Whether a mid-size charter vessel for a week at sea or an 80-meter ship for extended periods upon the waves, superyacht crew remains an essential feature of any voyage – and one that must not be overlooked, overstated or under-appreciated.
Quite simply, without adequately-trained and confident crew on board, superyachts and other high-value vessels cannot and will not be used to their full and wondrous potential. As such, training of talented and dedicated crew members remains a crucial aspect of any yacht’s operations… and one that both requires and deserves significant investment.
Today, we’re taking a closer look at where the industry is in need of a radical re-think regarding crew wages, funding and employment practices.
How many crew members does a superyacht need?
The number of crew members on board any given vessel is always going to be determined by a range of factors, not least the size of the vessel and the nature of the voyage being undertaken. However, the averages remain fairly consistent across the board: vessels up to 40 meters generally call for a minimum of 6-7 crew, while yachts exceeding 100 meters typically require a fully-stocked staffing list of around 60 trained individuals.
Right now, there are estimated to be just under 70,000 crew members in circulation within the global superyacht industry – although this number doesn’t take into account casual staff, relief workers and factors including staff rotation. While this may seem like a healthy and buoyant number of workers, there have been no shortages of difficulties in attracting new staff to crew agencies and within private employment – a problem that is compounded annually by the rapid increase of vessels being launched worldwide.
Who shoulders the cost of crew competency?
Are these employment issues caused by salary? Most likely not, although it’s possible that some superyacht owners are looking to slash their overheads by reducing staff numbers and thus the roster of people who need to be paid. The monthly cost of crew members’ salaries (including the salaries of high-ranking essential staff members, such as captains and specially-skilled workers) varies significantly from country to country and vessel to vessel, but one thing is for sure: these costs are rising, with some crew members reporting a 20% increase in average salary over the past three years.
At the heart of this problem is the cost of skills acquisition within the industry. Crew training is something that has always typically been funded by the crew members themselves, most commonly as a way for newcomers to enter the job market with the correct skills and qualifications intact. It’s often a considerable expense, and one that’s deepening some of the issues relating to attracting new talent to the industry.
Indeed, the average crew member is reported to spend approximately $3,000 per year on training and upskilling. While some vessels and agencies have worked to maintain or increase financial support and incentives for staff training, the overall figures paint a fairly grim picture when it comes to funding professional development: with the exception of a handful of larger (50-60 meter and 70-80 meter vessels), monetary support for training has declined considerably in the past three years, demonstrating an ongoing effort to tighten budgets and cut costs where deemed necessary.
Crew welfare requires investment
Aside from the widely-reported mental health crisis amid superyacht crew members, a further crisis of crew welfare is rapidly brewing. Due to a lack of funding for career support and other crew benefits, the industry is grappling with a professional ecosystem in which crew members have little choice but to continually finance their own training to remain competitive in a career market that’s growing progressively tighter and more demanding.
Recent reports have suggested that up to 20% of crew members are being required to undergo training during their leave time, with only 45% being given the opportunity to undertake further training while on the job. What’s more, over 70% are paying up-front for professional development with the promise of (often partial) reimbursement after a certain amount of time in service is completed – essentially forcing crew members to restrict their mobility and career progression, and locking them into working for a particular vessel of company in order to cover their own costs.
A catch-22 for junior and hospitality crew members
While many senior crew members and other highly-skilled positions (most commonly in technical roles) generally benefit from structured and often generous rotation systems, the same cannot be said for those in hospitality roles or those new to the superyacht industry. Once again, this massively impacts training and upskilling: with very limited leave time, it’s challenging for crew members to focus on training that cannot be completed on board. However, if training must be completed during personal time – and potentially isn’t being funded by an employer – completing said training becomes very difficult indeed.
Coupled with a rising cost of living, this issue essentially means that only individuals with adequate financial resources – and who are able to afford extended periods of time away from work – are able to progress in their careers.
A tide in need of turning
This shouldn’t be seen merely as an issue for crew members, and should instead be yet another warning sign for an industry heading for significant problems in the very near future. The superyacht industry is one built on a promise of excellence in all sectors, not least standards of safety, service and attention to detail. The career opportunities, progression and retention of superyacht crew – especially for those entering or looking to enter the workforce – are in need of an urgent overthink, and it’s one with a relatively clear financial solution.
By providing more support, more funding and more training, the superyacht industry should be able to turn the tide of a widening skills gap and a growing employment crisis. It’s an issue that calls for a full reassessment of how superyacht operations are budgeted; while attracting and retaining talent is going to require significant costs, well-paid and trained crews are absolutely vital for maintaining the high standards at the very heart of the industry.
