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Yacht Crew Wanted

Amateur and professional yacht crewing positions available worldwide, from daysailing to transocean for all experience levels.

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It’s free for everyone to browse though all of our current sailing opportunities. Become a member to contact yacht owners and join their crew.

For yacht owners

Registration and posting is free if you are looking for a skipper or crew. Find amateur and professional crew for short or long term voyages.

Featured sailing opportunities

Albania to Tunisia

Boat type: Admiral 38' Sailing Catamaran

Location: Southern Albania

Crew wanted for Mediterranean and beyond

Boat type: Gulfstar 50 MK ll Ketch totally rebuilt 2015

Location: Italy, Spain, Morocco, France, UK

Solent Yacht Racing - Inshore and Offshore

Boat type: Sunfast

Location: Hamble-Le-Rice, Southampton

Coastal yacht cruising

Professional sailing jobs, ocean sailing voyages, yacht delivery crew, worldwide opportunities, varied vessel types, all experience levels, mile building voyages, short notice sailing, environmental & wildlife vessels, we are recommended by.

Crewseekers notices

Training for a career at sea?

What qualifications do you need to get the jobs you want?

Skipper for Private Catamaran Charters in Malta

More information

Day Skipper & Yachtmaster theory courses - 20% off

Online RYA theory courses with a great discount courtesy of Crewseekers.

we love sailing as much as you do

Crewseekers is run by experienced, professional sailors offering a friendly and helpful service to yacht crew and owners. We are the original yacht crew introduction agency – established for over 25 years, offering amateur and professional sailing opportunities throughout the world.

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40M ALEGRE NOW AVAILABLE FOR CHARTER

Luxury Yacht Group is pleased to welcome 40m Alegre to our charter fleet. Available for charters this Winter in the Caribbean and Bahamas.

THE ULTIMATE YACHTING EXPERIENCE

Luxury Yacht Group has global resources to build, sell, charter and crew your yacht. Understanding that every happy yacht starts with a competent crew our resources focus on your crew and how they impact your yachting enjoyment.

CHARTER WITH LUXURY YACHT GROUP

Luxury Yacht Group represents the finest yachts for charter around the world.

WE SUPPORT YOUR YACHT

We operate some of the best run yachts and work hard to support them with sensible shore based solutions. From basic payroll services to full service regulatory compliance we have the expertise to be sure that your yacht operates effectively.

THE BEST CREW HAVE DISCOVERED LUXURY

Luxury Yacht Group operates the largest crew agency with agents on three continents providing almost 24/7 coverage. The best crew have discovered Luxury.

New Construction

There is nothing more exciting than building your new yacht. We follow every detail and deliver on those details.

A simple guide on the process of buying a yacht.

How to Sell

A simple guide on how to sell your yacht.

Why Charter with Luxury Yacht Group?

We book the finest yachts around the world. Our charter brokers know the yachts and most importantly their crew. We go the extra mile to be sure that your vacation is truly memorable.

Our Charter Marketing Expertise

Our team of marketing professionals will generate the best possible net income for your yacht. We have experience marketing yachts priced from $40-$700,000 per week.

Featured Yachts

We can book all yachts worldwide but have curated a selection of our favorites here for you to review.

Featured Destinations

We have prepared itineraries for some of the finest charter destinations around the world.

Shore Support Services

Payroll & Accounting

We are experienced in accounting for yacht operations and crew payroll, providing streamlined, hassle-free payroll, contracts, and health insurance operation for yacht owners worldwide.

Support services have clear and simple pricing. Please review our offerings and their pricing here. We offer straightforward services and don't believe that you should have to enter into a big negotiation over the support service your yacht needs.

Document Library

Download library of very useful templates and forms published by Luxury Yacht Group. Go here for templated SEA's, terms and conditions, work lists and other useful "stuff".

Crew Placement

Crew Members

Luxury Yacht Group finds crew work onboard the finest yachts around the world. We place thousands of crew on yachts every year for full time, rotational, seasonal or day work positions.

The best crew have discovered Luxury! With over 140,000 crew registered and over 250,000 references verified Luxury Yacht Group is your “go to” resource for the finest crew to staff your yacht.

Crew Job Descriptions

PDF Summary Salary Guidelines

Why Use LYG for Crew Placement

Cost calculator.

Industry leading operating cost calculator tool

Luxury Yacht Group has built a comprehensive and realistic operating cost calculator tool with over 100 fields in the chart of accounts. You can utilize this tool free of charge.

Essential Guides

Ocean Mapping

New to Yachting

YACHT CREW RECRUITMENT AGENCY

Your yachting career begins here, looking for work, looking for crew, building high-performing teams   , years of expertly matching yacht crew with the right opportunities and assisting clients in building their yacht teams., the leading global yacht crew recruitment agency.

Established in 2002, YPI CREW has been connecting people with their dream careers on board superyachts for over two decades. Our purpose is to allow new generations to discover yachting, whilst also helping seasoned crew to advance their career and develop their talents.

Our recruiters are solution driven; they have a voice, an opinion, and champion their candidates for the right jobs on the best yachts. 

From our home in the yachting capital of Antibes on the French Côte d'Azur, we source and recruit the best yacht crew worldwide. Our recruitment experts connect the best talent, from deckhands to captains, engineers, chefs and interior crew with every yacht we work with.

We build united, high-performing crew able to deliver the ultimate guest experience on board yachts all over the world and, simultaneously, allow the fostering of new life experiences.

YPI CREW are proud to be part of the esteemed  Schulte Group , a global ship owning and management company with over 135 years of expertise in the commercial maritime industry.

YPI CREW TEAM

Meet your yacht recruitment team.

Customized Care, Every Step of the Way

YPI CREW is a bespoke recruitment agency with a team of expert recruiters who hand pick the best suited candidates for each yacht.

Operating Under the Values of Partnership & Trust

Partnership and Trust are the core values that guide us in our relationships with each other, our candidates and our clients.

MLC Registered and Compliant

We are MLC 2006 compliant and to illustrate best practice, YPI CREW is independently audited by Lloyds Register.

What makes YPI CREW stand out?

Our recruiters are our strength; they are the absolute experts in their field. Each recruiter is a specialist in their particular department and has years of experience through which they have built strong networks making them the preeminent authority in the business.

ASSISTING YACHT CREW IN FINDING THEIR IDEAL JOB

We champion our candidates and guide them throughout their yachting career.

FINDING QUALIFIED CREW FOR LUXURY YACHTS

We select and present the best candidates to join your team.

YPI CREW is always my first port of call when I have a position to fill on my team. I always find that they put forward candidates who are truly interested in the role and they provide me with ongoing support checking in with me throughout the recruitment process to see how candidates are progressing or following up if I require further information . Thank you for helping me to build my team this year . I look forward to working with you on my next project!

Chief Stew / Purser Alice Ashford

FEATURED ARTICLES

News from the yachting community.

YPI CREW Will be Attending the Superyacht Technology Network Conference in Barcelona

Is a career in the yachting industry a good fit for me?

Webinar Friday, 15th March: How to Start Your Yachting Career as a Superyacht Stew?

YACHT CREW GUIDES

Learn about different positions on board a yacht.

FIND CREW FOR YOUR YACHT

Yachting organisations, ypi crew is an active member of the following associations.

Let’s get started. Call us on +33 (0)4 92 90 46 10 or email us.

Our mission, vision and values, mlc 2006 compliance, essential guides, yacht crew positions.

