How To Perform Super Yacht Watchkeeping Duties In Port | A day In The Life Of A Yacht Crew Member 

Yeah it’s interesting to see things that others might think are mundane but are key parts of the day to day . Gives a much more accurate picture of working life.

Yes ,just one's the doors are locked dose that mean that the crew can't go out afterwards?

@Alistair Hines Thank you for the feedback!

@Mr Galaxy On every yacht that I have worked, the crew entrance door can be unlocked from the outside. This is typically done by way of a swipe card or number keypad. Depending on the yacht, crew may even have a remote to control the passerelle. Like this, they are free to come and go at any time.

@@WorkonaSuperyacht thank you 🤜🏽🤛🏽

Imagine they weren't! Then I'd definitely have to call the Chief Engineer!

If you can steal those engines, then colour me impressed!

Hello Patrick. It's a real boost to hear that you're enjoying the channel so much. Thanks again for taking the time to write these comments.

Me: This style of comment always makes me smile, but nobody has ever written one on any of my videos. Suzanne: Writes this style of comment. Me: Smiles 😊. Thank you, Suzanne!

Thank you Jeff. I really appreciate you saying that.

Thank you Jordan. I shall put that tip to the test!

Thank you! I shall pass your compliments onto the Chief Engineer!

Haha, me too!

Thanks Caio! I really appreciate your comments on all of the videos.

Hi Jacob. Thank you for the feedback. So pleased to hear that you enjoyed this one; I'll have to come up with some more "day in the life" topics to focus on. Please let me know if you have any ideas.

Thanks Juan. In my experience, the Captain is the only crew member who may be exempt from watch duties. For everyone else, a schedule is drawn up so that everyone does an equal number. On small to medium sized yachts that only have 1 or 2 crew members on watch at a time, duties normally come up once every 5-7 days. On larger yachts that have separate deck, interior, engineering and officer watches, the deck and interior watches will continue to come around once every 5-7 days for deckhands and stewards/stewardesses. However, the engineering and officer watches will come around more regularly because they are being split between less people (there may be a team of only 4 engineers and 3 officers). The difference here is that these watch roles are more like a support to the deck and interior watches. As a result, they don't need to worry about clearing away food, watching the CCTV screens or doing hourly rounds. Instead, they are simply the officer or engineer to whom the deck and interior will report if needed. They must be on board and carrying a radio, but can rest if they wish. A quick question, but not such a quick answer! I hope that all makes sense!

Thank you Frank. In answer to your questions: 1 - A bridge watch is only ever maintained when the yacht is underway or at anchor. Whilst in port, the crew can sleep but monitoring and alarm systems will alert us to any issues. Having said that, in my experience of yachts over 3000GT a deck watch will be maintained throughout the night. 2 - Crew carry out their usual duties during the day, but can go ashore in the evening if they wish.

Thank you, Roy.

The easiest answer to this question is tradition! I have heard that it was originally started because it can't be seen during the hours of darkness and by taking it down you preserve the material. In any event, I notice that many yachts no longer bother; they just leave it up all the time! Personally, I think that the raising and lowering of the ensign is a nice tradition that demonstrates a certain respect for the nationality of the ship.

Hello coşkan özen. Yes, some of what I’m talking about here is covered by the ISPS Code; however, because this yacht wasn’t over 500GT, we didn’t have to comply fully. Nevertheless, yachts of any size should take security seriously. The ISPS Code lists too many things to cover in this comment, but you can find out more by downloading the ISM/ISPS pocket checklist here: www.ukpandi.com/news-and-resources/bulletins/1970/ism--isps---pocket-checklist/ The ISPS details start on page 16, but it’s worth reading through the whole leaflet.

@@WorkonaSuperyacht thank you very much Matt 👏👏

Correct! They were here for just a few days.

@@WorkonaSuperyacht They certainly blocked your view. I can't believe how tightly they have you packed in, fender to fender!

@Mitchell Barnow They get us packed in much more tightly than this in some marinas!

@@WorkonaSuperyacht Are the berths getting narrower or are the yachts getting wider?

@Mitchell Barnow I think it's a case of trying to squeeze bigger yachts into berths which were designed for smaller yachts!

Hello wdilks, and thank you for commenting. For privacy reasons I don't advertise the location, but I can tell you that this one was filmed in San Remo, Italy.

@@WorkonaSuperyacht Understood. I just enjoy learning and seeing the ports of call on maps while enjoying your vids. Thanks and continued success.

Well spotted! We dry up after the rain during the season when the yacht is ready for guests; however, in the winter months it rains a lot, and if we spent all of our time drying then we'd never get anything else done! The exception to this is red rain or very dirty rain that needs to be washed away quickly to avoid staining.

@@WorkonaSuperyacht your boat is in the Mediterranean?

@nicholas mayne Yes, that's correct.

I would base the size on volume rather than length. These numbers are approximate and for motor yachts only. Small: less than 200GT (up to 30 metres) Medium: 200GT to 500GT (30-50 metres) Large: 500GT to 3000GT (50-90 metres) Very Large: over 3000GT (over 90 metres)

Hello Lucy. If the yacht stays in the same place long enough and there are no guests on board, crew will have chance to explore the area.

