The most common thing we hear from people who want to get into yachting: “I’ll wait until spring, get my certificates done, and head to Antibes in April.” It sounds logical. It’s also one of the main reasons people delay for six months and still haven’t started. Yachting is not a summer job. It is a year-round industry that moves between hemispheres, runs continuous refit and maintenance cycles, and needs crew in December just as much as it needs crew in June — sometimes more. If you’re waiting for the “right season” to start, you’re waiting for something that doesn’t exist. For the full step-by-step from zero to first contract, read our yacht crew job guide. For visa requirements across Med locations, see our European yacht crew visa guide.
The Real Yachting Calendar — What’s Actually Happening and When
The industry runs on two main seasons plus a continuous refit cycle that never fully stops. Here’s how it actually breaks down:
Mediterranean Summer Season: April–November
The Med summer season is what most people picture when they think about yachting. Charter yachts are working the French Riviera, Balearics, Amalfi Coast, Greece, and Croatia. Antibes, Palma, Split, and Portofino are full of boats. This is peak charter tip season — crew on active charter yachts can earn $500–$2,000 per person per charter week on top of their base salary. Positions fill up fast, particularly for experienced crew. For a first-timer, this is actually the most competitive window to break in.
Mediterranean Winter: November–April
Here’s what most people don’t know. When the Med charter season ends in October–November, the yachts don’t disappear. They go into refit. Shipyards in Palma, La Ciotat, Genoa, Viareggio, and Split fill up with vessels being repainted, re-engineered, refitted, and maintained. Owners use this period to upgrade interiors, replace equipment, and prepare for the next season. That work requires crew — deckhands for deck maintenance, stewardesses for interior refit coordination, and general hands for whatever the yard period demands.
Refit work is steadier, less pressure than charter season, and — critically — captains and bosuns have time to train new crew properly. You’re not being thrown into service for guests on day one. You’re learning on the job, in the right environment, with experienced crew who have time to show you how things are done. The salary is the same. The tips are fewer during yard periods — that’s the honest trade-off. But the learning is faster and the hiring is more open.
Caribbean Season: November–April
While Med yachts are in refit, the Caribbean is at peak season. The charter circuit runs from Antigua and St Martin in the north through the British Virgin Islands, St Lucia, Grenada, and down to Trinidad. The main hubs for crew are Antigua (English Harbour and Falmouth Harbour), Martinique, and St Martin. This is a genuine second summer — warm weather, active charter programme, and the same good money as the Med in peak season.
Many experienced crew rotate between the Med summer and Caribbean winter, following the work year-round. For a first-season crew member, the Caribbean is a real option: fly out in October–November with your certificates ready and begin your job search from Antigua or St Martin. The approach is identical to the Med — dock walking, crew agencies, introductions through your training contacts.
Why Winter Is Actually the Better Time to Start
The “wait until Antibes in April” advice is outdated and wrong for first-season crew. Here’s why winter is often the smarter entry point:
More Open Positions, Less Competition
When the Med summer season ends, crew move around. Experienced crew take time off, change boats, or head to the Caribbean. That movement creates gaps — positions on yachts in refit that need to be filled by someone who’s available and ready to work. Captains and bosuns who are oversubscribed with CVs in April are often actively looking in November and December. The competition is lower and the captains have more time to talk to new crew.
You Learn Without the Pressure of Charter Season
Drazen, our Chief Officer instructor who spent 10 years on 100m superyachts, puts it directly: “Yard periods are where green crew actually learn. When a boat is in a Palma shipyard in January, the bosun has time to show a new deckhand how to properly maintain teak, how to handle lines the right way, how to set up for launching the tender — without guests on board watching and a charter schedule to maintain. By the time the season starts in April, that deckhand has six months of real experience. The crew member who waited until April and started their first season with guests on board from week one is already behind.”
The same applies to interior crew. A stewardess who joins a boat in refit has time to learn the interior layout, the owner’s preferences, the chief stew’s standards, and the service setup before anyone’s watching. That’s a fundamentally different start to a career than joining mid-charter-season when mistakes cost tips.
The Salary Is the Same
This is worth saying clearly because it surprises people: there is no “off-season pay rate” in superyachting. A junior deckhand in a Palma shipyard in January earns the same $2,500–$3,200/month as a junior deckhand working the Côte d’Azur in August. The tips are lower in a yard period — that’s the genuine trade-off. But the base salary is identical, and if you’re in the Caribbean winter season on a charter yacht, tips are just as strong as the Med summer.
Where the Jobs Are in Winter — By Location
Palma de Mallorca
The largest superyacht refit hub in Europe. Palma’s boatyard complex handles hundreds of vessels over winter. Applying for yard work in Palma in October–November puts you in front of captains and bosuns who need crew for the refit period — and who will remember the good ones when the season starts.
South of France — La Ciotat, Cannes, Nice
La Ciotat is one of Europe’s premier refit facilities. Cannes and Nice have active marina communities year-round. Dock walking in the south of France in November and December is quieter than April but the captains are there — they’re just easier to find and more willing to talk.
