Whether you’re a fresh-faced “greenie” exploring career options in the yachting industry or an experienced motoryacht crew member curious about life under sail, this guest blog, by Jessica Thomas-Green of HELLO SAILOR crew recruitment, is filled with tips, and revelations from the sailing yacht community.
As the first crew agency dedicated solely to sailing yachts, and backed by over a decade of hands-on experience, they understand the allure, challenges, and opportunities of working on these majestic vessels. Discover what makes sailing yachts unique—from their friendly crew dynamics and adventurous itineraries to the thrill of harnessing the wind. Along the way, you’ll gain valuable career insights, industry updates, and tips to land your dream sailing yacht job.
Your journey begins here—hoist your sails and join the adventure.
Working on a sailing yacht - what is it really like?
Are you a greenie considering your career options, or a seasoned motoryacht crewmember who is curious about shaking things up? Doubtless you’ll have noticed the impressive looking sailing yachts sat alongside their motor powered counterparts in the world’s marinas and anchorages, and wondered what it’s like to work on one.
Rumours abound among the uninitiated - are sailing yachts a utopia of happy, harmonious crew who love their jobs and are employed by friendly, laid back owners, or are they a throwback to the bad old days of poor regulation, low wages and cramped quarters?
As the founder of Hello Sailor crew recruitment, the first crew agency for sailing yachts only, and an industry veteran with 11 years experience working on sailing yachts, I am uniquely well placed to provide the inside scoop on what sailing yachts crewing really entails - read on to find out!
The Good
Obviously, here at Hello Sailor, we are huge sailing yacht fans, and I could waffle on all day about the romance of working on board a sailing yacht. Really the pros of working on sailing yachts can be boiled down to a few things: the working atmosphere, the itineraries and the sailing itself.
I hear the same thing time and time again when talking to crew who have worked on both sailing and motor yachts. Sailing yachts are seen as more laid back and fun than motor yachts, with a friendlier atmosphere on board, due to the fact that crew who work on sailing yachts love sailing and therefore enjoy their jobs.
Motor yacht crew are often accused of just being ‘in it for the money’. Of course I communicate with a biased sample of people, as crew come to Hello Sailor to specifically look for sailing yacht jobs, but regardless it does seem that many people really get bitten by the sailing bug and want to continue working on S/Ys, once they’ve tried it out.
In my own experience, this rings true - I have only worked on a couple of motor yachts, very briefly, but I’ve also spoken to good friends who have spent considerable time on M/Ys and S/Ys. The consensus is that sailing yacht crew generally enjoy their jobs more, show more passion for sailing and for yachts in general, and are a down to earth bunch who like to have fun and aren’t just in it for the money.
This goes for sailing yacht owners, as well; they haven’t just bought a yacht as a whopping great status symbol, but because they love getting the sails up and enjoy the journey just as much as the destination. Generally sailing yacht owners and charter guests interact more with crew, and the guests and crew enjoy a friendlier relationship.
Secondly, sailing yachts often have more exciting itineraries than motor yachts, which might bounce between the glitzy hubs of the South of France and Florida rather than venturing to the Pacific, Scandinavia or Asia. The chances for the crew of large motor yachts that do head off the beaten track to actually see the amazing places they are visiting, moreover, may be limited. Sailing yacht crew, working in smaller teams for more inclusive owners, are simply more likely to hop off the boat with the guests to explore. Sailing yachts may also take part in regattas which, although very hard work for the crew, are a lot of fun. The spectacle of a fleet of large sailing yachts lining up at the start and then racing at close quarters is really something to behold!
As for actual sailing, chugging along on a motor yacht burning hundreds of litres of diesel per hour just doesn’t compare to the feeling of throwing the sails up, turning off the engine and harnessing the power of the wind to propel a beautiful sailing yacht across the water. The fussiest charter guest, not to mention the queasiest yacht chef, will crack a smile when out on deck enjoying a great sail. Furthermore, watches when on delivery usually take place out in the fresh air, with a fishing line often thrown over the stern.
