Filipino crew
Welcome
Filipino Yacht Crew is a web based service that provides information to Filipino applicants for the purpose of being hired directly by yachts, In order to be hired by yachts, certain documents and certifications must be obtained before any process can begin. If you follow the information provided in our website, you will be able to market yourself directly to yachts without any fees being deducted from your salary or upfront fees paid to employment agencies.
Please do not waste any one's time, especially your own without having these few certifications in place. Without STCW95 certification, you will not be registered with the POEA and not able to get a Transit Visa, and without a Transit Visa, you are not going anywhere!
The first and most important step is obtaining a STCW95 certification this is generally an 7 day course; First Aid, Fire Fighting, Sea Survival, Personal Safety and Social Responsibility. The STCW95 course is taught at colleges offering Maritime classes, usually in large cities like Manila, Cebu and others. Go to the Maritime Training Council for complete information at www.mtc.gov.ph This certification usually costs from 3500 - 4000 php, depending on the region. This is also known as B.S.T. (Basic Seaman's Training).
The next step is to obtain your Seaman's book, go to your Philippine Maritime Industry Authority at www.marina,gov.ph and with all the necessary documents apply for your Seaman's book, it cost about 800 php and takes about 2 weeks to get it, if u pay a 1500 php fee, then it can be expedited. The Seaman's book is like a passport and is stamped by yachts when you are added to the crew list. This is a record book to show any activity you have in the Maritime industry, please guard this with your life!
Medical examination conducted at a Department of Health accredited medical center/clinic. Please make sure that the clinic is accredited, otherwise you will have to repeat the examination. A list of accredited medical centers/hospitals can be found at www.poea.gov.ph listed under directory.
Now with a STCW95 (BST), Seaman's book and Country Passport, you are ready to be employed by a yacht, Its that simple!
Now you can submit your resume and application to us. Please keep your resume short and sweet, do not clutter it with junk, false statements or fake references, it is not needed. List any skills you might have, your education, job and personal references. Honesty is the best policy, you have your STCW95 certification, which is the best experience possible and it is the foundation of your career. Many yachts will hire fresh new applicants just for the fact that they can train them the way they want and that they are eager to learn, nobody wants a know it all ! They look for enthusiasm, honesty, hard work and respect. Attach a photo of yourself to the resume with a smile, this will show with who they are talking with.
Please be neat, clean cut and good personal hygiene. Yachts costs millions of dollars, a lot of money and effort is put into the upkeep and maintenance of a yacht. It is clean, shiny and sparkles. So the owner of the yacht wants his crew to be the same, you are a reflection of the yacht and owner. That is why you will be paid a great salary and benefits for the opportunity of working on a yacht. If you cannot understand this part then you need to go work on fishing boats, oil tankers, freighters and other commercial ships, where they do not care about appearance or personal hygiene.
Yachts will be looking for a number of various applicants; Engineers, cooks, servers, butlers, stewardess, cabin crew, laundry, nannies, masseuse, stylist, nurses, computer I.T. deck hands and other positions. If you have any skills or experience relating to these positions, list it on your resume. Well spoken English is a must, this is the international language. Each position is just as important as the other, if you are a teacher, nurse or other skilled graduate, its fine to start off with a cabin crew or laundry position just so you can get the experience of a yacht, besides you will be making at least 5 times the salary you would be making in the Philippines!
You will be directly contacted by the yacht for an interview; this can be done by email, telephone, SKYPE, or other instant/video services. Please get a SKYPE account, its free and takes 3 minutes, most yachts will use this to set up an interview. They will be impressed that you have SKYPE. Once you are interviewed and hired, they will send you an employment contract, it will be for a term of up to 12 months. The average salary for these positions will be from $800 to $2000 depending on skills, experience and education. Plus you will receive 2.5 days per month holiday time, so at the end of your contract, you will receive holiday pay. Plus your food, uniform, personal hygiene items, health insurance and travel expense from and to the Philippines are paid for by the yacht. Most owners will give tips or extra bonuses for a job well done during the season. So any money you make on the yacht is clean money in your pocket without any expense!