Chief Officer

Second Officer

Third Officer

Chief Engineer

Interior Crew

Head of Service

Head of Housekeeping

Specialist Positions

Spa Manager

Spa Therapist

Personal Trainer & Yoga Instructor

Hairdresser

Mandatory Certificates

B1/b2 visa information, how to write a memorable cv, how to prepare for an interview, yachting seasons, yacht crew salary guide, is yachting the right choice for me, cv templates, ocean mapping, new to yachting.

+33 (0)4 92 90 46 10

[email protected]

Working On Yachts

There are currently over 15,000 yachts in the world large enough to require professional, qualified yacht crew and as a result this industry is growing rapidly each year.

A career in yachting can be rewarding, exciting and a wonderful opportunity to travel the world and explore new horizons!

Wherever there is water, you have the potential to go. Traditionally the yachting industry in the Mediterranean runs from April until September and from November to April in the States & Caribbean. Having said that, the possibilities are endless with many yachts circumnavigating the world.

Yachting is an eye opening, ultimately fun industry that demands hard work, perfection and attention to detail. We work with yacht crew every day and have a deep insight into what new crew should do to make the most of their career. Here are our top ten tips for starting out.

You cannot work on board a luxury yacht without getting your basic qualifications first. Bluewater offers a full range of crew training courses for those just starting in the industry:

• STCW 95 Basic Training (Europe) 5 Day Course
• Powerboat Level II 2 Day Course
• Interior Introduction 3 Day Course
• AEC 1 5 Day Course

We have a sample copy and lots of relevant advice on creating your first yachting CV within our 'Your CV' section.

Certain times of year are more favourable for new crew looking to join the industry. If you are going to Antibes or Palma, we advise end of March/April. Fort Lauderdale is different in that it is sunny most of the year, however there is a peak recruitment season around November each year.

In every yachting hub you will find english speaking bars and cafes filled with yacht crew. Make sure you go and explore to build your network within yachting. Although global, it is a small industry so make sure to present yourself professionally.

Finding your first position in yachting is the hardest. Make sure you are dock walking, looking for day work opportunities and handing out your CV. You may find that one day's work leads to a permanent role or other job interviews.

Read websites, follow yachting news, learn from other crew who were in your 'deck shoes' a few years ago. Good examples of yachting websites & magazines are:

• Bluewater bluewateryachting.com
• Dockwalk dockwalk.com
• The Crew Report thecrewreport.com
• The Triton thetriton.com

Apply for jobs, manage your course bookings and sign up for events.

You can buy pay as you go SIM cards either in newsagents or specialised telephone shops around the Mediterranean. This will help to save you money when job hunting!

Captains check Facebook and Twitter pages before interviews. Make sure any public images of you are professional and will not reduce your chances of employment. Once employed be sure to avoid any posts about your yachts, current location and inappropriate images.

A smart, professional appearance will win over shorts and a beach top.

The most important aspect when you are looking for work is to make sure your CV is up to date, well written and includes any relevant experience that you might have.

It is best to emphasize any hospitality experience or customer service skills you may have had, such as waitressing, hostessing, silver service, bartending, cooking, nanny/au-pairing, babysitting, flower arranging, cleaning and/or laundry experience.

Should you wish to join the engineering department, make sure you include all mechanical experience and qualifications, including all work done in refrigeration, air conditioning, work with engines, and any electrical work, electronics or AV/IT.

The most important aspect to include is any recreational sailing experience you may have had. If you are also qualified or experienced in woodwork or carpentry, have painting, polishing, varnishing know-how, then that is also great. In addition any diving, sailing, fishing, any water sports background are all fantastic skills that are easily transferable.

We deal with a great multitude of chef positions, ranging from crew chef to head chef. Most positions will require some form of culinary training, however some crew succeed in entering this department through the stew/cook route on a smaller yacht.

When filling in your online profile with us, make sure to only select positions that you are qualified to do onboard. Selecting more than 3-4 positions on your profile can confuse potential employers and effect our search results.

Your CV should be no more than two sides of A4, including your photograph (in colour, face on, without sunglasses).

Your CV should be in a word format to ensure it can be opened easily by all employers.

List all recent contact information, references and work history.

Including a personal statement, along with a clear objective can help distinguish you from other candidates and helps prospective employers grasp your long term goals.

Don't give employers an excuse to dismiss your CV, review and spell check it!

Salary Guidelines

Knowledge is power and the more you research, the more informed & on the ball you will be.

Make sure you have a printed copy of your CV with you and always arrive early and dressed in a smart way. Research the yacht, make yourself prepared & don't be afraid to ask questions.

The key to getting your first job is to network! Always carry a copy of your CV with you.

Remember the industry is a tight, professional network therefore it is crucial to communicate with others, walk the docks, distribute your CV and register with crew agencies. Bluewater is one of the longest-established crew agents - we have been finding people yacht jobs since 1991!

Keep the agencies up to date! Always make sure your profile has the correct location and contact numbers for you so we can get hold of you when we have the perfect role for you.

Your profile is essential to us finding you work, both now and in the future. We rely on the information you input to match you to the right jobs, so please make sure it is up to date and at least 85% complete. We receive thousands of vacancies each year, and search our database for the best candidates for each one... You will hear from us more often if you are checking in regularly! Once you find work you can set your profile to 'Not Available'.

866 Crew online in last 24 hours

409 boats online in last 24 hours, find a crew™ – the world's largest online boat & crew network.

Find a Crew™ – the World's only Crew network that matches members automatically

Find a Crew™ is a global online network portal connecting Boats & Crew directly. Connect directly with members in over 200 countries from anywhere at anytime.

View, register, list, search, filter, match, & wave – all 100% free for as long as you like. All Free members can chat with Premium members who contact or reply to them.

No contracts! No commissions! No placement fees! No recurring charges! Premium members decide who can chat (personal messages) with them.

The QuickFind™ saves you hours of searching by calculating the best matches for you. Change your matching options and check your QuickFind™ to find your updated matches.

Our global success is built on by providing a secure & trusted platform. Several visibility options to manage your privacy and who can see your profile.

and best of all

Find a crew™ does not have ads, and we don't sell personal information to anyone.

We don't link or post profiles to social media, we don't submit profiles to search engines, and we don't publish or sell statistical user information.

How Find a Crew™ works for Free members

1 create your profile.

free to register, list, match, search & wave try us for as long as you like as a Free member

2 Instantly see your matches

find your best matches with a ‘QuickFind’ click use 'Follow'  to manage your favourites

3 Connect quickly, and safely

check mutual interest first with a wave send chat replies to Premium members

How Find a Crew™ works for Premium members

$ upgrade anytime when you're ready.

upgrade anytime, anywhere, anyone to Premium, either as a Boat or a Crew member with a Premium duration that suits you from one month to up to 5 years and chat (exchange personal messages) with any matching members Premium can be paused for up to 18 months Premium never renews automatically

Five good reasons to use the global Find a Crew™ network portal

Let the world come to you, wherever you are – with a single click. At Find a Crew™, you have thousands of locations, marinas and docks in over 200 countries and 5 oceans at your fingertips.

Anyone and everyone has the freedom to make their own choices to experience what they want. We aim to be here for anyone, anytime, anywhere – without trying to be everything to everyone.

Only members who have signed in within the last 45 days are listed – 100% guaranteed. This makes it much more likely that you will find and connect with someone who is here to find you too.