The Bad
Even here at sailing-mad Hello Sailor, we must admit that there are a few downsides to working on S/Ys. Sailing yachts tend to be a little behind motor yachts in terms of salaries and perks, and storage space and cabin sizes are more limited. Sailing yachts also have a reputation for being less regulated, and the heeling over, lack of stabilisers and longer passage times aren’t for everyone.
So let’s address the main issue that can put crew off sailing yachts. Salaries do tend to be slightly lower on S/Ys, and rotational jobs are often scarcer. Annual leave and training packages can also be worse on S/Ys. However, this gap becomes less pronounced the larger the sailing yacht is, with the largest sailing yachts not really any different in terms of compensation than their motor yacht equivalents. Equally, the value of working on sailing yachts isn’t just found in the wage packet; hybrid positions are more common on S/Ys, and in general, interdepartmental cooperation is more encouraged, meaning that crew can learn a host of extra skills that they may not on M/Ys.
Also, motoryachts often demand more of their crew, due to the aforementioned slightly higher standards, so that higher salary is really earned. Qualification requirements for motor yachts are also often higher as, due to their extra decks and higher volume, their gross tonnage is higher.
As for storage space and cabin sizes, I must admit to being pretty impressed by the spacious crew cabins and vast bilges that I’ve admired whilst looking round motor yachts that friends have worked on. The crew cabins, however, are getting better on newer and larger sailing yachts. As for storage space, motor yachts do tend to have more crew onboard and sometimes more guests, so the extra room is needed. Truthfully, you adapt to the space you have and maybe have to accept that on a sailing yacht you won’t be able to have linen napkins available in every colour of the rainbow, or crew uniform in every possible clothing size. Smaller sailing yachts, especially those that compete in regattas, will often have a shipping container that follow them around the world and afford more space for sails, uniform and other odds and ends, which helps.
Sailing yachts have suffered (or benefitted, depending on your outlook) from a somewhat rough and ready, wild west reputation. Historically they’ve been slower to implement hours of rest, work permits and even basic safety contingencies such as using a safety halyard when working aloft. Partly this is again due to sailing yachts having a lower tonnage and therefore not being subject to the same safety requirements as M/Ys. Again, however, as the old guard of salty sea dogs retire out the industry and more safety conscious captains take the reins, safety standards are improving onboard sailing yachts and things are changing.
During the decade or so I worked on sailing yachts, for example, it went from being seen as a little paranoid to use an extra safety halyard when working up the mast, to crew and captains using them as standard and facing peer pressure if they didn’t - which is the way it should be.
Finally, the romance of getting the sails up and turning off the engines does come with the inconvenience of the yacht heeling over. On the flip side, when there’s no wind and the sails are down, sailing yachts can be rollier at sea and don’t have stabilisers like motor yachts do. However, for sailing yacht aficionados, the heeling over is all part of it. Reasonable captains and owners shouldn’t be forcing their crew to work down below whilst sailing hard anyway, and good crew members should be organised enough to have planned for sailing times so that they don’t need to be below deck working.
In Conclusion
The decision whether to work on a sailing or motor yacht really will depend a lot on individual preference and personality. Some crew relish the more regimented motor yacht style, but plenty of crew will flourish onboard sailing yachts where the atmosphere can be a bit warmer. It is also worth noting that, of course, this is all only a generalisation, and there are more laid back motor yachts out there, as well as sailing yachts that aren’t exactly known for their friendly and relaxed crew vibe.
Crew who have dabbled in dinghy sailing, but or are simply curious about working on a sailing yacht, would definitely benefit from trying out a sailing yacht job and seeing how they find it. Check out our website and follow Hello Sailor crew on social media for more sailing yacht tips and the latest sailing yacht jobs - and keep an eye out on Our Faceless Crew for more articles, including tips on how to get a sailing yacht job!
