Working the Caribbean Yacht Season
Everything you need to know about the Caribbean yacht season: crew roles, charter work, island hopping, pay rates and how to land your first position.
Why the Caribbean?
The Caribbean yacht season is the pinnacle of the yachting calendar. Every winter, hundreds of superyachts and charter vessels cross the Atlantic from the Mediterranean to spend November through May cruising the islands. This creates intense demand for crew across all departments: deck, interior, engineering, galley and watersports.
The main yachting hubs are Antigua (English Harbour and Falmouth Harbour), St Maarten (Simpson Bay), the British Virgin Islands (Tortola) and St Barts. These are where you'll find the highest concentration of boats, crew agencies and day work opportunities. The charter season peaks over Christmas and New Year, with the Antigua Charter Yacht Show in early December setting the tone for the season ahead.
Roles available
The Caribbean yacht season has roles across every department. The most common positions include:
💰 Typical Pay
Yacht crew pay follows international standards. Junior deckhands and stewardesses earn $2,500–$3,500/month. Experienced crew and officers earn $4,000–$8,000+/month. Yacht chefs are among the highest-paid crew, earning $4,500–$7,000+/month. Charter tips can be significant, often 5–15% of the charter fee split among crew. A good charter season can add thousands to your earnings. All roles include accommodation and food on board.
What you'll need
Yacht crew requirements are standardised internationally. Here are the essentials:
📋 Common Requirements
STCW: The Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping certificate is mandatory for all crew on commercial yachts. The basic safety training course takes about a week.
ENG1 medical: A valid seafarer medical certificate. Required before you can join any vessel. Valid for two years.
Visa / work permit: Many Caribbean islands allow crew to work under their yacht's flag state registration. Some territories (BVI, Antigua) have specific crew landing permits. Check requirements for the specific islands you'll visit.
Powerboat Level 2: Essential for tender driving. Most boats require this as a minimum for deckhands.
Food safety / WSET: Food hygiene for galley crew. WSET wine certification is valued for interior crew serving guests.
Living in the Caribbean
As yacht crew, you live on board. Your cabin, food and laundry are covered, which means your salary is essentially all savings or spending money. When the boat is between charters or in port, you get shore time to explore the islands. Antigua, St Maarten and the BVI all have established crew social scenes.
If you're looking for day work while searching for a permanent position, English Harbour in Antigua and Simpson Bay in St Maarten are the best places to base yourself. Shared apartments or crew houses near the marinas cost around $600–$1,000/month. Day work (boat maintenance, cleaning, provisioning) pays $100–$200/day and is a good way to network and get noticed by captains.
🏝️ Shore time & island life
The Caribbean is unbeatable for time off. Between charters you might anchor in the Tobago Cays, snorkel at Buck Island, hike the Pitons in St Lucia, or explore the colourful streets of Gustavia in St Barts. Crew beach barbecues, dock parties and regattas (Antigua Sailing Week, St Maarten Heineken Regatta) are highlights of the social calendar.
Nightlife & social scene
The crew social scene is concentrated around the main yachting hubs. Antigua's English Harbour has legendary crew spots like The Galley Bar and Boom. Simpson Bay in St Maarten has a strip of bars and restaurants popular with crew. St Barts is more upscale but crew nights at Le Select are a tradition. The yacht community is tight-knit and international, and the friendships you make during a Caribbean season last well beyond the end of the charter season.
When to start looking
Start looking from August–September for a November start. Many boats cross the Atlantic in October/November, and captains want crew confirmed before departure. The Antigua Charter Yacht Show in early December is a major networking event. Day work is available throughout the season, so even arriving mid-season you can find opportunities. Having your profile on PeakWave means yacht managers and crew agencies can find you as soon as they start filling positions for the winter.
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