Choosing your hub
Antibes, Palma, or Fort Lauderdale?
Three different bets. The right hub for you depends on your passport and the season you can run.
Antibes (France)
The largest superyacht harbour in the Med. Highest density of agencies and crew. Above-average cost of living. Best for: EU passport holders, anyone the Schengen clock doesn't bother.
Palma de Mallorca (Spain)
Cheaper accommodation than Antibes. Strong year-round shipyard scene. Slightly smaller English-speaking crew network. Best for: budget-tight EU crew, Spanish-speakers.
Fort Lauderdale (USA)
The Caribbean season hub, post-FLIBS. B1/B2 lets you work aboard US-flagged yachts but not seek work shoreside. Best for: crew with B1/B2 already, non-EU dodging Schengen.
EU passport: Antibes or Palma. Non-EU with B1/B2: Fort Lauderdale in autumn. Non-EU without B1/B2: Antibes in March, sign onto a boat before your 90 Schengen days expire.
Anatomy of the town
Antibes in five places.
The yacht-crew map is small. Once you know these, you know where to be and when.
Port Vauban / IYCA
The biggest superyacht harbour in the Med. Quai Camille Rayon is where dockwalking happens. 7–9am with a printed CV.
Old Town (Vieil Antibes)
Crew houses, narrow streets, walking distance to the marina. Where most green crew start.
Le Blue Lady & The Hop Store
The two pubs where conversations turn into roles. Default afternoon and Friday-night spots.
Salis & La Fontonne
Where crew live longer-term. Cheaper rent, scooter or shared car preferred.
SNCF station
Trains to Cannes, Nice, Monaco. Your fastest route to the rest of the Côte d'Azur scene.
Pick your team
Which department fits you.
Yacht crew split into four teams. Captains hire the background you've already got. Green crew with the right shoreside experience skip the dayworking grind.
Deck
Deckhand → Bosun → 2nd Officer → Captain
Wash-downs, line handling, fenders, varnish, tender ops, watersports setup. Sporty and outdoorsy types fit fastest. RYA Day Skipper, carpentry, dive or videography skills give you an edge.
Interior
Stewardess → 2nd Stew → Chief Stew
Laundry, cabin turndown, silver service, drinks, cocktails, flowers, guest experience. Five-star hotel, fine-dining floor, or cruise-ship hospitality experience transfers directly.
Galley
Sole chef (smaller boats) / Sous → Head Chef
Multiple meals daily, dietary planning, plating to fine-dining standard. Not a green-crew entry path. Restaurant kitchen experience is mandatory before you step on board.
Engineering
Y3 / AEC → 3rd → 2nd → Chief Engineer
Mechanical maintenance, electrical, plumbing, hydraulics, generators. Mechanical apprenticeships, marine engineering schools, or ex-military trade backgrounds win fastest. AEC1+2 is the standard entry course.
Backgrounds matter more than years on a CV. Captains hire what you've actually done.
What to know before you land in Antibes
What crew actually walk into. Not a directory. A curated short list from the people we've worked with on the docks.
What each month looks like
- January
Refit and yard season. Daywork is yard-based: paint, varnish, antifouling. Most boats are hauled out or in deep maintenance. Cheapest month to live in Antibes.
- February
Still quiet on the docks. Crew arrive early to settle in. Register with agencies now and make sure your STCW and ENG1 are in date before March.
- March
First boats reposition from the Caribbean. Atlantic crossings take roughly two weeks. Steady trickle of arrivals into Med ports. Walk-on daywork starts opening up.
- April
Peak walk-on window. Charter prep is in full swing across the Côte d'Azur. Industry shows along the coast pull captains, agents, and brokers into town. Most green crew who land season jobs lock them in this month.
- May
Cannes Film Festival (mid-May) and the Monaco Grand Prix (last weekend) drive charter demand on the Côte d'Azur. Boats move constantly between Antibes, Cannes, and Monaco. Last-minute crew gaps open when permanent crew can't sail.
- June
Mid-season. Boats spread across the Med: Sardinia, Corsica, the Balearics, the Amalfi coast. Crew turnover slows as boats prioritise stable teams through summer.
