The start of the Med season is upon us and if you haven't already many of you lovely newbies should be giving serious thought to heading to a yachting hub. Many of you have already started asking the question: Palma or Antibes? I admit, when it comes to a job searching for those new to the industry, I heavily lean towards Antibes, and here are my reasons why: More access to ports/vessels. Palma is a beautiful place to be and you should see it someday, but as an island, you are highly limited to the amount of places you can dock walk and therefore, access to the most vessels limited. Antibes' location and ease of transportation allow you to be as pro-active and diligent as you want to be in your dock walk search. From Genoa, Italy to even Marseille, France, one has the entire co...

Sitting at your computer having finished your CV and registered with all of the agencies, are you wondering, "Now what? Where and when does the adventure start?" If you're new to the industry, you'll want to get yourself to a yachting hub.   What's a yachting hub, you say? Yachting hubs are large ports of call in desirable cruising areas where boats will gather seasonally.  It is highly recommended that you situate yourself in a yachting hub to begin your job search.  Unless you are an experienced crew member seeking a senior position or have a very specialised skill set, truth is that it will be nearly impossible for you to gain your first yacht job if you don't place yourself in the middle of the action at the right time of year. ...

Ever been left high and dry without pay, repatriation or compensation whist working on a super yacht? Well, these changes will help you to avoid chasing a yacht owner for what you are owed. Instead, you can now deal with an insurance company directly. No longer will you be on your own thinking that you don't stand a chance against the big boss and here's why...Since the 18th January 2017 a new enforcement on crew pay rights have been brought into action. Here's what you need to know to give you the power to get paid! In a nutshell As of January the 18th the 2014 MLC amendments come into play. These changes seek to provide better financial security and look to protect crew who are abandoned. The changes will also help families in circumstances where a crew member dies...

Yotspot is sad to learn of the news that a British teenager has died after reportedly falling from the mast she was working on while onboard SY Germania Nova.  The 18 year old is thought to have died from her injuries in hospital. The accident occured on board 60 meter Germania Nova, a Schooner that was berthed in Jamaica. Local newspaper The Jamaica Observer reports that Bethany was "cleaning the mast of the vessel when the ropes became undone and she fell onto the deck". This was also echod in a GoFundMe page set up to help her family which says she "fell off the mast" of the yacht on Tuesday. The Deckhand orignally from Denbigshire in North Wales left the UK a decade ago to sail around the world with her family on their yacht. Bethany had been on SY Germania Nova for more tha...

Here is a twist on our CREWED FUNDING opportunity specifically for the many Petrolhead Superyacht Crew out there (if you missed the original CRWED FUNDING article have a look here) We have been working hard behind the scenes on something else which is not only a great investment but solves a lot of problems for crew on holiday. It is also VERY exciting and lot of FUN. A lot of you come back to the UK when you are on holiday, if not for the whole time then at least for a couple of weeks per year. We know that lots of you like to buy cars as it is just one of those things that we petrolheads like to do. The problem we have been talking about with a few of our members recently is that most of you buy nice cars that you hardly ever use. The reality of this situation is that if you add...

Another beautiful day out on the water while training for my Powerboat Level 2 certificate. I was very surprised by my fellow mates for the course when they were kind enough for me to have the trainer and boat all to myself, allowing me to develop my confidence and respect for handling the tender. being new to everything boats and yachting I tried to absorb all the information like a dry sponge. My trainers shared many stories with me and I was able to ask alot of questions in regard to just about everything. I learned that the trainers dog is good friends with a billionaire, and report the location of a tagged manatee pod to the wildlife protection agency. At the beginning of the days journey the trainer and I joked about my hat not having a strap to hold my hat down onto my head. Th...

Squeezed into just 200 hectares, this principality might be the world's second-smallest country (the Vatican is smaller), but what it lacks in size it makes up for in attitude. A magnet for high-rollers and hedonists since the early 20th century, it's also one of the world's most notorious tax havens (residents pay no income tax). It's also famous for its annual Formula 1 Grand Prix, held every year in May since 1929. Despite its prodigious wealth, Monaco itself is a long way from the prettiest town on the French Riviera: it's basically an ode to concrete and glass, dominated by high-rise hotels and apartment blocks that rise into the hills like ranks of dominos, not to mention an utterly bewildering street layout that seems solely designed to confound lowly pedestrians. It'...

Yacht Stewardess Housekeeping Tips   1. Dusting: When you detail-clean a room on a yacht, start with dusting all furnishings, including tabletops, counters, bookshelves, artwork, etc. Run a dust cloth over upholstered furniture, headboards, and lampshades in the main salon and other guest areas. Check window treatments and draperies. Vacuum if necessary. A dry-cleaning sponge can be used to gently clean upholstered furniture. Don't forget to check overhead panels and the tops of doors and doorjambs. Also, when cleaning lamp bases, always stay on the safe side and use only a soap-and-water solution to clean them.   2. Electronics: Next move on to the electronics. Disinfectant wipes are great for killing germs and bacteria on yacht telephones and remote controls. Squee...

Efficient Sea App – 'One with the lot' The Efficient Sea App has just made their global launch with an iPad app that sets itself apart from existing programs because of it's comprehensive array of manuals, checklists, templates and compliance reporting forms, and it's pure simplicity to use. It is a complete vessel management system in a single iPad app. Conceived by a seasoned super yacht captain with over 85,000 sea miles experience it addresses the long held issue of increasing demand on a ships' master for compliance and archiving. This app has been two years in development with trialling in actual operational situations and it's passed with flying colours. Initial feedback from other ship's masters indicate that the Efficient Sea Ap...

Global trade enabler DP has embarked on an ambitious marina project at its Mina Rashid facility in Dubai… Dubai has a been city of interest for superyachting for some time now and as more orders come in from the Gulf Arab region the interest in the area is only set to grow. Global trade enabler DP has now embarked on an ambitious marina project at its Mina Rashid facility in Dubai. The DP world team believes that Dubai is yet to provide a homeport worthy of the calibre of superyacht found in the region. The Mina Rashid marina will be the Middle East's first such facility in terms of size and scope. Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, group chairman and chief executive of DP World, is a yachting enthusiast who is passionately committed to making Dubai the homeport of choice for yach...