Swimming with dolphins, watching a SpaceX rocket launch from a boat … these are just a couple of examples of what a professional skipper may experience. To many people, the perks of this job far exceed the sacrifices that it requires. Let’s take a closer look at the life and work of professional skippers.
Sailing has turned out to be one of the greatest adventures in my life so far. Cruising through waves on a yacht brings out emotions that can’t be replicated anywhere else.
The feeling of the wind in my hair, the sound of the waves, the sun touching my face in the morning hours, picturesque sunsets on the horizon, and gazing at port lights in the distance—these beautiful, fleeting moments constitute everyday life on board.
Although my story as a skipper began more than a decade ago, I’ve always treated it as a side hustle and never chose the professional path. But I found people who did and asked them about the details of their job.
This article is part of the series about COMBINING A FULFILLING CAREER WITH TRAVELING.
If you want to get ideas on combining work with traveling, feel free to join the GOOD LIFE COMMUNITY.
More Than a Job
Many sailors would agree that going pro is a whole other level of adventure. Working in the yachting industry is more of a lifestyle choice than a job.
Basically, a “skipper” is a less formal name for a captain—that is, a person who’s in command of the boat. It’s as simple as that.
In many aspects, the skipper is the most important person on a boat. They have the final word and, as a rule, they also have the most extensive knowledge about the vessel that they operate. They are ready to not only steer it in the planned direction, but also solve any technical problems that may arise during the voyage. A skipper takes care of the boat and of the people who are on board (their safety and comfort). They often plan the route and, if necessary, make changes to it. Finally, they recommend interesting spots along the way and often become friends with the other people on board.
A skipper’s job is very versatile, so it can appeal to people of different characters. One of the most pleasant ways to take a first step into this type of career is by sailing a yacht on a tourist cruise in a large fleet with the assistance of more experienced sailors.
This is how the story of many people in the industry begins. And this is also how my story began when I stepped onto a yacht for the first time 12 years ago. A leisure trip to Croatia became the start of a great adventure that has lasted up to the present day. I passed the exam for a skipper’s license in Poland and started sailing not only as a crew member, but also as a skipper. I’m fully satisfied with being a part-time sailor, and my qualifications are enough to make it work as a side gig or go sailing with my friends and family. Nevertheless, for someone who’s considering a professional—and international—career in the industry, local certifications definitely aren’t sufficient.
I asked Michael Schneider, the owner of Sailing Circle (an RYA training center in Germany and the UK) about the certifications that are needed to work worldwide. His answer was straightforward:
“The more, the better. I am German and hold all the German qualifications. But you won’t find those in my CV, as they are nearly worthless in the international field that I am working in. The absolute minimum requirement is an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore—better, Ocean. But in order to get the good jobs, much more training is required. Extensive medical training (MCA Proficiency in Medical First Aid and in Medical Care), radio communications, security awareness and of course engineering certificates like the MCA Advanced Diesel Engineer certificate will set you apart from the big masses of yachtmasters out there.”
Getting more and better certifications is a good way to stand out from the crowd. But everyone needs to start somewhere—and local licenses are a great way to not only gain basic knowledge, but to also find out if being a skipper is something that really appeals to you.
Let the Adventure(s) Begin!
When I came up with the idea of writing about the job of a professional skipper, I didn’t have to look very far for someone who could tell me more about starting out in this industry. Quite a few of my friends are professional sailors.
Paweł Kowalczyk joined the sailing club at university and quickly turned his passion into a full-time enterprise. The party and sightseeing cruises that they organized became so popular that he established a company with his friend (an experienced sailor and a long-time friend of mine, as well). The Boat Trip has since developed into a sizable business and organizes trips to numerous locations ranging from Spain and Croatia to Thailand and the Caribbean. Paweł is now the one who trains other skippers. When asked about the best way to gain experience as a skipper, he said:
“Of course, you have to start with the sailing courses and attain proper licenses. Right after you do that, find a way to take the lead on even a small yacht as soon as possible. Having responsibility for all decisions is related to stress and challenges that crew members simply don’t face. It’s convenient to take your first job as a skipper to sail in a yacht fleet, where you can learn from more experienced skippers and ask for their assistance in difficult situations. Sailing in a fleet gives psychological comfort and speeds up the process of getting to know the details of this job and acquiring good habits.”