The Find a Crew™ network is fully monitored and all profiles are checked daily for suspicious activity. We work hard to host a safe and secure website – for your peace of mind.

Protecting your identity and privacy is our mission. We care that no one can access your contact details without your permission. It's a smart choice when connecting with strangers.

Find a Crew™ is proudly featured by

Crewing made easy

A job board platform, aiming to connect recruiters & crew

302 open positions

Lead Deckhand - 100M + Motor yacht 3:1

Deckhand - 55ft chase boat 3:1, head chef - 2:2 - 100+m, rotational avit officer - 100m+ - dual season 2:2, temp housekeeping stew, eto 100m+ new build 2:2, recruitment & management partners.

We listened to feedback from active crew members and agencies, including our own Director, an ETO within the industry, to create a platform that delivers an easy to use system, to aid you in finding your next job, or your next crew member.

Crewin.com was developed with the end user at the forefront of our minds. Our mission is to supply a modern and user friendly job-boards platform, connecting recruiters & crew, enabling more efficient placements and employment.

What we value most, is being able to provide a platform that works for you, every time, all the time, from any device.

Join Crewin today

Whether you are looking for a job, or you are a recruiter looking for crew, we will help you stay on top of it all.

Send us your feedback!

Ocean-Crews

• Job Role Duties

Ocean-Crews is a premier recruitment agency specializing in the dynamic world of yacht crew placement. With a rich heritage in the yachting industry and a keen understanding of the unique demands it entails, we are your trusted partner in assembling exceptional crews for luxury yachts worldwide.

Our mission at Ocean-Crews is to connect highly skilled and passionate crew members with yacht owners and operators in need of top-tier talent. Whether you are seeking a seasoned captain, a proficient chef, an attentive stewardess, or any other vital role aboard your yacht, we have an extensive network and a rigorous vetting process to ensure that only the most qualified candidates are presented.

We pride ourselves on our personalized and attentive approach, tailoring our services to meet the specific needs of both our clients and candidates. At Ocean-Crews, we understand that each yacht is unique, and so are the individuals who make up its crew. That’s why we go the extra nautical mile to match the perfect candidates with the right vessels, creating harmonious and successful partnerships that endure.

Whether you’re a yacht owner in search of exceptional crew members or a dedicated professional looking for your next exciting adventure at sea, Ocean-Crews is your compass to success in the yachting world. Join us on this voyage, and let us help you navigate the waters of opportunity.

To embark on your journey with Ocean-Crews and unlock a world of yachting opportunities, simply reach out to us by sending an email to Samantha at [email protected] . To ensure we can match you with the ideal yacht job, please attach your CV or provide comprehensive details about your qualifications, experience, and the specific yacht job you are seeking. Samantha and our dedicated team of yachting experts will swiftly guide you through the registration process, helping you set sail toward your next adventure on the open seas. If you would like to register to browse and apply for jobs on this website then register

Meet Samantha

At the age of 17, Samantha embarked on her journey in the yachting industry, amassing over a decade of invaluable experience both at sea and on land. With determination and dedication, she ascended to the role of Chief Stewardess, leaving her mark in both the Caribbean and Mediterranean regions. Her time in Dubai saw her excel as a Charter Broker and Crew Trainer, where she consistently aided crew members in discovering their ideal positions aboard yachts.

Today, Samantha is at the helm of Ocean-Crews, where her deep insights into the unique needs of both crew members and employers seeking exceptional crew members shine through.

Testimonials

List item 5

I had the pleasure of working with Sam during her time at sea and also now as a crew agent and I can attest to her exceptional skills, dedication, and effectiveness in the field of recruitment.

It was an absolute pleasure dealing with Sam , very attentive, understood our crew needs and connected us with high quality candidates. Highly recommend her to fellow Captains. Certainly made the hiring process a pleasure. Captain Matthew Mackay MV Shadow

Matthew Mackay

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Sole Engineer

by Northrop & Johnson

Mediterranean

by Lighthouse Careers

2nd Engineer

3rd engineer.

Early April

South of France

by Faststream

by Superyacht Crew UK

USA West Coast

by Crew and Concierge

by Saltwater

Deck/ Divemaster

Beginning of May

by Quay Crew

Deck/ Steward(ess)

by Bluewater

Housekeeping Stew

by Wilson Halligan

Masseuse/ Stew

2nd officer.

United States

Thousands of yacht crew use YachtCareerHub every day

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Personalised Job Offers: Set your preferences to only receive jobs that match what you are looking for, and nothing else. No spam, or irrelevant jobs!

Be among the first to apply: Don't be applicant 225, get in the frame early directly with the recruiter to give yourself the best chance. Job alerts are sent as soon as they are posted onto our website to our subscribed members so you can apply directly with the recruiter.

Saved Jobs: If you see a job you like, hit save so you can check your saved jobs list and apply later on. This also helps you track which jobs you applied for.

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We have over 200 yachts reviewed on our platform, to give you first hand insights into life onboard as crew

Post Anonymously: You can post your job title or choose to remain anonymous when posting a review.

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Access Reviews: In order to gain access to our full catalogue of yacht reviews, you must first leave a review of your own.

Yacht Crew Salaries

In any industry it is always important to know your worth. This is why we created the go-to platform for yacht salaries and conditions.

See median averages for your positions as well as the full range of salaries.

Find out what types of contract are being offered, as well as rotation lengths.

See which positions usually include business class flights, private cabins and more.

APPLY FOR CREW JOBS       |              LOOKING FOR CREW              |          ABOUT US           |            CONTACT    

worldwide opportunities boutique service

Aligned yacht crew recruitment for superyachts .

With Head Quarters in Palma and London, Galatea Recruitment is a boutique yacht recruitment service, focused on creating lasting relationships between crew and yachts to find both parties their ideal partnership.

Galatea Recruitment strives to place crew in jobs of the highest standards, where they can truly excel, while finding yachts their most compatible team to deliver next level service and culture. 

Working with yachts and superyachts worldwide, we cannot wait to help you find your ideal placement. 

CONNECTING GREAT YACHTS TO EVEN better CREW

OUR SERVICES

Galatea Recruitment takes great pride in its abilities to offer a highly personal, professional service for every candidate and client.

With great industry knowledge and expertise, Galatea Recruitment understands the needs and requirements to seamlessly match candidates to compatible vessels and roles, creating strong long-term relationships.

MATCHING CREW TO THEIR DREAM POSITION

Are you searching for your perfect position on a yacht?

ENSURING YACHTS FIND THEIR IDEAL CREW

Are you a yacht looking for a new talented crew member or team?

OUR PROCESS

To register with us, please send us your CV and reference letters to [email protected].

If you are applying for a specific position please specify which and include your current location and soonest availability 

If your profile matches any current vacancies, we shall be in touch within 24 hours to discuss the next steps. 

If it does not match any current vacancies, we shall keep your CV on file for any future opportunities .

Please continue to apply for any future roles or get in touch directly via email or call!

Simply fill out the form below, give us a call or email us at  [email protected].

After receiving all the specifications of your vacancy we will be in touch within 24 hours.

We shall then compile a shortlist of relevant candidates for your review.

Once you have chosen your top candidate/s we shall action our checks and send you a d etailed report on each candidate.

When both parties are satisfied, we will help finalise the last details of the arrangement and wish you a prosperous season!

find your dream job today

FOR CREW: FIND POSITIONS

perfect placement

Let us find your 

CREW REGISTRATION

Are you looking for a crew job? 