- July
Peak charter month across Italy, France, and Spain. Hiring goes reactive: replacements only. If you're already in a network, this is when last-minute calls come.
- August
Owner-usage month. Many yachts are off charter and in private use. The quietest hiring window of the year.
- September
Cannes Yachting Festival (early September) and Monaco Yacht Show (late September) are the two biggest industry events of the calendar. Charter season winds down and yards start filling. Captains often swap crew before transatlantic crossings.
- October
End of the Med season. Boats start crossing back to the Caribbean. Some crew jump aboard for the passage; others go back into yard work in Antibes.
- November
Atlantic crossings continue through the month. Antibes goes quiet as boats either head west or settle into yard. Living costs drop.
- December
Quietest month. Most yachts are in refit or already in the Caribbean.
Crew agencies worth walking into
Bluewater
Large, English-speaking, runs training too. Best for permanent rotational roles on bigger boats.
Visit website →The Crew Network
One of the longest-running yacht crew agencies in the world. Antibes office five minutes from Port Vauban.
Visit website →YPI Crew
Antibes-based, established 2002. Strong on deck, engineering, interior, and senior officer placements.
Visit website →Wilsonhalligan
UK-headquartered, founder-led. Covers all departments. Good for crew arriving via the British pipeline.
Visit website →Hill Robinson
Recruitment side of a major yacht management firm. Antibes office at Port Vauban, mostly larger-boat permanent roles.
Visit website →Register with two or three. Then use Yachtie for everything in between.
STCW and training
STCW Basic Safety Training is 5 days across four modules: Personal Survival Techniques, Fire Prevention & Firefighting, Elementary First Aid, Personal Safety & Social Responsibilities. Antibes courses run around €1,295 (Bluewater); the UK is cheaper (~£400–600), which is why most crew do it at home before flying in. Make sure the school is MCA-approved (the regulatory body for commercial yacht crew). RYA endorsement is a separate sailing-skills track. Don't confuse the two.
Bluewater Training
Full STCW Basic and Advanced pathway plus interior and engineering courses. Books up weeks ahead in spring.
Visit website →
Seascope France
MCA-approved, RYA-endorsed. Hands-on STCW and yacht courses, well-known on the Antibes circuit.
Visit website →
Zephyr Yachting
STCW Basic and Update courses. Smaller school, more flexible scheduling.
Visit website →STCW Basic Safety Training is the minimum to step onto any yacht. ENG1 comes next.
“In Antibes, the role is filled before the role exists. The captain calls the chief stew, who calls the friend they trust, who calls you.”
ENG1 medicals
ENG1 is the maritime medical for commercial seafarers, issued by an MCA-approved doctor, valid 2 years (1 year if you're over 55). Tests vision (with correction OK), colour vision (without correction; deck crew need to pass Ishihara), hearing, blood pressure, BMI, urinalysis, joints, mental fitness. Most fails are uncontrolled hypertension or colour blindness flagged for deck roles. Antibes runs €100–150. Bring your previous certificate, medication list, and glasses.
Dr Christopher Besse
MCA-approved. 74 Avenue de la Liberté, Golfe-Juan (5 min east of Antibes). Dedicated ENG1 practice with online Calendly booking. The domain literally is eng1.fr.
Visit website →Dr Simon Gordon, Cabinet Médical Gordon
MCA-approved. 1913 Route de Cannes, Valbonne (15 min north). British doctor whose practice grew around yacht crew and captains in the South of France. Doctolib online booking.
Visit website →Both names verified against the official UK MCA approved-doctor list (gov.uk). ENG1 is valid two years. Get it in date before flying in if you can.
Where crew live
Old Town (Vieil Antibes)
Dense, atmospheric, walkable to Port Vauban. Crew houses common, prices climb in season.
Salis
Quieter, near the beach, 15-min walk to the marina. Studios around €800–1,100/month off-season.
La Fontonne
Further from the action, cheaper rent (€600–900). Good with a scooter or shared car.
Near SNCF station
Central for trains to Cannes, Nice, Monaco. Less charm, more convenience.