Kuba Chmurzyński (another good friend of mine) is a talented skipper with impressive experience in fleet sailing—both privately and for companies like The Yacht Week and The Boat Trip. He agrees with Paweł; according to him, sailing in a fleet is the best way to take your first steps as a professional skipper:
“The opportunity to observe more experienced colleagues—the way they maneuver the yacht and manage their crews—is priceless. Besides, first cruises can be extremely stressful for people who have just attained their licenses—and it really helps to know you’re not alone when you need some help or advice.”
Kuba adds that sailing in a fleet of yachts comes with another amazing bonus: meeting lots of people from different countries and backgrounds:
“After a few years sailing for The Yacht Week, I’ve made friends with people from virtually all over the world. Almost wherever I’d like to travel to, I have a place to stay, and I know great people who are willing to show me hidden gems in their cities and countries.”
Taking a Step Further
Sailing in a fleet can be very enjoyable because it usually involves a lot of fun besides the actual work. Touristic yacht cruises often have less demanding routes, and also offer sightseeing and partying occasions as well as the abovementioned networking possibilities. Therefore, many skippers—although usually amateurs—tend to spend many years sailing this way. Nevertheless, skippers who think about doing this job full-time soon become ready for new challenges that involve more responsibility and self-reliance, as well as larger incomes. Those include, among others, sailing a yacht individually or becoming a fleet leader. According to Paweł, the latter is a real challenge:
“As an experienced sailor, I can deal with many issues on a yacht almost automatically and have become familiar with different problems that may occur. Nevertheless, as a fleet leader, I face even more challenges because I feel responsible for the whole bunch of yachts. This job requires a lot of spot-on organizational skills, constant briefing, and checking on less experienced skippers. At the end of the day, it’s the skippers who must deal with the problems on their yachts directly, and I have limited control over that, but I still feel responsible for the comfort and well-being of every participant of the cruise. I still haven’t found a way to deal with this type of stress.”
Not every skipper decides to become a fleet leader. First, not everyone has the opportunity to become one. Second, not everyone wants to become one. Many captains prefer to paddle their own canoe. For example, intense party/sightseeing cruises prompted Kuba to move into the private sector and handle different types of cruises that involve single yachts, less popular destinations, and private clients with their individual needs.
Yacht delivery, which is basically transporting a yacht from point A to point B, is another—usually more profitable—job opportunity for a skipper. Such a gig definitely requires more experience and skills, particularly the ability to work alone or with a small crew, as well as higher resistance to stress. There’s no shortage of work, but the competition is tough. Those who make a good living from it are usually in the industry for a long time—at least, long enough to make quite a few valuable connections and gain trust among their clients.
Working on superyachts can be the next step in a skipper’s career. Spending most of the time on big, beautiful and often innovative yachts combined with a steady salary is a dream job for many people in the industry. Not for all of them, though! Some skippers prefer versatile work; this is scarce on superyachts, but it’s the everyday life of a delivery/cruising skipper who changes yachts frequently. Adrenaline-seeking sailors may also get involved in competitive sailing and participate in regattas—locally or internationally. (However, superyachts and regattas are probably a topic for another story …)
What’s certain is that the good skippers are sought after, and there isn’t a shortage of opportunities in the yachting industry. Michael says:
“The opportunities are there. The industry is huge. The demand for professional skippers is growing. The yachts get bigger and even with new technology, which in theory makes short-handed sailing easier, they also get more complex. The requirements of the industry change quickly. If you are able to adapt and if you have invested in your qualifications, it is fairly easy to have a healthy income.”
Paweł adds: “After some time and by keeping up the good work, the reputation of a skipper can constantly provide him with new clients.”
A Career Worth Fighting For
The career of a professional skipper appeals to many people, and it’s easy to understand why they consider this job worth the sacrifices that it requires. Karl Weber, who runs his own yacht delivery company in Florida (At The Helm), says it best:
“I love being out in nature most of the time. I love the variety of different boats and different cities almost every week. The biggest advantage is freedom. No clock to punch. No boss breathing down my back.”