To register with us, please send us your CV and reference letters to [email protected] . 

If you are applying for a specific position:

Please specify which position you are applying for and include your current location and soonest availability. 

Thank you and good luck! 

secure your ideal team today

FOR YACHTS: FIND CREW

YACHT REGISTRATION FORM

Are you looking for crew for your yacht? 

Fill in our application form below and let us know what you are looking for - remember to be as detailed as possible so we can help you effectively and efficiently.

CONTACT DETAILS

YACHT DETAILS

Let us find you

   your ideal crew

"Would highly recommend!! Amy has helped us so much by always delivering when we need it. They have always helped us in finding seasonal and permanent crew for all of our suppliers and clients. Excellent customer service and quick response times! 10/10 service!!"

Daniel Cousins, Mallorca Yachts

Galatea Recruitment is female-founded by two inspiring women who focus on quality and integrity in everything they do.

With a background in luxury lifestyle communications and after several years working within the yachting and recruitment industry, Amy and Anna decided to take their own spin on yacht recruitment and give the industry what it needed.

Galatea Recruitment was founded with a focus on long-term relationships and a passion for providing  reliable, honest and caring service to crew and yacht management teams alike. 

With Anna and Amy's knowledge and insights, Galatea Recruitment has built up quality network of clients and candidates with a shared desire for delivering industry leading employment opportunities and best-in-class service.

Galatea Recruitment take great pride in their work and offer a highly personal, professional service for every candidate and client. 

Ensuring your safety is our our top priority 

Galatea Recruitment has partnered with CrewPass to guarantee only placing the best crew members, as well as ensuring the  safety and security of those onboard.

CrewPass conducts enhanced criminal background checks and identity verification on all its members to help us place fully vetted crew members.

Sign up today to make sure you are CrewPass approved. Head to  www.crewpass.co.uk  for more information.

OUR PROMISE

At Galatea Recruitment our values are one of the most important aspects of our business. 

Honesty , integrity , mutual respect .

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• What sort of experience does Galatea Recruitment look for when placing jobs? The more yachting experience the better! We work with both Motor and Sail Yachts and try to find the position that suits you best. The more qualifications and strong recommendations you have under your belt – the better! If you are new to the industry, please read the next question.
• Can I apply for a position or send you a CV if I have no experience? Of course! 'Greenies' as they are often referred to in the yachting world, are more than welcomed into the industry, however it could take slightly longer to find the ideal job role for them. These roles often include: Deckhand, Steward/ess, Crew Chef and Assistant Engineer. If you are new, make sure to emphasise any skills that you have that translate to the position you are hoping to land e.g. if you want to be a stewardess but you have hospitality or cleaning experience then make sure to mention this. For all roles, please make sure you have your Medical fitness (ENG1) STCW-95 Basic Training qualification and more job specific qualifications if needed when applying. For any further questions please email us at: [email protected]
• How many crew will be on each yacht? Mid- range yachts usually have between 4 to 12 crew and up to 12 passengers. The larger yachts can have 30+ crew on board at one time. Crew can also work on rotation, so you may be part of an overall larger crew.
• How long can I work on a yacht for? Contracts are usually seasonal or all year round. There are also dayworker agreements and temporary contracts. It all depends on exactly what the yacht is needing at that time.
• Should I work on a private or charter yacht? It depends what sort of role you prefer. A private yacht is used purely for the leisure of a yacht owner and guests. This usually means that the owner is on board for less amount of time than a charter would be, usually meaning a little more downtime. However, you could have an owner who is on board a lot. A charter yacht is rented out to guests who are usually HNWI. On a charter yacht, it is usually fast paced and involves quick turn arounds and sometimes working weeks in a row with no days off. However, crew may receive extra gratuities for providing excellent service making the extra effort worth while.
• Where does the crew sleep on the yacht? The crew sleep in the crew quarters. These are usually based at the stern of the boat with a compact with a practical layout. Sharing a cabin is common with usually 2, sometimes more crew members to a cabin.
• What can I do to be more desirable to hire? A number of things can help. If you are new, try and get some day work to help with experience. Captains and Yachts look for loyal crew or/and crew with great recommendations. Make sure to have your Medical fitness (ENG1) STCW-95 Basic Training A positive, can-do attitude Clean and professional personal presentation Make sure to have a professional looking CV with a headshot photo and information clearly laid out. Try and make it fit all on one page, if not two pages maximum. Have around 3 written references with updated contact details for verification. Have a file ready with all your current documentation (CV, references, certificates, passport and visas, Medical Fitness also known as ENG1) to send to us or a yacht
• Where are yachts based and travel to? Typically, vessels often travel the Mediterranean or the US East Coast in the summer. In the winter yachts often cruise the Caribbean. SE Asia and the Middle East are becoming increasingly popular with yachts. It is not always the case that a yacht will do a dual season. Some yachts may just stay in one location all year round and during the 'off-season' carry out all their maintenance works.

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We can't wait to find you your dream placement.

+44 7583 359378

Email 

[email protected]

Registered Address

Flat 1, The Morocco Store, 1 Leathermarket Street, London SE1 3HN, UK

Registered company number: 14412505

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9 superyacht crew members share what it's really like working for a billionaire on board

• Superyachts are luxurious, but working on them isn't.
• Insider polled superyacht crew members to find out what it's really like working for a billionaire on board.
• They said their days are spent fulfilling requests and keeping the yacht in top shape — but it really all depends on the superyacht owner.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories .

While working on a superyacht sounds glamorous, in reality it can be anything but.

Insider polled superyacht crew members to get an inside look at life on board. When asked what working for a millionaire or billionaire is really like, they agreed on a few things, like long hours.

Many superyacht  crew members wake up before dawn to start their day, which typically involves a lot of cleaning and catering to the requests of owners and guests.

Read more: The super rich are hoarding cash — instead bartering yachts, $30 million mansions, and caviar to ride out the pandemic

But while some superyacht owners are demanding, others are less so — it really all depends on their personality. Some crew members said that owners and guests are more like regular people than you'd expect.

Here's what life on board looks like, according to nine superyacht crew members.

Note: Insider was able to verify each crew member's identity, but we refrained from publishing their full names to protect their privacy.

Working on a yacht can be lucrative.

Insider previously reported that deckhands earn an average of $3,083 to $3,574 a month, depending on the boat size. Captains reportedly get paid even more — they earn $7,750 to $19,961 a month on average.

Kate Lardy of the Sun Sentinel reported that a captain in Fort Lauderdale once spent a total of $14,255 on day workers, who are hired temporarily for onboard services, during a two-month period.

But it's also tiring and demanding.

One captain who works on a 120-foot boat alluded to tiring conditions. Working for a billionaire is "demanding," he said, with hours that begin very early — before 6 a.m. — and end very late.

Yacht crew members have to meet high expectations.

One electronic technical officer who works on a 223-foot yacht stressed the pressure of delivering top-notch service while remaining level-headed.

Working on a yacht involves "very, very long days with little rest and expectations to perform at the highest levels of service while not losing your cool under pressure," he said.

They have to work hard to keep yachts spotless.

Guests and owners can be messy and dirty — and it's up to the crew to make sure it doesn't look that way. A mate on a 92-foot yacht said he had to wake up before guests or other crew members to get the yacht's exterior ready for the day.

