Hello,

My husband and I are well-educated professionals in our late 30's and are considering leaving the rat race to pursue careers at sea.  Money and status are not a concern with us - change of pace, travel and new experiences are our goal.

We are planning to get our STCW 95 in spring 09.  We have experience and certification with recreational sailing (CYA intermediate, Navigation, ROC) but nothing commercial.  We have considered two choices for pursuing this new venture: become crew on a mega yacht or work as a skip/cook team for a charter company.  

Any advice and/or recommendations would be much appreciated!

The STCW Basic Safety Training is a good choice to start with because it will help in either direction you decide to go. I would also recommend that you speak to charter yacht management companies and crew placement agencies to see which direction may be the most expeditious in terms of being placed at this time. If you decide to go skipper/chef, then the skipper half of the team may want to pursue some formal certification or license. The decision should be made after a career counseling session, which is available at MPT free of charge, perhaps a Yachtmaster and depending upon your nationality possibly also a USCG Masters license as well.

I wish you both the best of luck in the industry.

Hi Amy,

Thank-you for the information!