Starting Strong: A Guide to Passing your Probation Period.

Joining your first yacht can be daunting. New people, a new bed, a new job and a new home, all at once. It’s a lot to take in.

Because of this, I would advise taking a calm and measured approach to settling in onboard.

That means not “sending it” at the first crew drinks and maybe holding back on those barely-above-board stories from back home. Take it slow. Give yourself time to get comfortable in your new environment.

Your first 30–90 days onboard are not just about learning the job, they are about building trust with the crew around you. This post is about how to nail both: the work side and the social side of joining a new yacht.

Work: Be Honest About What You Don’t Know

If you're green, don't pretend you know what you're doing when you don’t. People can usually see through it quite quickly and pretending to know something you don’t can lead to unnecessary mistakes or damage.

Ask questions. Learn the products, procedures and routines onboard. Be like a sponge and absorb as much knowledge as you can.

Learning doesn’t only come from your Head of Department. Some of the best knowledge onboard comes from the people working around you every day. Learn from the deckhands, the stewardesses, the engineers and anyone else willing to share their experience.

Show Initiative

Don’t always wait to be told what to do. Start looking around and identifying things that need attention.

Is there a line that could be coiled? Is there a deck that could be wiped down? Is someone struggling with a job where you could lend a hand?

Crew members who look for ways to help quickly become valuable members of the team.

Punctuality Matters

This is a personal pet peeve of mine. If you're new to the industry and as eager as your CV says you are, punctuality should be a given.

Punctuality is a form of respect. And in yachting, it is essential. Be early for meetings. Be ready for the start of the work day. Don’t be the person people are waiting for.

A good rule of thumb onboard is: Always be early for work and never the last person back from a break. Minutes matter in this industry.

Constantly asking when you can go on break or when you can finish work sends the wrong message, that you are watching the clock rather than focusing on the job.

Be Humble

When you first join a boat, it’s usually best to come in quietly. Particularly in shared spaces like the crew mess, try to listen more than you speak in the beginning.

When people are overly loud or confident too early on, it can sometimes come across as arrogance, even if that wasn’t the intention. Take time to read the room. Get to know the personalities around you before jumping into every conversation.

That doesn’t mean avoiding social situations, crew drinks and outings are a great way to build relationships. But maybe avoid getting blackout drunk at your very first crew night out. First impressions stick and they can be difficult to change later.

First Impressions Last

In your first weeks onboard, people are forming their perception of you. Are you someone who works hard? Someone who is reliable? Someone who contributes to the team? Or someone who drifts through the day doing the bare minimum?

Those early impressions can be surprisingly difficult to change later, so it’s worth putting in the extra effort early on. Establish yourself as someone people are happy to have onboard.

Learn the Boat

One of the best things you can do during your probation period is to learn the boat inside and out.

Take time to study:

●      Muster lists

●      Safety Manuals

●      Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

●      Emergency equipment

●      Deck layouts and systems

Understanding how the vessel operates shows initiative and professionalism and it will make you far more useful during drills or real situations.

Everyone in this industry was green once. The difference between those who succeed and those who struggle often comes down to simple things: attitude, humility, and a willingness to learn.

If you approach your first weeks onboard with respect for the people around you and a genuine desire to improve every day, you’ll quickly find your place within the team. Yachting is a small industry and the reputation you build early on can follow you for years, so start strong!