Genoa and Viareggio, Italy
Italy’s north-west coast has significant shipyard capacity. Viareggio in particular handles large superyacht builds and refits. Less well-known as a crew hub than Antibes or Palma, which makes dock walking there less competitive.
Antigua and St Martin — Caribbean Entry Points
English Harbour in Antigua is the Caribbean equivalent of Antibes — crew agencies, dock walking culture, boats actively looking for crew from November through April. St Martin (both the French and Dutch sides) is another strong entry point with a significant charter fleet. Fly in with your full certificate pack, register with local agencies, and begin dock walking.
How to Actually Start in Winter
The process is the same regardless of season — the timing just changes where you go first:
- Get certified before you travel. No captain will give you a trial day without your full certificate stack — STCW, ENG1, PDSD, Crowd Management, Food Hygiene. Getting certified in October–November puts you in position to start the Caribbean season or the Med refit window immediately.
- Choose your entry location. For Med refit work: Palma or south of France. For Caribbean season: Antigua or St Martin. Both are viable first-season entry points.
- Dock walk daily. Approach yachts in person, ask for the bosun or captain, introduce yourself, leave your CV. This is still how first-season crew find their first boats. Read our dock walking guide for the full approach.
- Take day work first. A day’s work on a boat is the fastest way to turn an introduction into a paid contract. Say yes to everything, work harder than expected, and let the bosun see what you can do.
- Use your instructor contacts. Yachtiecareers graduates have access to our instructor network — active Bosuns and Chief Officers with direct contacts in the industry. That network is part of what you’re paying for.
What Our Graduates Have Done
Fredrik Fiskerstrand from Norway didn’t wait for spring. He transitioned from cruise ships, completed his training, and had two deckhand role offers in his first week after the programme. He now works on an 86m MY. Kim Homburg from the Netherlands landed her first job before the training programme had even finished. Neither of them waited for the “right season.” They got certified and started immediately.
“In my home country I would have paid the same price for just basic safety and not got all the extra support and guides. I got my first job very quickly with their instructions and they still give me full support.”
— S. Sudaporn, Thailand ★★★★★
Stop Waiting. Start Now.
If you’re reading this in September, October, November, or December, you are not “too late for the season.” You are at the start of the Caribbean season and the Med refit window — two of the most accessible entry points in the yachting calendar for first-season crew. Get your certificates done now and you can be dock walking in Palma or Antigua before Christmas.
Get Certified and Start This Winter
10 days in Split, Croatia. Every certificate you need to work commercially on a superyacht — STCW, ENG1, PDSD, Crowd Management, Food Hygiene — plus CV writing, dock walking prep, and job search support from active crew.
Premium Package from €2,940 — 7 nights accommodation, 1-1 CV writing, reference letter, 1 year unlimited career support.
Not sure where to start? Book a free call with our team, or read what our graduates say on our reviews page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is yachting only a summer job?
No. Yachting is a year-round industry. The Mediterranean runs an active charter season from April to November, followed by a refit and maintenance season from November to April. The Caribbean runs its own peak season from November to April, overlapping with the Med winter. There are paid crew positions available in every month of the year.
When is the best time of year to start a yacht crew career?
Any time you have your full certificate stack ready. The Med refit window (November–April) and Caribbean season (November–April) are both strong entry points for first-season crew — often less competitive than the Med summer rush in April. Don’t wait for a specific season. Get certified and start immediately.
Can you get a yacht job in winter?
Yes. Winter is when hundreds of yachts are in refit across Palma, La Ciotat, Genoa, and Viareggio in the Med, and when the Caribbean charter season is at full strength. Captains in refit often have more time to meet new crew and more patience to train junior hands during yard periods than during an active charter season.
What is the Caribbean yacht season?
The Caribbean superyacht season runs roughly November through April. The main crew hubs are English Harbour in Antigua, St Martin, and Martinique. Many experienced crew rotate between the Med summer and Caribbean winter, following the work year-round. For first-season crew, the Caribbean is a genuine entry option from November onwards.
Do you earn less money working on yachts in winter?
No. Base salaries are the same year-round — a junior deckhand earns $2,500–$3,200/month whether they’re working a charter season or a refit period. The honest trade-off: charter tips ($500–$2,000 per charter week) are lower or absent during yard periods. On a Caribbean winter charter, tips are just as strong as the Med summer.
Is it easier to get a yacht job in winter or summer?
For first-season crew, winter is often easier. The Med refit season creates consistent demand for deck hands and general crew, captains have more time to meet new people, and the competition from experienced crew is lower. The April rush in Antibes is the most competitive window in the year — not the best entry point for someone with no sea time yet.
Where should I go to find a yacht job in winter?
For Med refit work: Palma de Mallorca is the best starting point, followed by the south of France (La Ciotat, Cannes). For the Caribbean season: Antigua (English Harbour) and St Martin are the main crew hubs. Arrive with your full certificate pack, register with crew agencies, and dock walk daily.