Freedom. This is what this job is all about and this is what primarily attracts young sailing adepts. Sometimes, freedom can manifest literally; Paweł says that the vast spaces on the sea, no crowds or traffic jams, and the quietness of sailing without the motor on are what he considers the biggest advantages of this work. But freedom can also apply to money; Michael notes: “As a professional seafarer, the income is also good and with a bit of planning, you can secure your future.”
The numerous travel opportunities are also considered one of the main benefits of this job. You’re basically paid to reach different destinations, some of which are unknown or hard to reach for a regular tourist.
I got a glimpse into such a lifestyle when I sipped morning coffee on board a yacht overlooking the Grand Canal and St. Mark’s Square in Venice, Italy. I knew that this blissful moment wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t been on a sailing trip.
Such moments still happen for me, an amateur skipper, from time to time. For a pro, they may become a daily routine. Many of the skippers whom I interviewed found it difficult to pinpoint just one or even a few places that made the greatest impact on them; there were just too many breathtaking moments to remember. Some stories are truly incredible; Karl describes his experiences:
“The Rio Dulce in Guatemala was pretty amazing. The reefs in the Cayman Islands and Mexico are unbelievably beautiful. The water in the Bahamas is indescribable. The Panama Canal was cool. Sailing past the Statue of Liberty was an amazing feeling. Two nights ago, we were three miles away from a SpaceX rocket launch. It went right over our heads! Too many amazing experiences to choose from.”
Michael says he’s in awe of many places in the world: “The cold and icy north, Svalbard, Spitzbergen, Norway … I love the Baltic Sea, but the Azores are unique as well … Then there are the untouched places in Asia, or this fantastic place Lord Howe Island in Australia … Usually the places I am most attracted to are the ones that are hard or nearly impossible to reach unless on a yacht—and there are still many out there that I have yet to explore!”
He’s already preparing for another epic journey, an “Ice to Ice Challenge” as he calls it, which will take him and his crew from Svalbard all the way down to Puerto Williams in three months. He also dreams of circumnavigating Earth by using only celestial navigation during the next Ocean Globe Race.
Kuba mentions that the opportunity to meet interesting people is another perk of this job, especially if you work primarily as a cruising skipper. In his case, though, spending time with your crew isn’t only about amusing conversations and the usual sightseeing, but also about establishing authority as a leader: “I was able to learn how to manage a group of people and cooperate with various individuals at a very young age. This skill is crucial nowadays, not only in sailing.”
Skills That Matter
Proper qualifications and technical knowledge—being able to fix things and even having some training as an engineer and in marine systems—are only a part of what constitutes a great skipper. Social skills and the ideal personality can be even more crucial … and can even make or break your career.
“Being able to keep a cool head is the single most important trait needed in this job,” says Kuba. He’s not the only one who thinks so; most skippers agree that skippers should keep their composure even when they feel overwhelmed by stress. Any signs of panic can lead to the irrational behavior of crew members—and that can be extremely dangerous.
So, what else? Karl rightly states: “Being a people person helps a lot!”
Good social and communication skills are indeed a must in this industry. Lonely cruises—e.g., yacht deliveries—are an exception rather than the norm. Even introverted skippers agree: When you work on a yacht, you work with people. Usually, these are people with different experiences and backgrounds, as well as different characters. Paweł mentions that emotional intelligence and the ability to “read people” is a major advantage because it helps to manage interpersonal relationships and defuse any tensions. A smile, positive attitude and sense of humor help with creating a good atmosphere on a yacht. Michael adds: “Being patient, friendly and calm when things have to get done with a beginner crew can be a real character test, and I have seen too many skippers who fail at exactly that.”
Safety orientation is another important trait of a good skipper. “Slow is pro,” Kuba says half-jokingly, reminding us that rushing things on a yacht is both unnecessary and unsafe. Michael has the same opinion:
“Being a good skipper is all about being prepared for the worst case, preparing the boat in every detail and planning the passage carefully. A responsible delivery/cruising skipper is the complete opposite of a professional competitive skipper, who will always push the boat and his luck. I personally don’t have the mindset for racing. It is all about safety. I have never experienced a situation I considered dangerous or out of control. Of course, I had some demanding passages, heavy weather, high waves, defects en route … but there was always a solution at hand.”
