Your Yacht Crew CV: Format, Tips & What Captains Look For

How a crew CV differs from a normal CV

Yacht crew CVs follow a specific format that's become industry standard. Captains and chief stews see hundreds of these documents and have learned to scan quickly for the information they need. If your CV doesn't fit the expected format, it creates friction — and friction means your CV gets skipped.

The key differences from a standard job-application CV:

• One page only — No exceptions. Not one-and-a-half. One. If it doesn't fit on one page, you're including too much.
• Professional headshot photo — A clear, professional-looking photo is standard and expected on a crew CV. In most other industries this would be unusual or even discriminatory, but in yachting it's the norm. Use a clean, smiling photo in workwear or smart-casual clothing. Not a holiday snap, not a selfie.
• Personal details prominently displayed — Nationality, date of birth, passport number, passport expiry date. These are needed for port clearance and visa paperwork, so captains need them upfront.
• Certifications at the top — Your STCW, ENG1, and any other maritime certifications go near the top of the CV, after personal details. These are the gatekeeping qualifications — if you have them, the captain keeps reading.
• Work history is secondary — Your experience section covers yacht experience first, then relevant land-based experience. Previous non-relevant jobs (bar work, retail, etc.) can be listed briefly or omitted.

What to include

Section 1: Personal details and photo

• Full name (as it appears in your passport)
• Date of birth / age
• Nationality
• Passport number and expiry date
• Phone number (with country code — you're applying internationally)
• Email address
• Current location / availability date
• Professional headshot photo (top right of the CV)

Section 2: Profile / personal statement

Two to four sentences maximum. Summarise who you are, what position you're seeking, and one or two relevant skills or attributes. Don't waffle. Captains skip long paragraphs — make those sentences count.

Example: "Junior deckhand seeking a first yacht position for the 2026 Med season. STCW and ENG1 certified, RYA Powerboat Level 2 trained. Former Royal Marines Commando — physically fit, highly disciplined, excellent in team environments."

Section 3: Certifications

List each certificate on a separate line. Include:

• Certificate name
• Issuing authority
• Expiry date

Example format:
STCW Basic Safety Training — MCA — Valid to: Dec 2026
ENG1 Medical Certificate — RMR Dr Smith — Valid to: March 2027
RYA Powerboat Level 2 — RYA Cowes
VHF Short Range Certificate (SRC) — RYA

Section 4: Yacht experience

List vessels you've worked on. For each:

• Vessel name, type (motor/sail), and length
• Your position
• Dates (month/year to month/year)
• Brief description of duties (2-3 bullet points)
• Skipper/captain name as reference (check they're willing to be contacted)

Section 5: Relevant land-based experience

This is where hospitality, military, construction, childcare, or other transferable experience goes. Keep it brief — company name, role, and 2-3 bullet points of relevant duties.

Section 6: Skills and languages

Languages spoken (and proficiency level), relevant technical skills (e.g. basic diesel engine maintenance, teak work, silver service), water sports abilities. Keep this section factual and honest.

What NOT to include

• Two or three pages of detailed work history — One page. Always.
• Unrelated retail or office jobs in detail — A brief line is fine; a full description of your time at a supermarket is not.
• Hobbies that don't relate to yachting — Unless it's directly relevant (sailing, diving, languages), cut it.
• Photos in casual or inappropriate settings — Your beach selfie from Ibiza last summer is not a professional headshot.
• "References available on request" — If you have yacht references, put their name and contact details on the CV. Captains won't ask for what they have to chase.
• An "objective statement" in corporate language — "Seeking a challenging position where I can leverage my skills to contribute to organisational goals" — nobody on a yacht talks like this. Keep it human.

Sample CV structure

Here's the layout that works. Adapt it to your own details:

Tips for no-experience CVs

If you have no yacht experience yet, your CV still needs to exist and it can still be strong. Here's how to approach it:

Lead with your certifications — STCW and ENG1 are real credentials. They belong prominently at the top. Without them, captains can't hire you; with them, you're a viable candidate.

Make your transferable experience work hard — Be specific about how your land-based experience is relevant. "Worked in hotel housekeeping maintaining 35 rooms per shift to five-star standards" is far more compelling than "worked in a hotel." Every detail should signal capability.

Mention day work if you've done it — Even a single day's work on a vessel is worth a line. "Day work, M/Y [Name], March 2026, line handling and deck maintenance" shows you've been on a boat and knows the environment.

Don't apologise for lack of experience in your profile — Don't write "Despite limited experience..." or "Although I have not yet worked on a yacht..." Just write your profile positively about what you can do and bring.

Get your CV reviewed — The Palma Yacht Crew Facebook community regularly helps new crew with CV feedback. Post it, ask for input, and be open to criticism. Most people who've been doing this a while will spot improvements immediately.

Format and presentation tips

• Use a clean, simple font — Arial, Calibri, or similar. No decorative fonts.
• Black or dark navy text on white background. Don't get creative with colours.
• Margins should give you enough breathing room — don't cram everything in tiny font.
• Use horizontal lines or bold headers to separate sections clearly.
• Proofread three times. Then ask someone else to proofread it. Spelling mistakes on a crew CV are immediate red flags.
• File name: "YourName_YachtCV_2026.pdf" — professional and searchable.
• Keep the file size under 2MB — captains receive lots of CVs; massive files are annoying.

Frequently Asked Questions