"They expect it to look like no one has touched it," he said. "So any rain or dew, water spots, bird crap, or salt spray has to be continuously cleaned, not to mention having to constantly wipe stainless [steel] and glass when guests move around the boat. They leave smudges and fingerprints everywhere.

"By the time I start at the top of the boat and move around drying the boat, washing windows, and prepping water toys, depending on where the guests are, it's time to clean behind them."

He said he then has to be available for whatever the day brings, whether guests want to take the tender out or play with water toys, the interior crew needs help with service, or any maintenance issues need to be addressed.

There's a lot of cleaning, smiling, and snacking.

Nic, a chief stewardess, shared her typical daily itinerary, which extends from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., with a one-hour break for a power nap.

There's constant snacking, as she doesn't always have time to sit and eat, she said. She's also "always thinking and planning ahead for the next meal or excursion," like what guests "need to take with them and what they need upon return," she said.

"Always thinking of ways to make the day special and 'perfect' (as much as possible)," she said.

She added: "Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning, and lots of smiling. Behind the scenes, a lot of running around and working at high speed, throwing stuff into drawers and sorting it out later when you have time, laughing, and keeping crew spirits high. Never-ending laundry."

Work is easier when the owners are away, which is often.

Billionaire owners actually don't spend a lot of time on their multimillion-dollar yachts. Neither do the guests who charter them.

"Owners or guests are typically not on the boat all that much, so most of the time the crew has the boat to themselves," said Michael, a former yacht captain who worked on yachts ranging from 130 to 170 feet.

"Work is pretty easy and consists of general maintenance and keeping the boat in perfect/ready state for when the owner does show up. If you have a good crew it can be very enjoyable. If you do not, it can be very stressful and miserable."

Everything depends on the owner's personality.

Some crew members get lucky working for generous yacht owners, while others get treated like the help.

"It's hard work and long days when they are on board," said Martin, the captain of a 155-foot yacht. "It really depends on the owner. Some have treated me like family, and some have treated me like a servant."

But sometimes it's not the owner who's difficult.

A chef on a 150-foot motor yacht also said that working for a billionaire could be unpredictable, as every boat and owner is different.

But it's not the owner of the yacht who's always difficult to work for.

"Bear in mind that the captain is every bit as much your boss as the owner is, and sometimes the captain is a bigger pain in the ass than the billionaire owner," she said.

Yacht owners are just your everyday people on vacation — with more money.

According to Mark, the captain of a 114-foot yacht, billionaire owners are just like normal vacationers. Kind of.

"They're just people holidaying, but with more money and toys to fill their days," he said.

They can be more down-to-earth than expected, but their spontaneity can be frustrating.

"It's really nice to find out that some of the wealthiest people you'll work for are actually more down-to-earth and normal like any person you'd meet on the street," a stewardess on a 112-foot sailing yacht said. "The saying is 'money screams, wealth whispers.'"

She added: "A typical day involves turning heads, beds, and laundry for guests and crew, which can be a lot if you're a department of one. Food and beverage service three times a day. A lot of plans and schedules change on the fly depending on the owners and their wants and whims, which can be a bit frustrating."

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Baltimore bridge collapse: at least six missing as Biden laments ‘terrible accident’

Mayor says rescue efforts continuing after cargo vessel hit Francis Scott Key Bridge, sending vehicles into the water

A frantic search-and-rescue effort continued on Tuesday hours after a major bridge in Baltimore , Maryland, snapped and collapsed when a container ship collided with it in the early morning, sending a number of vehicles into the water.

Baltimore fire department officials said at least six construction workers were still missing, after reports that a 948ft Singapore-flagged container ship leaving port on its way to Sri Lanka had crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

Jeffrey Pritzker, a senior executive at Brawner Builders, the employer of the construction workers, said Tuesday afternoon that they were presumed dead, given the water’s depth and the length of time since the crash. Pritzker said the crew had been working in the middle of the bridge when it came apart. No bodies have been recovered. “This was so completely unforeseen,” Pritzker said. “We don’t know what else to say. We take such great pride in safety, and we have cones and signs and lights and barriers and flaggers. But we never foresaw that the bridge would collapse.”

A report from the Baltimore Banner earlier said the were construction workers from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico who are in their 30s and 40s, with spouses and children.

Officials added that up to 20 people and several vehicles had fallen into the river and declared it a “mass casualty event”.

A video posted on X appeared to show the vessel striking one of the bridge’s central supports, causing much of the 2.6km bridge to give way as a number of vehicles fell into the Patapsco River below.

Joe Biden addressed the bridge collapse in a public briefing about midday, saying that all indications were that it was a “terrible accident” rather than an “intentional act”.

The president also said he was thinking of those who remained unaccounted for amid the search and rescue efforts around the bridge, a key traffic artery whose destruction is also expected to cause months of travel disruption in a city with more than 575,000 residents.

“We’re with you. We’re going to stay with you as long as it takes,” said Biden, adding that he intended to travel to Baltimore as soon as possible. “You’re Maryland tough. You’re Baltimore strong.”

Officials said the ship issued a mayday as it went off course and seemed to lose power, which Baltimore officials said allowed them to prevent more vehicles from coming on to the bridge. The ship then appeared to catch fire as part of the bridge collapsed over it, sending plumes of thick, black smoke into the air.

Two people have been rescued, with one of them “severely” injured and in critical condition, officials said in a pre-dawn press conference. There were reports that there were workers on the bridge engaged in basic road maintenance when the collision occurred.

The temperature in the river was about 47F (8C) in the early hours of Tuesday, according to a buoy that collects data for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

From a vantage point near the entrance to the bridge, jagged remnants of its steel frame were visible protruding from the water, with the on-ramp ending abruptly where the span once began. “All lanes closed both directions for incident on I-695 Key Bridge. Traffic is being detoured,” the Maryland transportation authority posted on X. “I-695 Key Bridge collapse due to ship strike. Active scene,” it later added.

Calls to 911 had come in at about 1.30am, reporting a vessel travelling outbound from Baltimore that had struck a column on the bridge, causing it to collapse, said Kevin Cartwright, the director of communications for the Baltimore fire department. Several vehicles were on the bridge at the time, including one the size of a tractor-trailer.

“Our focus right now is trying to rescue and recover these people,” Cartwright said. He added that it was too early to know how many people were affected but described the collapse as a “developing mass casualty event”.

Cartwright said it appeared that there were “some cargo or retainers” that appeared to be dangling from the bridge, creating unsafe and unstable conditions that were complicating the rescue operation. “This is a dire emergency,” he said.

Matthew West, a petty officer first class for the coastguard in Baltimore, told the New York Times that the coastguard received a report of an impact at 1.27am ET. West said the Dali, a 948ft (290-metre) Singapore-flagged cargo ship, had hit the bridge, which is part of Interstate 695.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) confirmed that the vessel was registered in Singapore and said the agency was coordinating with the US Coast Guard and the ship’s management company to help. It also said it would investigate the incident itself.

There were 22 crew onboard at the time of the incident, Singapore said.

The shipping company Maersk said that it chartered the container ship in Baltimore, with the operator named as Synergy Marine Group. Maersk confirmed that there were 22 crew, and said they were all Indian. None of them were Maersk crew or personnel.

It added that there were 4,679 containers on board, roughly half of its 10,000 capacity.

“We are horrified by what has happened in Baltimore, and our thoughts are with all of those affected,” the company said in a statement.

