Crew Employment

Permanent Crew

We provide flag state and MLC-compliant Contracts of Employment (CoEs) for private yachts, or Seafarer Employment Agreements (SEAs) for commercially registered yachts.  We work closely with your team to make sure any bespoke terms and conditions are inserted into the SEA or CoE, whilst ensuring the document remains compliant with applicable flag state or MLC regulations.

We undertake all contractual administration, including preparation and issuing of CoEs/SEAs, leave calculations, crew salary amendments, termination and extension letters; ensuring that all employment related documentation is issued and provided to the yacht and crew in a timely manner.

Race Crew

As well as permanent yacht crew employment, we can also assist its clients with employment contracts for seasonal race crew during the superyacht regatta calendar.  The issuing of race crew employment contracts and the processing of payroll for the race crew eases the burden and administration for the owner and vessel.

We work directly with the yacht’s captain or representative in order to prepare a comprehensive and detailed payroll invoice for the owner on a monthly basis; ensuring that payments to individual seafarers are consistent with the contractual terms, and in line with current regulations.  All funds connected with crew employment are then remitted to the dedicated bank account by the owner in one bank transfer.

Crew salary payments are made by SWIFT transfer to the seafarer’s personal bank account, with the option of being split between multiple bank accounts if required.

Salary payments can also be made in an alternative currency to the seafarer’s contractual salary currency.  We arrange for the FX to be made prior to the transfer, taking advantage of commercial exchange rates, rather than standard high street rates.

We undertake the preparation and issuing of CoEs, SEAs, leave calculations, crew salary amendments, and termination and extension letters.  However, our crew administration services can be tailored to the individual yacht and owner’s needs.

Part of our crew administration service is also to undertake pre-employment checks on each crew member to ensure they are suitability qualified in accordance with the rank in which they are being hired.  We also monitor all relevant certificate expiry dates and provide the yacht with a report of upcoming certificate renewal dates. This ensures that adequate notice is given to the yacht and seafarer and that valid certificates are held at all times.

Working closely with the captain and/or purser on board the yacht, we can ensure all travel arrangements are made for departing and incoming crew, as well as end of contract repatriation obligations, via our affiliate company, Döhle Travel.

We will liaise directly with the owner’s team, captain or seafarer where required, to ensure that all employment-related HR queries and employment disputes are dealt with professionally. Where necessary, we will seek external professional advice in order to minimise exposure to potential employment claims.

We will also review any existing onboard, crew-related procedures and recommend any changes, in order to streamline and minimise the administration on board the yacht.

We will need to review the yacht’s current insurance policies and the owner must arrange for us to be noted as co-assured on the yacht’s P&I or employer’s liability insurance, in their capacity as crew employer.  We can also assist the owner in the procurement of crew medical insurance.