Thank you, Randolf. Your maritime experience to date will certainly help; however, there are certain circumstances that will make starting a career in yachting easier for some than for others. Please look out for a full explanation in the video that I'll be releasing tomorrow (Sunday 25th July).

@@WorkonaSuperyacht thank you sir, count me in as your Avid follower.

We lift the passerelle up overnight, but only once all crew members have returned to the yacht.

Hello theaugustissue! The STCW 2010 courses and an ENG 1 (or equivalent) medical certificate are the absolute minimum requirements. However, if you're looking to work on deck then the RYA Powerboat Level 2 course has become an expectation. I also recommend the RYA PWC Proficiency Course. For the interior and galley roles you'll need to add the Level 2 Food Safety and Hygiene Course; and, the most basic engineering qualification is the MCA AEC Level 1. Many new yacht crew members seem to think that more courses means a better chance of finding a job, and a lot of course providers capitalise on this by offering more and more courses. However, many of these courses are of little value to a yacht and don't hold much weight when considering who to hire. In my opinion, once you have the basics (as listed above) it is experience that you want to accumulate. Time spent working in a busy cocktail bar; a love of water sports and years spent developing your skills as a weekend hobby; working in a high-end restaurant or hotel; an apprenticeship as a carpenter or car mechanic. All of these examples are far more valuable than 3 day courses that claim to give competency in each of these fields. Over the years, yachting has become much more professional and should now be viewed as a career instead of something that you can jump into quickly after doing a few courses. If you take a long term view and build relevant experience over time (in addition to the basic courses), you will have a much better chance of getting started. I hope that helps and thank you for raising this interesting topic.

@@WorkonaSuperyacht Thank you so much Matthew for this. Very informative and concise. You should set up a Patreon or Skillshare. Great videos thank you.

@theaugustissue You are most welcome. Please don't hesitate to get in touch with any further questions.

Yes, because another yacht could always come in at short notice.

Work on a Superyacht Is a certain spot in the marina reserved for a certain yacht?

@ReeseWorkshop Some yachts own their own berth, and some lease a berth on a long-term basis. In either case, the same berth will always be reserved for the same yacht. However, if the yacht isn't in the berth, the yacht or leasing company may allow another yacht to rent the berth on a daily basis.

That is not right. What if the yacht wants to come back early

@ReeseWorkshop The berth would only be rented if the owning (or long-term leasing) yacht definitely wasn't going to be there. For example, a yacht that owns a berth in France, but is cruising down in Greece.

You're absolutely right! However, it provides us with an interesting and challenging job for which I'm very grateful.

Hi Wayne. This is a fairly complex topic but I shall nevertheless endeavour to answer your question! A yacht is either available for charter or it is private. If a yacht is available for charter then it is a commercial enterprise and as such enjoys certain benefits. It must therefore prove that it does in fact charter, and the country in which it is based will have it's own requirements that need to be met. This may include that it charters a minimum number of weeks per year (the exact number of which I am unsure and will depend on the country in question), but there will also be other factors to take into consideration. A private yacht may not charter unless it meets the requirements to become commercial.

@@WorkonaSuperyacht--- thank,s a lot for your help

@wayne neale No problem at all. These sorts of questions test my own knowledge, so I'm always pleased to receive them.

They are in port with no owner or guest aboard. Matthew did do a video where he explained when it’s appropriate to have facial hair. That was a great question! Matthew does look rather rugged with a few day’s growth!

@@mitchellbarnow1709 I missed that video. Thank you for being kind in explaining.

Hello Wayne, and thank you for commenting. Although some yachts enforce a rule of being clean-shaven at all times, many are more relaxed about it during periods of downtime.

@Mitchell Barnow Thank you for taking the time to answer this question.

@@WorkonaSuperyacht Matthew, you are too kind. I am just glad that I didn’t misstate what you had said.

It does get cold but a yacht needs constant maintenance, and winter is the perfect time to get on top of jobs that accumulated on the "to do" list over the summer.

@@WorkonaSuperyacht Ah the to do list, I see another video there, to do!

@Frank V Yes the "videos to do" list is growing rapidly. Please keep you ideas coming!

@@WorkonaSuperyacht Don't forget your priorities, Job 1st, Channel 2nd and last but not least your Personal life. Well at least you shouldn't have time to get bored.

@Frank V Boredom certainly isn't an option at the moment! Thank you for your concern.

It certainly is a lovely place to be! Were you working or on holiday?

@@WorkonaSuperyacht Working, Waiting for a couple of weeks to ship a boat back from Genoa. Pretty good weather apart from a couple of Southerlies rolling through!

@CDF Films Yes I was actually sitting my Navigation & Radar exam close to Antibes when one of those big storms came through. I thought the glass was going to fall out of the windows! Glad you made it across safely.

Haha, no need to apologise! People have made fun of the way I talk since I was a child; I'm used to it now! 😊

Hello Patrick. I believe this tradition originally started because the flag can't be seen during the hours of darkness, and by taking it down you preserve the material from which it is made. Regardless, it has since become a big part of flag etiquette that many yachts continue to observe.