By Flair Martin
If you have fallen in love with sailing and aren’t the type to be satisfied with just visiting the beautiful places of the world and want more, there is now a pathway to make the arrangement permanent. The steady growth of the midsized (40-70ft) charter yacht industry has been paving the way for accessible charter experiences for people all over the world, particularly in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, and the need for crew who work aboard these vessels has mirrored that growth.
The midsized sailing charter yacht industry is a truly one-of-a-kind space, where crew come together from diverse backgrounds, bringing a wide array of skills, and create a geographically large, but socially close-knit community. The joke of the industry is that even though your work takes you away, you will always see someone you met years ago again, unexpectedly, on a dock somewhere in the world. As diverse as crew backgrounds may be, those who enter the ranks of professional yacht crew all have striking similarities; a strong work ethic, a love for the sea, people, adventure, and travel.
However, as any industry veteran will tell you, gaining an understanding of the inner workings of the industry, the skills required, and a clear, honest picture of what the job entails, has historically been a years long arc of trial by fire. This is because there has never been any recognized structured training for how to run a midsized charter vessel (which requires small teams of 2 or 3). That is, until now.
That was the experience of Yacht Crew Training Academy (YCTA) founder Flair Martin. He started as a chef over a decade ago and was paired with a newly licensed Captain, he immediately recognized the countless tricky situations that could have been easily avoided with standardized training designed specifically for the midsized yacht industry. After progressing in his career and spending many years as Captain, he then worked in shore-based operations, management, and charter brokering. He saw familiar patterns emerge with all of the new crew who were coming into the industry.
The truth is, that running a successful charter yacht has little to do with achieving a perfect jib trim, or proficiency in calculating the tide at a secondary port. Knowing how to sail the vessel, or chef onboard, is a requirement of the job, but by no means the central piece of the puzzle. YCTA was born from a major need in the midsized industry for training in all areas of the crew experience. Information that is easy to provide in one place, but difficult to piece together over years in the field. This includes everything from career management, charter planning, providing high-level service, building strong teams, to correctly maintaining a charter vessel, and everything in-between. All essential professional skills that are absent in a majority of new crew without this training, and which are critical to confidence-building and understanding what is expected of the role.
For that collective of us who dream of making our passion for sailing into a meaningful and lucrative career, YCTA gives an honest look at what it takes to succeed and smoothly navigate through the initial stages of a profession that can truly take you anywhere you want to go. Go to www.yct.academy to jump-start your successful career with your sailing skills today.
Special Offer for American Sailing Members
The Yacht Charter Training Academy offers the only professional certification training designed specifically for crew new to working in the 40-70ft midsized charter yacht industry. We emphasize career progression and essential everyday skills for all roles including chefs, skippers, and third crew members. These skills include planning and executing charters, basic vessel maintenance, and succeeding in small teams. YCTA prepares crew for the real challenges they will face, by teaching them how to adapt to their circumstances. This provides our graduates with the independence and versatility that is essential to success in this rewarding career.
American Sailing has partnered with YCTA to bring you $200 off of “The Charter Professional Course”. Login to the Sailor Portal to get your discount code and begin your journey as a yachting professional today >>
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