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Living as an ex-pat and working on yachts is a very challenging and (it
can be) rewarding career.  However, the industry favours young, good-looking crew members who speak English as a mother-tongue. Experience at the entry level is generally not required.  If you do not fit this profile, your chances of finding work will be difficult.  If you are looking for work as a couple your chances of finding work will be even more difficult.

Agencies do not represent the crew, they represent the paying customer, the yacht captain/owner.  Agencies typically rapid-fire resumes of their “best” candidates (see above industry favoured types) in order to place a candidate before another agency does and claim their finders fee which is typically a a months salary of the found crew member. 

Agencies encourage you to go out and get training.  A minimum STCW is required to work on all commercial vessels.  However the cost of this training is astronomical and is not required on private vessels.  I support safety training but feel that a the cost of 1200 euros too expensive and an unfair burden to place on an applicant without a job in-hand. 

Agents deny that they operate in a xenophobic industry.  We actually asked. Yes, English is the maratime language required by law however having an accented english does not make you uncommunicable.  I believe English speaking crew are requested because they bond through their favourite pasttime – drinking.

If you work on the yachts, it seems that alcohol fuels many of the
bonding experiences and is a major outlet for this high-pressure work
experience.  In fact, many crew agencies host pub/club nights while advising yachties to drink and party responsibly.   If you don’t share the same big drinking culture it is very difficult to relate when most stories begin with “I was so wasted…”. 

I do not fit the “profile” most requested by yachts who use agents.  As a result, I found all my yachting jobs outside of the agencies.  Walking the docks is difficult to do but it works.  Day work can get you referred to a more permanent position if you work hard, smart and have the right personality. 

I have had so much fun working on European crewed yachts as the crew tends to be more worldly and open in most aspects of culture and conversation.  I am fortunate to have had this work experience and had warm, friendly relationships along the way.

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