Training is essential. Training to get on a boat, and more than anything, to stay on it.
The two training essentials for entry-level interior crew are:
- An STCW five-day Basic Safety Training (BST) Course in order to obtain an STCW ’95 Basic Safety Training International Certificate of Competency. While it used to be that an entry-level stew or a chef might be able to get away without having this certification, you won’t find those scenarios anymore. To work on a yacht in any capacity, consider STCW Basic Safety Training mandatory.
- An Interior-Crew Training and Certification course that covers, at the very least, yachting etiquette and service.
STCW Basic Safety Training Schools
There are a number of schools around the world offering Basic Safety Training courses that meet the requirements of STCW. When choosing a training provider, make sure that it is a British Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and/or U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)-approved facility for both training and testing. The following list is a selection of institutions offering STCW-compliant BST courses.
- STCW Basic Safety Training in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and North America
- STCW Basic Safety Training in Antibes, France & Palma de Mallorca, Spain
- STCW Basic Safety Training in the United Kingdom
- STCW Basic Safety Training in Australia
Specialized Interior-Crew Training Schools
Is specialized stew training mandatory? No… at least not yet. But I cannot recommend it highly enough! Not only will help you to land a job much faster, but having specialized stew training prior to taking employment on a superyacht will give you confidence that you know what you are doing. An interior-crew training course can be taken before or after completing your STCW Basic Safety Training.
See below for a list of schools offering interior-crew training in various yachting ports around the world:
- Interior Crew/Stew Training Schools in Fort Lauderdale
- Interior Crew/Stew Training Schools in Europe
- Interior Crew/Stew Training Schools in Australia and South Africa
Click here to read more about specialized yacht-crew training for interior staff, including detailed information about the formal Guidelines for Unified Excellence Service Training (a.k.a. G.U.E.S.T.) initiative put together by the Professional Yachting Association (PYA).
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