The Dali had left Baltimore at 1am and was heading for the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, according to the maritime data platform MarineTraffic. Synergy Marine Group, the manager of the Dali, confirmed that the ship had collided with one of the pillars of the bridge. It said all crew members, including the two pilots, had been accounted for and there were no reports of any injuries.

“Whilst the exact cause of the incident is yet to be determined, the Dali has now mobilised its qualified individual incident response service,” it said.

The same vessel was also involved in a collision in 2016 in Antwerp, Belgium, according to Vessel Finder and the maritime incident archive Shipwrecklog.

Its bow reportedly scraped the side of the quay while it was leaving port, significantly damaging several meters of the hull, and it was reportedly detained by authorities afterward.

According to Vessel Finder , the weather was fine at the time and the incident was blamed on the ship’s master and pilot on board. There were reportedly no injuries.

The Baltimore mayor, Brandon M Scott, called Tuesday’s collision an “unthinkable tragedy” at a press conference held as dawn broke on Baltimore. “Never would you imagine” seeing the bridge collapse, he added. “It looked like something out of an action movie.”

Asked how long it would take to rebuild the bridge, he said: “The discussion right now should be about the people, the lives, the souls … there are people in the water that we have to get out and that’s the only thing we should be talking about.”

He and the county executive, Johnny Olszewski Jr, said emergency personnel were at the scene and rescue efforts were under way.

Officials added that there was “absolutely no indication that there was any terrorism or that this was done on purpose”.

The Maryland governor, Wes Moore, said in a statement that he had declared a state of emergency.

He said the ship had lost power around the time when the cargo ship hit the Key Bridge, and the crew issued a “mayday” request. Moore said that officials were able to slow the flow of traffic, preventing more vehicles from falling into the water.

“These people are heroes. They saved lives last night,” Moore said, adding that Baltimore was working with an interagency government team to quickly deploy federal resources from the Biden administration.

Moore added the bridge was “fully up to code” before Tuesday’s accident and that rebuilding the bridge would be a long-term effort.

In a statement, the White House said it was “closely monitoring” the events. “The US Coast Guard is conducting search and rescue for those who remain unaccounted for as a result of the bridge collapse,” it said. “Senior White House officials are in touch with the governor and mayor to offer any federal assistance they need. There is no indication of any nefarious intent.”

It added that “our hearts go out” to the victims and families of what it called a “horrific incident”.

Built in 1977, the bridge spans the Patapsco River, a vital artery that along with the Port of Baltimore is a hub for shipping on the US’s east coast. It is named for the author of the American national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner.

Gloria Oladipo , Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report

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Baltimore bridge collapse wasn't first major accident for giant container ship Dali

This story will be updated throughout the day, so bookmark and check back.

Propulsion failed on the cargo ship that struck the Francis Key Bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday as it was leaving port, causing it to collapse into the frigid Patapsco River. Its crew warned Maryland officials of a possible collision because they had lost control.

“The vessel notified MD Department of Transportation (MDOT) that they had lost control of the vessel” and a collision with the bridge “was possible,” according to an unclassified Department of Homeland Security report. “The vessel struck the bridge causing a complete collapse.”

An official speaking on condition of anonymity confirmed to USA TODAY that the DHS’ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is working with federal, state, and local officials “to understand the potential impacts of this morning’s collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.”

Clay Diamond, executive director, American Pilots’ Association, told USA TODAY power issues are not unusual on cargo ships, which are so large they cannot easily course correct.

“It’s likely that virtually every pilot in the country has experienced a power loss of some kind (but) it generally is momentary,” Diamond said. “This was a complete blackout of all the power on the ship, so that’s unusual. Of course this happened at the worst possible location.” 

The ship in Tuesday's crash, Dali, was involved in at least one prior accident when it collided with a shipping pier in Belgium.

That 2016 incident occurred as the Dali was leaving port in Antwerp and struck a loading pier made of stone, causing damage to the ship’s stern, according to VesselFinder.com, a site that tracks ships across the world. An investigation determined a mistake made by the ship’s master and pilot was to blame.

No one was injured in that crash, although the ship required repair and a full inspection before being returned to service. The pier – or berth – was also seriously damaged and had to be closed.

VesselFinder reports that the Dali was chartered by Maersk, the same company chartering it during the Baltimore harbor incident.

The 9-year-old container ship had passed previous inspections during its time at sea, but during one such inspection in June at the Port of San Antonio in Chile, officials discovered a deficiency with its "propulsion and auxiliary machinery (gauges, thermometers, etc)," according to the Tokyo MOU, an intergovernmental maritime authority in the Asia-Pacific region.

The report provided no other information about the deficiency except to note that it was not serious enough to remove the ship from service.

Follow here for live updates: Baltimore's Key Bridge collapses after ship strike; construction crew missing: Live Updates

Why did Dali crash into the Baltimore bridge?

Officials said Tuesday they’re investigating the collision, including whether systems on board lost electricity early Tuesday morning, which could be related to mechanical failure, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly.

Accidents at sea, known as marine casualties, are not uncommon, the source told USA TODAY. However, “allisions,” in which a moving object strikes a stationary one with catastrophic results, are far less common. The investigation of the power loss aboard the Dali, a Singapore-flagged vessel, will be a high priority.

In a video posted to social media, lights on the Dali shut off, then turned back on, then shut off again before the ship struck a support pier on the bridge.

Numerous cargo and cruise ships have lost power over the years.

The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea requires all international vessels to have two independent sources of electricity, both of which should be able to maintain the ship's seaworthiness on their own, according to a safety study about power failures on ships , citing the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea.

The Dali's emergency generator was likely responsible for the lights coming back on after the initial blackout, Diamond said.

“There was still some steerage left when they initially lost power,” he said. “We’ve been told the ship never recovered propulsion. The emergency generator is a diesel itself – so if you light off the generator, that’s also going to put off a puff of exhaust.”

Under maritime law, all foreign flagged vessels must be piloted into state ports by a state licensed pilot so the Dali's pilot is licensed by Association of Maryland Pilots .

Diamond described the incident based on information from the Maryland agency that licensed the pilot aboard the ship. His organization represents that group and all other state piloting agencies in the US.

“The pilot was directing navigation of the ship as it happened,” he said. “He asked the captain to get the engines back online. They weren’t able to do that, so the pilot took all the action he could. He tried to steer, to keep the ship in the channel. He also dropped the ship’s anchor to slow the ship and guide the direction.

“Neither one was enough. The ship never did regain its engine power.”

How big is the Dali ship?

The Dali is a 984-foot container vessel built in 2015 by Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea. With a cruising speed of about 22 knots – roughly 25 mph. It has traveled the world carrying goods from port to port.

The ship, constructed of high-strength steel, has one engine and one propeller, according to MarineTraffic.com.

The Dali arrived in Baltimore on Sunday from the Port of Norfolk in Virginia. Before that, it had been in New York and came through the Panama Canal.

It remains at the scene of the collapse as authorities investigate.

Who owns and operates the Dali?

It is owned by the Singapore-based Grace Ocean Pte Ltd but managed by Synergy Marine Group, also based in Singapore. It was carrying Maersk customers’ cargo, according to a statement from the shipping company.

“We are deeply concerned by this incident and are closely monitoring the situation,” Maersk said in the statement. 

Synergy, which describes itself as a leading ship manager with more than 600 vessels under its guidance, issued a statement on its website acknowledging the incident and reporting no injuries among its crew and no pollution in the water. There were two pilots on board and 22 crew members in all, according to Synergy, all of them from India.