Crew houses to know
Crew Grapevine
Three houses in Old Antibes (Portside, Seaside, Oasis). Run by ex-yacht crew, strong networking, weekly workshops.
Visit website →
Debbie's Crew House
Provençal villa with private pool, gated courtyard. Run by Debbie and Franco, with 40+ years of yachting between them. Often hear about jobs first.
Visit website →
The Crew House
Large central house sleeping up to 30. Strong community, run by Martin and Virginie. Refundable €50 deposit.
Visit website →
Crew Lighthouse
Up to 18 people, central Antibes near Port Vauban and the train station. Mix of doubles and bunk-bed rooms.
Visit website →
The Glamorgan
150-year-old Renaissance villa, en-suite rooms, capacity for 9. Run by ex-captain Chris Brown. Quieter, more home-like.
Visit website →Prices and availability shift fast. Message directly, ask about weekly rates, deposits, and what's included (laundry, printing, workshop).
Where crew hang out
Le Blue Lady Pub
The classic crew and captain spot. Open from breakfast to late. Casual networking happens here.
Open in Maps →
The Hop Store
Irish pub vibes, crew-heavy crowd in season. Default Friday night option.
Open in Maps →
L'Enoteca
Tapas and drinks in the Old Town. Solid for a chill night with crew you've been working with.
Open in Maps →Most crew jobs start as a conversation in one of these places. Be there, be sociable, don't be the person captains hear about for the wrong reason.
Up and down the coast
The other yacht hubs from here
Antibes is the home base, but the season moves up and down the coast. These are the places you'll be in and out of on a Friday and a yacht show weekend.
Cannes
Charter prep before the Film Festival. Cannes Yachting Festival in early September.
Nice
Closest international airport (NCE). Most crew fly in here. Constant turnover.
Monaco
Monaco GP (last weekend of May) and Monaco Yacht Show (late September) drive demand.
Sanremo, Italy
Italian-side yard work. Cheaper haul-outs and a different network when the French side is full.
A note from Jure
I was the green deckhand on this dock.
Walked Quai Camille Rayon at 7am with printed CVs in 2023. Got picked up after a week of daywork. Built Yachtie because most of the people I met that summer became my next jobs, and I lost half their numbers when I changed boats. The town is small. Once you know it, you can keep showing up. This page is the version I wish I'd had on my first walk.
Jure, deck/engineer, founder of Yachtie.
Day rates
Cash is the norm. Permanent positions are paid weekly or monthly via the boat's payroll.
What landing in Antibes actually costs
Rough budget for a green deckhand or stew arriving in March with no boat yet. Local prices, season-dependent.
- Crew house, 4 weeks€1,400 – 2,000
- ENG1 medical (if not done)€100 – 150
- Food, month 1€350 – 500
- Transport (bus, train, scooter)€100 – 200
- Realistic landing budget€2,000 – 2,800
Daywork at €120–150 is real, but green crew don't book it every day. First few weeks are usually a day here, three days there. Sometimes nothing for a fortnight. Budget for the wait, not for a quick payback. STCW (~€1,100) most crew do at home before flying in.
See full salary tables for permanent roles →Three different things
Sea trial, working trial, probationary period.
Crew get these mixed up. They're not the same, and the difference matters when you're signing or walking away.
Sea trial
An operational test of the vessel itself, usually post-refit or after major repairs. Engineers, naval architects, and crew run systems checks at sea. It's not a hiring event, even if you're aboard.
Working trial (job trial)
A 1–3 day evaluation aboard before you're offered a permanent role. The captain, chief stew, or HOD watches you work. Often paid as daywork (€120–150/day) for longer trials, sometimes unpaid for short ones. No contract is signed yet. Both sides are still deciding.
Probationary period
A clause inside your signed Seafarer Employment Agreement (SEA, required under MLC 2006). Typically 1–3 months. Either party can exit on shorter notice than after probation, usually 7 to 14 days, set in your contract. The first agreed exit ramp on both sides.
Non-EU crew, read this
Schengen, work permits, and the seafarer stamp-out.
