Working at sea
The certificate opens the door. Here’s the map.
What each job requires, how long it takes and what it pays, with a source for every figure. To be clear: no school can promise you a job.
Which certificate for which job
- 01
Deckhand or stew on superyachts
STCW basic training, ENG1 medical, English. No Yachtmaster needed to get in.
Steward & Stewardess - 02
Superyacht tender driver
Powerboat Level 2: the RYA certificate for powerboats up to 10 m, used for superyacht tenders under foreign flags.
Powerboat Level 2 - 03
Charter skipper, under flags recognising the certificate
Yachtmaster Coastal or Offshore with commercial endorsement: ENG1, STCW personal survival, SRC and the RYA online PPR course.
Yachtmaster Offshore - 04
Master up to 200 GT
MCA Master 200 GT, after at least 6 months of commercially endorsed Yachtmaster Offshore. For Italian-flag vessels, ask us how it applies to you.
Master 200 GT
For Italian-flag boats, since 2024 there’s also the Italian “Ufficiale di navigazione del diporto di 2ª classe” certificate, examined by the Coast Guard. It’s a different route: ask us which suits you.
How long
Zero to Yachtmaster Offshore: miles decide.
You need 2,500 miles, half in tidal waters, 50 days at sea and 5 long passages. Sailing a week every two or three months, roughly one to two and a half years. The Med season runs late April to mid-October; in winter work moves to the Caribbean.
Work out where you start
What it pays
Ranges published by crew agencies and trade press, dated. Not official figures: the RYA and MCA don’t publish salaries.
- Deckhand, 30-40 m yacht2.800–3.000 €/meseBespoke Crew e YPI Crew, 2026
- Junior stew2.200–3.500 €/meseBespoke Crew, 2026
- Charter skipper, up to 50 ft180–200 €/giornoMoney.it, luglio 2026
- Captain, 50-70 m superyacht8.000–12.000 €/meseBespoke Crew, 2026