Is my experience enough to find paid skipper work in the Med this summer?

Posted by Dstyle90@reddit | sailing | View on Reddit | 28 comments

Hi all, I'm currently unemployed and seriously considering trying to find paid work as a skipper in the Mediterranean this summer. Wanted to get some honest opinions from people who know the industry.

Here's where I stand:

- Italian boating/sailing licence

- 10 years of sailing experience, roughly a week every summer

- Last three years as owner and skipper of a 25ft sailing boat, doing offshore passages from central Italy to Croatia and Corfu, with the learning curve increasing considerably over that period. Regularly sailed with a group of friends aboard, so used to managing people as well as the boat

- Based in the UK, no issue doing Coastal Skipper or Yachtmaster if needed

Two things I'd really appreciate input on:

Is my experience realistically enough to get a foot in the door, even in an entry-level capacity such as co-skipper?
Where do people actually find these jobs? Are there specific websites, Facebook groups, or agencies worth contacting?

Appreciate any advice. Cheers.

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Bikkleman@reddit

Yachtmaster or equivalent almost certainly needed Charter skipper or flotilla skipper is often not very well paid but a good foot in the door.

This year, I'd focus on getting yachtmaster and working (often unpaid) as crew to build experience and miles and then you'll be good to go next year

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Rednmrfer@reddit

Ok this is going to come off harsh:

7 years of sailing for 1 week is not any amount of experience. I probably wouldn't hand you the tiller.

25 foot boat is not big, I wouldn't hand you a 35 footer.

You have less experience than most of my 2nd year students.

At age 11 I had more experience than you're listing here, and I would not have thought to be a commercial skipper.

I think you're vastly over estimating the value of your experience and vastly underestimating the amount of knowledge and experience you lack.

Take another position on a boat and learn. There are many ways to get ahead, but it sounds like you're reaching way too high.

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Dstyle90@reddit (OP)

Hi, thank you. No offence but I think you are a bit detached from the European skipper market. I personally hired skippers for my holidays and the experience was up to a good level but nowhere near what you are described. 2 years ago, in Greece, the skipper was 20 and has taken is license just 2 years before, although he had sailed with his father for many years (just in the Med through). There's a lot of demand for people with just a bit of experience. A friend of mine who graduated from the same sailing school I attended was doing cross Atlantic transfers after 2 years of obtaining the licence. There's a ton of demand. I agree I still have a lot to learn though. As I said in another comment, I was offered a job on the spot after meeting a skipper for a flottilla in Corfu. They couldn't find anybody for the mid-August week and he had literally only seen me anchoring in a harbour and he said that was enough for them

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Rednmrfer@reddit

Had his licence. Age isn't the issue here. Time on the water is the critical factor, and it sounds like you don't have it.

I really feel like you're overestimating your experience. A captain willing to take you on is a sign of your potential, not your skill level.

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jlcnuke1@reddit

To be a paid skipper is expect you to be licensed to do the job in the location(s) the boat will operate in, insured, have the appropriate certifications to obtain those, and have the needed knowledge such as:

Know the ColRegs inside and out. Know every maritime marker without needing to reference anything. Be able to identify a ship type at night by looking at what lights it has on it. Have a valid STCW for the appropriate levels. Have extensive experience on the type and size boat you're looking to be on charge of. Have the appropriate work permits/visas. Have extensive knowledge of the area the rest boat will be in, including safe harbors, contingency locations, where to take guests for what type of things they might enjoy. Have experience working as crew on similar vessels to understand and be able to help/train junior crew.

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the-G-Man@reddit

Deckhand.

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Strict_Hair_7091@reddit

Daywork123.com. Is where some jobs are posted . You probably need 500 ton license.

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TheRealRabidBunny@reddit

The critical thing is do you have a right to work in those markets? If so, you should have no issue, especially around the Ionian.

They used to take lots of young Brits but Brexit killed that market.

It’s possibly too late now, but approach charter companies in the med and ask.

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StuwyVX220@reddit

10 years of only one week of sailing. So 10 weeks of experience? Or have you worded that incorrectly?

I can’t remember off the top of my head but Italy to Croatia is only 1 night at sea and I wouldn’t count that as offshore but I’m happy to be wrong there.

But to answer your question you will need yacht-master or equlivant. A bill of good health and maybe some first aid stuff. Officially. Off the books I’m sure you might be able to find something but good luck getting insurance.

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Dstyle90@reddit (OP)

I added more context, I have been a boat owner for the past 3 years

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StuwyVX220@reddit

Someone who has only just bought a boat and has no experience moving it will probably hire you for a delivery if you are cheap. Anyone with an expensive or large boat won’t.

