Crew Voices in the Yacht Industry

Practical Solutions to the Systemic Problems of Work Culture in the Yacht Industry

The yacht industry’s work culture has been placed under the microscope by a recent article from the BBC ‘Has Bravo show exposed a problem in yachting?’ .  Prompted by controversial scenes from the hit streaming show, Below Deck, the BBC interviewed both current and former crew willing to share some of the shocking workplace cultural issues they faced that would not be tolerated in land-based employment.

The issues exposed in this article are corroborated by new data from ISWAN , an industry body set up to tackle the issues faced by those working in the maritime industry.

Their 2023 research highlights an exponential quarter-on-quarter increase in the reporting of abuse harassment bullying and discrimination within the maritime industry.

The yacht industry saw a massive 125% increase in the last quarter. This industry can no longer claim that there is no problem and that the problem lies with the candidates that appear for work onboard.

There is a growing understanding across the industry from insurance underwriters through to crew agents, that we can no longer stand by and let this deeply systemic problem continue.  There is a role for everyone to play to change the face of the industry and its culture.  Conrad Empson, a prior crew member from a Bravo’s Below Decks, created Crewpass in order to provide a tool for the industry, where it had previously failed to recognise a gap in security for all.

Not only are root and branch changes to the educational processes and regulations long overdue, we also need the tools, systems and structures that will tranform the workplace dynamic for crew.  The maritime industry has unique challenges.  Nevertheless, there is still much to be learned from shore-based protocols for work and education.

Legal compliance initiatives and hierarchical ‘top-down’ approaches have, thus far, failed to deliver the looked-for improvements in workplace safety and functionality.

what gets understood gets altered

That is why, crew voices are key to creating legal, positive, professional and supportive work cultures that, in turn, promote crew development and safeguarding.

Sea Feedback is a private professional platform applied under license to a yacht to facilitate effective crew engagement.  It delivers high-value insight into working conditions through crew voices onboard, enabling issue identification and resolution.

It also encourages educational and professional development while maintaining the highest privacy standards for owners and managers.

Presented with a practical and workable solution that improves on-board work culture, the industry reaction has been overwhelmingly positive.

a practical and effective solution that works

Our reporting structure and data analysis helps to identify problems at their outset and find swift solutions.  By combining feedback with pulse surveys and interviews, we ensure maximum understanding of the yacht and crew culture.

With both yacht industry experience and highly regulated professional career experience in both the health sector and university teaching, we not only understand the challenges Yachts and Crew face but also how to deliver the solution.  We can no longer stand by. We have the tools. We must act.

 Dr Emma Gillett DC

CEO of Crew Solutions UK and Sea Feedback