you do, availability, CV. Thirty seconds.
- Keep a list. Which boat, who you spoke to, what they said. Come back in a week.
It is uncomfortable, and it works, because it demonstrates the things a CV cannot: that you turn up, present well, and are actually there.
Day work
Casual paid work, usually washdowns, detailing, laundry or provisioning runs. It is normally paid daily at a standard local rate.
It matters for three reasons: it pays for the crew house while you look, it puts you in front of a crew who can recommend you, and it lets a captain watch you work before committing to a contract.
Treat every day of it as an interview, because that is what it is.
How to be asked back
- Arrive early and ready to start
- Do the boring jobs without visible reluctance
- Ask how they want it done, then do it that way
- Do not sit down until the person who hired you does
- Say thank you, and ask whether they need anyone tomorrow
The crew who convert day work into contracts are almost never the most experienced. They are the ones who were easy to have on board.
Crew houses
Shared accommodation in Antibes, Palma and Fort Lauderdale aimed at crew looking for work. They are cheap, crowded, and the single best source of information about which boats are hiring.
Most first jobs are heard about in a crew house before they reach any agency.
How long it takes
Budget four to eight weeks. Some people find something in a fortnight; plenty take longer. If you arrive in the hiring window with STCW, an ENG1 and a workable attitude, you will usually find something.
If you arrive in mid-season with none of those, you probably will not, and no agency can change that.
Where an agency does help
Once you have a season behind you and references, the balance shifts. Agencies place experienced crew because captains ask them to, and at that point being on file matters a great deal.
Register anyway while you are dock walking — it is free, and it costs you nothing to be known. Then read the season guide for where to be and when.