With a signed employment contract by all parties and your documentation, you then register with the POEA for a SRC (Seafarers Registration Certificate). Once all the legalities with the POEA have been completed you can then apply for a Transit Visa at the embassy or consulate of the country where the yacht is located. The Transit Visa gives you authorization to enter that country and transit to the yacht that you have been employed on, in most all cases there is a yacht representative to pick you up once you exit the luggage area and take you to the yacht. The Transit Visa usually takes about 2-3 weeks to process, they may want to interview personally. All fees associated with registration with the POEA and the Transit visa process is paid by the employing yacht. Once you have the visa, you are ready to leave, make sure you have all your business taken care of during the visa processing time, that way you can leave immediately.
Make sure you have an address where a courier service will deliver your verified employment contract and that someone is available to sign or receive the registered employment documents.
Please make sure you have a bank account with a debit card, get your account info. such as the I.B.A.N. number or SWIFT code along with your account info. This is where your salary and holiday pay will be deposited, most yachts will pay your salary before the work month is finished.
Please pack light and just bring a few clothes, your uniform is provided by the yacht and that is what you will be wearing 90% of the time. The only thing you might need to buy when you get to your new job is some winter clothes, but no worries, there are many large stores that sell inexpensive clothes and many Chinese stores.
When you get to your yacht, they will give you an orientation of the yacht, most yachts will do safety drills, so this is where your STCW95 certification comes in. You will more than likely share a cabin with another person and a good chance of someone who is of the same background. You will never share a cabin with someone of the opposite sex. Please keep your quarters neat and clean. All cabins have air conditioning/heat, comfort room and closet/drawers; some even have stereo/television. Believe me when i say these crew cabins are better equipped and more comfortable than your own home. A large crew mess or two on mega yachts, this is where the crew gathers to eat, watch television or gather for friendly chat. Most yachts have Wifi or Lan for internet connection.
Yacht crew will be from different countries all around the world, it is a great place to meet people and learn about different cultures, you will find that you have many things in common, the most important is that everyone is away from their families and loved ones, so with this in mind, it is no wonder that yacht crew become so close that they become as close as families and create a bond that lasts a lifetime.
Never forget what your purpose is on the yacht, you are an employee and representative of the yacht. You will be in marinas with hundreds of other yachts in the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. So how you act and carry yourself is very important. It is best to stay away from gossiping, arguments and negativity; this will only lead to trouble, which will lead to being fired. This is something you do not want; you will lose months of salary before you are able to secure another job, plus the fact that you have to restart the application process again. The yachting world is a small world; do not think that bad reputations will not follow you.
Salary ranges are different, please understand why a Filipino will be paid less money than lets say a European. To process your papers, travel expense, fees and time waiting for you to begin costs more money than a European. So if you find out that a co-worker is making more than you, there is reason, it is because you cost more to employ. Port regulations are stricter for 3rd world country crew than others; the risk is far greater for a yacht to employ you. Also, a European cost of living is much higher in their country; it is in some cases 10 times of that in the Philippines. So never take it personal, if you are good at your job, you will be promoted and be making close to equal salary. Besides, just by using our website, will save you 1 months' salary in agency fees!
Please follow the rules and regulations of the yacht and your contract, this will only lead you to renew for another year on the same yacht or a great reference.
Never, ever leave your yacht to go work on another yacht without following proper procedure, the penalties are severe! You will be arrested by port police, deported and returned to the Philippines at your expense! Then you will be black listed from ever being able to get a Visa again! Do not be swayed by temptations of higher salary, you will pay dearly for it, all the trouble you went through to get your STCW95 certification, employment contract, Visa process, travel time will all go to waste, it will be worthless. If you ever want to change jobs, finish out your present contract, return to Philippines and contract with a new job. This is the only legal and respectful way. Yacht documentation is checked constantly by port police, they look for mistakes and violations so they can implement fines. If you are not listed on the crew list or do not have the proper visas or documentation, which is the time you will be arrested and deported. Besides, no proper yacht would ever offer you a job by abandoning your present contract, that is a warning sign that there is something wrong.
The yachting industry is a very glamorous, profitable and most fulfilling job someone can have. Respect that and go with the flow, enjoy yourself and save your money, in a matter of a few years you will be able to buy a nice home in the Philippines. You will be able to buy the things that you only dreamed of before. You will be able to support your family and loved ones with ease. There are many Filipino couples and family that work in this industry together on the same yacht, imagine double the salary in the same family. This website provides you the knowledge, tips, references and guides to put you in direct contact with yachts. We will supply you with check lists, suggestions, and service that can put you at the top of your field. All it will take is some timely effort from you with minimum expense.
