Deckhand - Permanent - $100 / day - United States
21.5 meter (70ft) Hatteras cockpit motoryacht, with dedicated, en-suite, VBerth crew quarters. The boat has just undergone a 13 month refit, and will likely be filled with WTF bugs during the next 6 month shake down period.
I'm a retired old fart that is now "Livin' the Dream" ... I will be cruising the yacht for the next 5 years:
Inland Rivers, US Eastern Seaboard, Bahamas, Canada.
I am a 100T Master (15+ years). I'd dead-damn-serious when running the boat (that's the former lawyer in me), and devil may care when she's anchored or tied to the dock.
The Plan (for late Nov and all of Dec 2025) is to run the boat from Tampa / St Pete down to Key West. Then mix between dock time and anchor time throughout the Keys until the end of April 2025; while exploring the surrounding area by car. (I have started a travel/adventure blog, and these explorations are the subject of those posts.)
I want crew to meet me in Key West.
I'm looking for experienced deck hand for operations/watch standing, maintenance/cleaning.
This is a "new to me" boat and a "new to me" having-crew experience, so I expect there to be some stumbles along the way.
While the boat has just undergone a year-long refit and is "new to me" - I had my previous Hatteras for 19 years - so this isn't my first rodeo with this class/style boat.
The Plan is to cruise her extensively.
I'm looking for Crew that is perhaps "new" to the Yachting Industry - but not too new. Think of me as that Resume Builder for your job on the 100 Ft Superyacht. You will be standing con watches; assisting (double checking) transit plans, navigation and weather; every marina or club will be a new and different docking experience; you'll be doing underway engine checks -- so you'll need to know what you're doing.
For this first leg in the Keys, you'll join the boat a few days, and get settled in. We'll go over systems. We may do a 'sea trial' and run the boat for an afternoon, so you can get a feel for it. Then we'll go where-ever the hell we're going in the Keys for those first few months. Once settled in at the destination, there's a wash down of the boat (in and out).
If it works out, in spring / summer 2026 there will be several of these steps up the East Coast to the Chesapeake - where we spend the Summer. Then back down in November and to the Bahamas.
In a (what *I* think of as your) perfect world, you can use the time aboard as an experience / career building step; and get yourself to the next bigger/better boat. You can earn while you learn.
I suffer fools poorly, yet embrace foolishness.
I'm looking for folks who are committed to the Yachting Industry. Preferably, you'll have your STCW Basic Training complete. Have some time on boats - a good amount of time. While I expect to be a training Captain, I don't expect to have to teach you how to cleat off, or tie a bowline - you know what I mean?
There will likely be two or three passenger/friends aboard for short periods.
If you're a slob, don't bother. While I'm not a neat-freak and don't care how messy your cabin is - the boat *won't* be a mess. I expect to entertain and have dinner parties. We'll talk about whether you want to be deck or house side (or both). If house is where you want to go, we can add that to the mix - but I am primarily looking for deck side.
At the end of each passage, we (notice "we" not "you") will be cleaning the boat, in and out. While a rinse might suffice at the end of a day, once the destination is reached - the mops and scrub brushes will get broken out.
You are NOT the only one being "trained" here -- I am too.
I am looking to have you help me design the Crew Experience for this boat. (As I said, it's "new to me.") So, I'll want your input (from the crew perspective) of what works and what doesn't. We'll be putting together an Ops Manual with content "new Crew" etc., etc.
We (again "we" not just "you") do NOT drink when the boat is underway, or for the (+/-) 12 hrs before-hand. No one dies aboard because someone was stupid drunk or hungover. Guests can (and will) be drinking, but not us. We can catch up once the boat is firmly anchored or tied to the dock.
This is a DRUG FREE boat. Nope, not even Mary Jane. If you've gotta get high, go do it on someone else's boat. If I find it on the boat, I'll throw it (and you) overboard or strand your ass at the nearest dock.
As I re-read this, I kinda sound like a prick. I'm not; truly. In fact, I think the Crew experience on this yacht will be a fun one. It's work, sure; but there's nuthin' that says you can't have fun at the same time. (Bonus points if you bring your own Pirate costume.
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