USA TODAY reached out to Synergy on Tuesday, but the company did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Contributing: Josh Susong

Crew aboard Dali all survived bridge crash ‘by God’s grace’

A director of a baltimore ministry was in touch with those aboard the dali after their ship crashed.

The director of a Baltimore ministry heard a loud boom in the wee hours of Tuesday and figured it was thunder. Then he woke up, turned on the radio and learned that the noise had been the sound of a catastrophe — the crash of a ship into a bridge that involved merchant sailors he had seen just hours earlier.

Andrew Middleton, director of the local Apostleship of the Sea, texted a seafarer aboard the 985-foot container ship Dali.

“Is everyone on board safe?” he asked at 6:03 a.m.

Five minutes later, the crew member replied.

“Yes. By God’s grace.”

Their exchange is the first publicly reported communication from a mariner aboard the vessel, which lost power and slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday. Middleton’s account also provides new insight into the path of the cargo ship before the crash, which destroyed the bridge — rising to 185 feet above the Patapsco River at its peak — and left at least six people missing and two injured.

“The words that ‘the Key Bridge is gone’ — it still shakes us,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said Tuesday morning.

Just before the disaster, crew members aboard the Dali alerted authorities that the vessel had lost power, which prompted a rushed effort by authorities to halt vehicle traffic and evacuate people from the bridge. That “mayday” warning is credited with saving numerous lives, Moore said, but it came too late to save workers who were repairing potholes on the span.

The Dali left the Panama Canal on March 13, arrived in New York on March 19, then traveled to Norfolk on Friday, according to the ship-tracking website VesselFinder.com. It arrived Saturday in Baltimore.

Although the Dali’s trip from Panama to the Chesapeake Bay appeared uneventful, records show the nine-year-old ship has had problems related to propulsion in the past.

In June, inspectors at the port of San Antonio, Chile, discovered a problem categorized as relating to “Propulsion and auxiliary machinery,” according to the Tokyo MOU, an intergovernmental shipping regulator in the Asia-Pacific region.

The issue was classified in the subcategory of “Gauges, thermometers, etc,” but no additional details of the deficiency were provided. The problem was not serious enough to warrant detaining the ship, according to the records , and the Dali was found to have no outstanding deficiencies after a follow-up inspection later that day.

Basil Karatzas, chief executive of Karatzas Marine Advisors & Co., said he suspected that the Baltimore disaster followed a halt in the supply of fuel to the Dali’s engine. “If there was any malfunction of gauges and thermometers looping back to the engine, [that] may have caused or contributed to the accident,” Karatzas said.

The ship — about 157 feet wide and longer than three football fields, according to MarineTraffic.com — stayed in Baltimore for three days.

On Monday, while the ship was docked, Middleton said, he drove its captain and a crew member to shop at a Walmart. In the car, Middleton said, the captain told him about the vessel’s upcoming journey to Sri Lanka — explaining that it would take about a month, because the ship would be traveling around the southern tip of Africa to avoid the Suez Canal and Red Sea, where Yemen’s Houthi rebels have been attacking ships.

“They were going out of their way to ensure their own safety,” said Middleton, whose ministry provides services for seafarers when they arrive at the port.

Employees of the ministry transport crew members to local establishments and provide counseling to those on board, who are often far from home and dealing with the strains of life at sea.

Before he left them Monday afternoon, Middleton prayed with the captain and crew member.

“God bless these gentlemen,” he prayed. “Have a safe voyage.”

The Dali left about 12:44 a.m. Tuesday and was expected to arrive at the Sri Lankan port city of Colombo on April 22, a journey of 27 days.

But then it lost power as it neared the Key Bridge. Thick black smoke began to appear from the ship’s port funnel, video showed. The lights turned off, then on, then off again. The vessel was traveling at eight knots, which Moore called “a very, very rapid speed.”

At 1:27 a.m., as the darkened ship was illuminated by city lights on either side of the harbor, members of the Maryland Transportation Authority police scrambled to respond to the ship’s “mayday.”

“Hold all traffic on the Key Bridge,” one voice said over the transportation authority police radio, according to records from Broadcastify, an open-source audio streaming service. “There’s a ship approaching that just lost their steering.”

Others on the radio announced they were on their way to the bridge or already holding traffic.

Then, one voice asked whether there were workers on the bridge.

“You might want to notify whoever the foreman is to see if we can get them off the bridge temporarily,” another voice said over the radio.

At 1:28 a.m. — less than a minute after the first warning — the Dali struck one of the bridge’s piers.

An officer replied that he would drive onto the bridge and notify the workers after another officer arrived to keep the traffic blocked. But the bridge had already been hit.

About 20 seconds later, a voice shouted over the radio, “The whole bridge just fell down!”

The Dali was traveling under the flag of Singapore. Singapore’s Maritime Port Authority said Tuesday that it was investigating the collision and providing “full cooperation” to the U.S. Coast Guard. The authority, which regulates marine services in Singapore, said there were 22 crew members on board at the time of the crash.

The registered owner of the ship is Singapore-based Grace Ocean Pte Ltd., and it is managed by Synergy Marine Group. Neither company immediately responded to a request for comment from The Washington Post. An official from Grace Ocean told the global shipping news website TradeWinds that the company is “working with the ship’s technical manager Synergy Marine to determine what happened.”

News accounts indicate that reported problems with the Dali date to 2016. That year, the Dali struck a stone wall at the Belgium port of Antwerp as it was unmooring and leaving the port. The ship sustained “hull damage impairing seaworthiness,” according to Equasis, a maritime data service created by European authorities. VesselFinder, a maritime monitoring service, reported that no one was injured and no cargo was spilled. The ship was detained in Antwerp for necessary repairs.

About three months after the Antwerp collision, the Dali was sold by its Greek owner, Oceanbulk Maritime, to Grace Ocean, a Singapore-based subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Mitsui & Co.

Synergy Marine Group has been involved in at least three incidents since 2018 that led to the deaths of crew members, according to investigation records from transportation safety agencies and government statements.

In 2018, a technician onboard a vessel managed by Synergy was killed when a personnel elevator malfunctioned, according to authorities in Australia, where the vessel was registered.

Required “safety barriers” were not put in place before the technician began his work, and “aspects of the supervision and communications throughout the task were ineffective,” said an investigation report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

In 2019, an officer on a Synergy-registered vessel was reported missing. An investigation by authorities in Singapore found that the officer had probably fallen overboard while working alone on a lifeboat and that it was “probable” he was not wearing a personal flotation device. And last year, a tanker partly managed by Synergy collided with a dredger off the coast of the Philippines, killing two seafarers: a Filipino national and a Chinese national, according to Philippine Coast Guard officials.

On Tuesday evening in Baltimore, the Dali was still sitting in the water, surrounded by remnants of the once 1.6-mile-long bridge. Dive teams cautiously searched for victims Tuesday afternoon, hampered by rough waters, piles of silt in the Patapsco River and the twisted wreckage of the submerged bridge.

Rebecca Tan, Sarah Cahlan, Tim Craig and Gregory S. Schneider contributed to this report.

Baltimore bridge collapse

Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after being hit by a cargo ship , sending at least eight people from a construction crew into the water. Follow live updates and see photos from the scene .