If you're not an EU passport holder, the 90-day Schengen clock starts the second you land. From October 2025 the EU's new EES system records every entry digitally. Here's what that means in practice.
The 90/180 rule
Non-EU passport holders get 90 days in any rolling 180-day Schengen window. Tourist arrival, dock-walking, agency interviews, crew-house life all count as Schengen tourist time. The clock starts day one, and EES tracks it automatically.
The seafarer stamp-out
Once you're hired and signed onto a boat, the local immigration office (PAF in France) stamps you OUT onto the vessel. From that moment your time aboard doesn't count against your 90 days. But Barcelona and Palma since late 2024 only accept a Seaman's Discharge Book for the stamp-out. Employment letters or contracts aren't enough. Antibes is heading the same way. Get your Discharge Book in your home country before flying in.
If 90 days runs out before you sign
You have to leave Schengen. Fly to the UK, Morocco, or Turkey, and wait until the 180-day window resets. There's no grace period and EES enforces it automatically.
France's D-visa (long-stay)
Technically available under the salarié category, but the employer must obtain a DREETS work permit before you apply at a French consulate in your home country. For green crew without an offer, it's not a realistic path. Senior officers with confirmed positions only.
B1/B2 is a US visa
It's for entering the United States. Irrelevant for working in France. Don't confuse the two.
This is the gist. We're building a full visa guide. Drop us a line at hello@yachtie.co if you want it sent to you when it ships.
Why Yachtie
What Yachtie does once you land.
You've got the agencies, the houses, the bars, the calendar. Yachtie is the tool that ties it all together so you stay in the right rooms once you're here.
Crew in port now
See who's around you in Antibes today. Filter by department, position, and when they got in.
Where roles actually travel
Captains hire crew they know first. Yachtie puts you near the people who hear what's moving.
One profile, every season
Keep your contacts when boats and rotations change. Your network follows you across ports.
Between boats, not invisible
Boat-hopping is the norm. Yachtie keeps your contacts and reputation when rotations change, so the next role finds you faster than the dock.
Before you land, and the first week in town.
If you're flying in green, this is the order to do things in.
Before you land
- STCW Basic Safety Training booked or already done.
- ENG1 medical valid, scan saved on your phone.
- CV on one page, PDF, no headshot, MMSI-style summary at the top.
- Two or three agencies pre-registered online.
- First 7 nights of accommodation locked in (crew house preferred).
First week in Antibes
- Walk Quai Camille Rayon, 7–9am, paper CVs in hand. Lead with: "Morning, are you guys taking on any daywork this week?" If they're full, thank them and walk on.
- Drop CVs in person at Bluewater, TCN, YPI, Wilsonhalligan.
- Show face at Le Blue Lady on a weekday afternoon.
- Print 20 fresh CVs and have a 60-second pitch ready for captains.
- Get on Yachtie so the crew you meet stay in your circle.
Three steps. Then you're in.
Build your profile
Position, experience, certifications, when you're available. Two minutes.
Land in Antibes
Yachtie shows you who's around, what's on tonight, what perks are open to crew nearby.
Stay in the loop
Roles travel through crew before they hit listings. Be in the conversation, not refreshing job boards.
The crew finding work in Antibes aren't refreshing job boards. They already know someone when they land.
Frequently asked questions
When does the Antibes season start?+
Boats start arriving in March. The Antibes Yacht Show runs late April. Most charter prep happens between then and mid-May. If you're walking on, that's the window.
Where do crew actually meet in Antibes?+
Le Blue Lady Pub and The Hop Store near Port Vauban. L'Enoteca, Happy Face, and Absinthe Bar around the Old Town. Most crew weeks start at one of these and end at another.
Do I still need to dockwalk?+
Yes, if you can. Walking Quai Camille Rayon between 7 and 9am with a printed CV still works. Yachtie sits on top of that. Once a captain has met you on the dock, the next role going around the network reaches you faster.
Do I need to be on a boat already to join?+
No. Green crew (no boat yet) are who Yachtie was built for. Profile works either way.
What does it cost?+
Nothing. Free for crew, forever. Boats and management companies pay for advanced hiring tools. Crew never do.