We’ve done thousands of NM, weeks worth of night hours over years of sailing in everything from flat calm to force 9, rain, sun, snow, fog. I still wouldn’t think I’m qualified to be a paid skipper 🤣

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Masnpip@reddit

How is that relevant? Sounds like you have 7 weeks of experience, something like 1 week worth of overnights, and no formal training? Either you are wording things poorly, or you are Vastly overestimating your experience and qualifications to do anything professional beyond basic deckhand or something. But I don’t think you’ve poorly worded things, since your title says “paid skipper work in the med.”

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Dstyle90@reddit (OP)

Over the past three years, I’ve spent around two months aboard. Prior to that, I typically sailed for about one week per year, bringing my total time on board to roughly four months, half of which has been as a boat owner. I should also mention that I carried out most of the refurbishment work myself, so I’m very hands-on with both the electrical systems and inboard engine. I also undertook formal training around ten years ago to obtain the Italian sailing licence, which involved five weekends of instruction plus a full week on board in Sardinia.

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rhadenosbelisarius@reddit

In an emergency is your experience enough to pull off being a safe skipper? Probably. Is that good enough for most people to hire you as a skipper? Not really.

If you spend a year on board actively moving the boat around in a range of conditions and put some strong energy into the safety/prep/schooling side of things you might be at entry skipper level. 5 years spent mostly on the water with some experienced folks might do it without the schooling.

If you’re looking for experience I would find some beer can races. They are fun and can give you just some more time on the water, but more importantly the sailors you meet will also be good resources for future job connections, educational tools, and opportunities to build the experience you will want.

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Suspicious_Cod_5696@reddit

In Greece you just need a skippers license and you are good to go

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milasrobertson@reddit

For reference, the most basic professional license in the US requires 360 full days of boating experience, of which 90 should be in the last 3 years. That’s just one country, of course, but gives an idea of what legally can be expected of someone getting paid to take people on the ocean. I’m not saying you’re necessarily incompetent, but maybe should aim for a qualified deckhand job to get started.

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Mehfisto666@reddit

I don't know how it is in the med, but I'd say here in Norway they are always pretty desperate for skippers in the summer season and provided you have a license good enough to captain a boat with paying guests you have a shot at finding a job.

BUT. You said you've been owner and skipper of your own 25ft boat. Yeah that's not really what people charter.

Would you be comfortable captaining 45ft catamaran? If YOU were the owner of a 300k$ catamaran, would you put it in the hands with someone with your current experience and level to take around paying guests you will be responsible for?

Honestly what sounds more feasible to me is to either get some license to become a sailing instructor on dinghys or smth, or get your 25feeter up and shiny and put up your own company and try to sell short sailing trips to people that want to try out the real thing. You're not gonna make much money though as with a small boat you can only take a couple people (for a reasonably enjoyable experience) and you must keep the price reasonable, which means all considered it's not gonne leave you much in your pockets imo.

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Dstyle90@reddit (OP)

A skipper offered me a job on the spot last year in Greece as they didn't have enough crew for the mid-August week. I declined as I had other commitments but from what he told me they were desperate too.

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Mehfisto666@reddit

Yeah as long as you have proper certifications i don't think it's impossible tbh.

But I've been solo sailing as a live aboard 4 years and I've been single handling a 34ft for a while including pretty rough passages and mooring in fairly high winds.

I don't think I'd be comfortable taking with me guests on a 40+ sailboat (let alone caramaran) by myself.

But i mean you gotta start somewhere if you feel like you could do it give it a try. Make sure everything is in order insurance wise and that you fully understand what your responsibilities are as captain (which include making sure the boat is safe and has up to date safety equipment) and you get some training

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MissingGravitas@reddit

In terms of experience, total days on the water (or miles underway, as the RYA do) would give a better idea. As for the boat, 25' is rather small. Inboard diesel or outboard motor? Tiller vs wheel?

So, the big unknowns for me are 1) how many days in the past 3 years, 2) what's your experience on larger boats, and 3) what does your Italian license permit in terms of commercial use?

My instinct is that you might have collected enough sea time over the past few years, but are likely lacking the big boat experience, and probably need to grab a yachtmaster and get it commercially endorsed. Looking for work as mate on larger boats may be a good way to cover any gaps.

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Dstyle90@reddit (OP)

Inboard diesel with tiller, it's quite comfortable despite the size. I spent 2 weeks with 4 friends on it, it was fun. The Italian license is good for commercial use although I'm not sure how much accreditation it does get in reality. The experience on large boats is limited to the first seven years of my experience, when I was hiring boats for vacationing around the med. We always had a skipper though but I did a lot.

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Dstyle90@reddit (OP)

I'd not mind tbh. If I can work 2-3 months and get some of the rent covered, it will do. Where can I see the job postings for these types of opportunities?

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Free_Range_Lobster@reddit

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overthehillhat@reddit

Way more fun --

to not have to be responsible