There have been times, let’s say two, when
diving overboard rather than opting for a spot of diplomatic dialogue with the
captain or owner seemed like the only available option for Bosun James Ross. With his
flippers on and mask adjusted, he jumped ship and headed for shore to drown
frustrations in the local bar in both the Caribbean and the Galapagos while
working on board. “We were on a three and a half year world tour
at the time with 50,000 sea miles behind us,” says Ross. “It all just got [to be]
too much. I partied hard all night then swam back to the boat to find the line
was up. That time, I knew I’d be fired – I’d already resigned once, but had
been persuaded to go back.”
Guts and gusto-wise, Ross ranks high, but as a
recommended template of “how to go gracefully”…his story isn’t one to
reprise.
“I'm not
sure there is an easy way – you can’t just leave at, say, the end of a
charter,” says First Mate Pieter of S/Y Bagheera
as he ponders the question of how to leave a yacht before the end of a
contract, but he can’t come up with any obvious answers. “I’ve always left at the end of season or
contract,” he muses. And Chief Stew Dominique of S/Y Noheea doesn’t have the solution either. Her suggestion: “I suppose
you just say ‘Thank you’ and be really appreciative.”
But you can’t afford to be too cavalier in such
a small industry. “Never burn your bridges,” says Isaac, deckhand on a 110-metre
Lurssen based in Antibes. He advises, “Don’t take a new job without telling
your captain and make sure you tell him you’re thinking of leaving in advance. If
you talk to him, maybe you can improve the situation on board. You need to be
as professional as possible and give plenty of notice.”
Louisa Gallimore, Crew Manager at Bluewater
agrees and insists that crew must keep things on the table when they are
planning to leave. Notice periods on yachts vary, she explains, but one month
is the norm. “Talk through your decision with your department head or captain
and don’t contact agencies to look for work beforehand because it will get back
to the captain,” Gallimore warns. Professional yachties will build in a
“handover period” prior to their leave and never will jump ship prior to or in
the middle of a charter.
“All captains want longevity,” says Gallimore, “so
hopping boats every season is not a great idea. It’s good to stay a year or two
– especially if the yacht offers training. People can grow out of their boats –
they might leave to find a new boat that matches their ticket, but others are
happy to stay on smaller boats where the work suits their lifestyle.”
If you are planning to make a move, look ahead
to avoid large gaps of unemployment. If you’re based in the Med and you resign
in November, there’s less chance of finding work before the spring.
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