Insights
Insights from the Dock
Notes on crew, retention and recruitment — written for the people who own and run yachts.
For owners
How to Choose a Yacht Crew Agency
The difference between crew agencies is not the size of the database. It is whether someone has spoken to the candidates, whether references are taken by phone, and whether the person briefing you has worked on a yacht. Ask those three questions and most of the field separates itself.
Read moreFor owners
The Hidden Cost of a Bad Hire
The visible cost of a bad crew hire is the replacement process. The larger cost is the disruption: lost handover time, pressure on the remaining crew, and the risk that a second departure follows the first.
Read moreFor owners
What Owners Really Look For
Once certification is verified, owners are choosing on discretion, consistency and fit. Technical competence is a threshold to clear rather than a differentiator, because everyone still in the running has already cleared it.
Read moreFor owners
Why Longevity Is Not Everything
Long service on a crew CV is a useful signal but not a reliable one. Three years on a yacht that rarely left the dock is less experience than two demanding seasons, so the question is what happened during the time rather than how long it was.
Read moreFor owners
Crew Retention: It Starts With Leadership
Crew turnover usually traces back to how a department is led rather than to pay or workload. Predictable time off, clear expectations and heads of department who develop their teams do more for retention than a salary increase.
Read more
1920×800 · 2.40:1