Jobs below deck

1. Learn about the work and if it is a good fit for you.

So you've seen Below Deck and are now deciding if you want to work on boats — congratulations! You're doing the correct thing by studying the requirements for working in the sector.

Along with fundamental abilities and qualifications, you should be aware that the profession requires a lot of hard effort and long hours. You'll also be living in tiny, tight quarters, making it tough to find room to relax.

This may sound obvious, but you will be away from home for months at a time, so you must be OK with not seeing your friends and family for an extended period of time.

2. Obtain an ENG1 Medical Certificate

To be able to work at sea and find job, you must first get your ENG1 Medical Certificate. This certificate is an examination to demonstrate that you are in excellent health and medically fit to execute your tasks while working aboard a ship.

The ENG1 Medical may be performed by any qualified doctor, takes around 45 minutes, and costs a maximum of £115.

It is critical that you do this task as soon as possible in your new employment. For example, it is fairly unusual for males to be unaware that they are colorblind and only discover this following the ENG1 Medical. Being colorblind implies you will fail the ENG1 medical test and, as a result, will be unable to work on a boat.

3. Training for Yacht Stewardess or Deckhand

After ensuring that you are physically and mentally fit to operate at sea, the following step is to get all of the essential credentials and qualifications to demonstrate your ability.

You've probably never worked on a boat before, much alone a superyacht, so you'll need some experience and a grasp of how everything works before seeking for employment.

The majority of green (new) Superyacht crew attend a training course that provides them with all of the necessary credentials, experience, and assistance to get their first employment.

During the course, you will get your STCW Certificates, which is the bare minimum, as well as extras such as Powerboat Level 2, VHF Radio, Security Training, and more.

The more certifications you get, the more devoted you seem to be and the more beneficial you are to a captain.

Flying Fish offers Superyacht Deckhand and Stewardess Courses from our location in Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK. These two-week seminars will teach you all you need to know to begin working aboard a boat like Below Deck!

4. Register with yacht crew agencies

Signing up with yacht crew agencies isn't the only method to secure your first job aboard a superyacht, but it may help speed things along.

Agencies have a large network of clients and will often hear about fresh employment opportunities before you do. They may even have exclusive access to certain firms and boat owners! After you apply on their website, phone them and attempt to give them a sense of who you are.

5. Travel to France to hunt for job.

The last stage in obtaining a job aboard a yacht, such as the Below Deck crew, is to go to the location of the employment.

Captains usually only hire crew after seeing them in person, so you must be at the right marinas at the right time.

Between February and May, superyachts often arrive in the Mediterranean to begin the summer season. This would be an excellent opportunity to seek for jobs at a large superyacht marina, such as Antibes.

You will 'dock-walk' while at the marinas. Walking the docks where the boats are docked with your CV in hand, presenting your services to yacht captains and asking for day job to get experience.

It's also necessary to put your financial condition in order so that you may spend a week or two in France searching for job comfortably.

98 percent of our Superyacht Course alumni find job in Antibes, so after you have all of your certifications, pack your bags and go for it!