How it happened: The container ship lost power moments before colliding with the bridge, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said. Video shows the bridge collapse in under 40 seconds. Read everything we know so far about the bridge collapse .

Victims: Rescue efforts are underway as authorities search for six people still missing . The entire crew aboard the 985-foot container ship Dali survived .

Economic impact: The collapse of the bridge, which severed ocean links to the city’s port, adds a fresh headache to already struggling global supply chains .

History: The Key Bridge was built in the 1970s and spans the Patapsco River. Here’s a list of other major bridge collapses in U.S. history .

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Philippines lodges its ‘strongest protest’ against China over a water cannon assault in disputed sea

In this screen grab from video provided by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, a Chinese coast guard ship uses water cannons on a Philippine resupply vessel Unaizah May 4 as it approaches Second Thomas Shoal, locally called Ayungin shoal, at the disputed South China Sea on Saturday, March 23, 2024. (Armed Forces of the Philippines via AP)

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MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippines lodged its “strongest protest” against Beijing on Monday and summoned a senior Chinese diplomat over a water cannon assault by the Chinese coast guard that injured Filipino navy crew members and heavily damaged their boat in the disputed South China Sea, officials said.

In response, China warned that relations were at a crossroads and the Philippines should choose a prudent path forward.

Two Chinese coast guard ships hit a Philippine navy-operated supply boat with water cannons Saturday in the latest and most serious confrontation between the rival Asian claimants near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal , which is surrounded by Chinese vessels in a bid to dislodge Philippine forces from there.

The repeated high-seas confrontations since last year have sparked fears of a larger conflict that could put China and the United States on a collision course. . The U.S. has warned repeatedly that it’s obligated to defend the Philippines — its oldest treaty ally in Asia — if Filipino forces, ships or aircraft come under an armed attack, including in the South China Sea.

The United States, the European Union, Japan, Australia and about 16 other countries have expressed support to the Philippines and the rule of law, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila.

China accused Philippine vessels of “intruding” into Chinese waters. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that the actions of the Chinese coast guard were “legitimate, professional and restrained” and that China would “continue to take resolute measures to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.”

The Chinese Embassy in Manila issued a statement by the Chinese coast guard that warned the Philippines against “playing with fire.”

Philippine Foreign Undersecretary Theresa Lazaro in a phone call with her Chinese counterpart expressed “the Philippines’ strongest protest against the aggressive actions undertaken by the China coast guard and Chinese maritime militia against the rotation and resupply mission undertaken by the Philippines,” the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong told Lazaro that relations between their countries are at a crossroads and that the Philippines must act prudently in deciding which path to follow, a statement from the Chinese side said.

He accused the Philippines of provoking incidents at Second Thomas Shoal and attempting to transport supplies without China’s permission to an illegally beached ship in a bid to achieve long-term occupation of the reef, the statement said.

The Philippines separately summoned a senior Chinese diplomat in Manila to convey its protest and demand that Chinese ships immediately leave the waters around Second Thomas Shoal, which lies in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, and for China to stop violating international law.

Philippine defense, security and foreign affairs officials convened a meeting Monday to discuss new steps to deal with what they say is China’s unacceptable and provocative actions in the South China Sea. Their recommendations would be submitted to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and were not immediately released to the public.

Second Thomas Shoal has been occupied by a small contingent of Philippine navy and marines on a marooned warship since 1999, but has been surrounded by Chinese coast guard and other vessels in an increasingly tense standoff. It’s the second time the Philippine supply boat has been damaged by water cannon in March.

The U.S. lays no claims to the busy seaway, a key global trade route, but has deployed Navy ships and fighter jets in what it calls freedom of navigation operations that have challenged China’s claims to virtually the entire South China Sea. Beijing says the strengthening of U.S. alliances in Asia, including with the Philippines, is aimed at containing China and threatens regional stability.

Aside from China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also have overlapping claims in the resource-rich and busy waterway. Beijing has refused to recognize a 2016 international arbitration ruling that invalidated its expansive claims on historical grounds.

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The Dali was just starting a 27-day voyage.

The ship had spent two days in Baltimore’s port before setting off.

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By Claire Moses and Jenny Gross

• March 26, 2024 Updated 1:50 p.m. ET

The Dali was less than 30 minutes into its planned 27-day journey when the ship ran into the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Tuesday.

The ship, which was sailing under the Singaporean flag, was on its way to Sri Lanka and was supposed to arrive there on April 22, according to VesselFinder, a ship tracking website.

The Dali, which is nearly 1,000 feet long, left the Baltimore port around 1 a.m. Eastern on Tuesday. The ship had two pilots onboard, according to a statement by its owners, Grace Ocean Investment. There were 22 crew members on board, the Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore said in a statement. There were no reports of any injuries, Grace Ocean said.

Before heading off on its voyage, the Dali had returned to the United States from Panama on March 19, harboring in New York. It then arrived on Saturday in Baltimore, where it spent two days in the port.

Maersk, the shipping giant, said in a statement on Tuesday that it had chartered the vessel, which was carrying Maersk cargo. No Maersk crew and personnel were onboard, the statement said, adding that the company was monitoring the investigations being carried out by the authorities and by Synergy Group, the company that was operating the vessel.

“We are horrified by what has happened in Baltimore, and our thoughts are with all of those affected,” the Maersk statement said.

The Dali was built in 2015 by the South Korea-based Hyundai Heavy Industries. The following year, the ship was involved in a minor incident when it hit a stone wall at the port of Antwerp . The Dali sustained damage at the time, but no one was injured.

Claire Moses is a reporter for the Express desk in London. More about Claire Moses

Jenny Gross is a reporter for The Times in London covering breaking news and other topics. More about Jenny Gross

Local News | Dali crew spent weekend in Baltimore before…

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Local news | recovery efforts to resume wednesday for six key bridge construction workers believed to be dead, local news | dali crew spent weekend in baltimore before heading back to sea, but ship instead struck key bridge.

Andy Middleton heard “a sustained rumbling sound” but thought it was a low-flying plane. Only hours later Tuesday did the Dundalk resident learn it was the Key Bridge collapsing after being struck by the Dali cargo ship, whose crew members he and other volunteers had taken shopping while they were docked in Baltimore this weekend.

“I was able to reach out to the crew, and everyone was safe,” said a relieved Middleton, director of the Apostleship of the Sea. “I’m still concerned about those who were on the bridge when it collapsed and hope they’re found.”

The Catholic ministry helps crew members while their vessels are at the Port of Baltimore, respites for what can be monthslong trips at sea.

Middleton said he and other volunteers took Dali crew members to Walmart, where they wanted to stock up for a particularly long voyage ahead.

“They were going to Sri Lanka, and the captain said it was going to be a 28-day voyage ,” he said. “They were going down and around South Africa to avoid the Red Sea and the Houthis.”

In response to Israel’s bombing in Gaza, Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have been designated a terrorist group by the U.S., have been attacking ships in the Red Sea and military forces in the area.

As a result, the Dali was “taking a longer route,” Middleton said.

“We’re a friendly face when they come into the Port of Baltimore,” he said. “I’m glad we were able to provide services for them before they sailed.”

Crews that arrive here are also assisted by another group, the Baltimore International Seafarers’ Center.

Now, Middleton is gearing up for whatever the crew might need when they return to port.

“I’m sure there will be some who are shaken by it,” he said. “You never know how you’re going to react to something. No one ever thinks you’re going to set sail and hit a bridge and it’s going to collapse.”

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