If youre the outdoorsy type, prefer to work on a team, have a positive attitude and are a confirmed people-person, you may fit right in as part of a yacht crew. Though jobs on most yachts are seasonal or part-time (depending on when someone rents it for a cruise), you will gain an incredible amount of experience while sailing your work days away.

A few yacht crew jobs include the following:

Chef/Cook
Diesel Mechanic
Flotilla Skipper
Host/Hostess
Sailing Instructor

You can apply for positions with private yachts; exploration ships that travel far and wide; commercial vessels; or megayachts and superyachts, liners or tankers. But, where do you find these jobs, anyway?

There are several yacht crew-finder services for vessel owners and employers around the world. Remember, this is a global industry, and though youll have full decision-making authority on things like what kind of vessel youd like to sail on and when youre available to crew, things like salaries or whether you will work a working holiday yacht cruise or as a voluntary crew member are largely non-negotiable, particularly for entry-level jobs.

You can also work on shore-based jobs related to the yachting industry, such as outfitters or suppliers for deck and overall yacht needs like linen services or glassware.

And think about this: You pretty much get to decide ahead of time whether youd prefer to work on Carver yachts, Catalina yachts, Seaward Yachts, Pershing Yachts, or pal up with a few friends on the ship of your choice. The other good thing about yacht employment is that, because it is seasonal work, for the most part, there is a lot of turnover, so you wont have to paddle the waters very long while looking for a job!

Another good tip to know is that vessel owners are usually very generous and pay their crew very good (tax-free) wages, along with job perks such as the obvious, like travel expenses and great accommodations, plus a free vacation!!