Being prepared for bad scenarios is of utmost importance, because bad things will eventually happen. A yacht catching on fire, taking on water because of a leak, an urgent need for medical attention for a crew member—these situations are rare but require the skipper’s immediate, decisive action.
As Paweł notes, not many people are aware of all the responsibilities that fall on a skipper’s shoulders. Indeed, if anything bad happens to the boat or the people on board, the skipper is the one who will be legally and financially responsible. That’s why liability insurance for professional skippers covers sums amounting to millions of dollars. And sometimes, even that’s not enough. The case of Francesco Schettino—the infamous captain of Costa Concordia, a cruise ship that struck an underwater rock and capsized off the coast of Italy (causing 32 deaths)—shows that the moral and legal obligations are even more important than the financial ones. Schettino’s story is an extreme example, but all skippers know (or should know) that taking on huge responsibility is one of the main aspects of this job—no matter what the size of the vessel is. This is also one of the main drawbacks of this career choice.
The lack of a steady and predictable schedule is another difficulty of being a skipper. “It is a 24/7 job, usually offshore and out of reach for weeks,” says Michael. “Sometimes it can be hard on family and friends.” Karl adds: “The hardest part of this career for me is scheduling. There are almost always mechanical breakdowns and weather delays. No one pays you between jobs. No paid vacations or sick days or paid holidays.”
Let’s Talk Money
Asking about a skipper’s salary is just like asking about the income of a musician. You can be dirt-poor or you can be doing quite well; it all depends on many aspects, especially on the specific career path that a skipper chooses. One thing that they all agree on is that making a living as a skipper isn’t easy, but it’s very rewarding.
Karl describes his experiences as a skipper working mostly in the U.S.: “If you drink a lot and smoke, drive a fancy car with a big car payment, have a big house payment, credit card debt and a champagne lifestyle, you will struggle. If you are debt-free and live modestly, you will never get rich, but you can do okay. A dive boat captain makes $150/day plus tips for about an 11-hour day. Delivery captains can make anywhere from $200 to $500/day with a 100-ton license. Higher tonnages make more money. Roughly $50/hour for day jobs. $15/hour if you are running 24/7 is doing pretty well.”
The ability to make a living as a skipper depends on the person, but rates also depend on the industry. Michael sheds more light from a European perspective:
“In the superyacht industry and in a position as a captain, monthly salaries of 6,000–8,000 euros are standard. We are talking 80+ ft. yachts. Very few people will reach these positions. But even as a deckhand, you can make a living with a monthly salary of about 2,500 euros. Tips in the superyacht industry are common, which is why it can be significantly more than only the monthly salary. As a delivery skipper, the daily rate won’t exceed much more than 200 euros a day unless you found a very good gig and have serious qualifications to show. Working as an instructor, you are definitely not doing it for the money. On the bright side, as a professional seafarer, you can get an offshore seafarer’s account and avoid taxes …”
In addition, Kuba points out that hourly or daily rates in some local markets can be disappointing, but there are many people—usually part-time skippers—who accept them. Therefore, it’s crucial to get international certifications and develop unique skills. These separate the best from the rest. Michael notes: “The path to becoming a skipper is a hard one. It takes time until it is possible to make a living out of it.”
Nevertheless, skippers agree that although this career won’t get you millionaire status, it creates a rare opportunity to live your passion. Karl puts it this way: “It’s not a high-paying job when you consider that you are on boats for 24 hours a day. Multimillion-dollar boats are a big responsibility, especially for the equivalent of less than $20/hour. But I wouldn’t trade it.”
They all wouldn’t trade it, because once you get a taste of the freedom, you’ll be hooked forever.
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YEA MON YOU GOT TO LOVE IT I DID 25 WEEKS A YEAR SAILING AN 25 WEEKS WRITING ABOUT SAILING AN BOATS AN BOAT SHOWS AN TALKS AT YACHT CLUBS ECT. TO DEVIDE UP YOUR PLEASURES SO ITS NEVER LIKE WORK THEY CALL ME FISHMEAL HE WHO GOES TO SEA FER PLEASURE WILL GO TO HELL FER A PAST TIME FAIR WINDS DORIS