Yacht CV templates and examples

Thirteen yacht CV templates for deck, interior, galley and engineering crew, each one shown filled in. Below them you will find a complete example CV written out in full, a short guide to the format captains expect, and answers to the questions crew ask most.

THIRTEEN DESIGNS · EVERY COLOUR · ONE TAP

Pick a look. Change your mind in one tap.

Thirteen templates, built from what crew agencies actually send out: from the classic single column captains expect to the boldest paper on the dock. Twenty-three colours and four typefaces on each, and every combination prints cleanly. Shown filled in, because that is how you will judge them.

WORKED EXAMPLE

A yacht CV example, written out in full

Ewan Traill is a deckhand with one season afloat and four years of work ashore. He is a fictional crew member, and his CV is the example used across SeaPapers. Here it is as text, in the order a captain reads it.

On your own CV, name each employer and each yacht's builder. They are left off this example.

Page one

Ewan Traill

Position sought: Deckhand

Personal details

Date of birth: 11 Feb 2003
Nationality: British
Phone: +44 7700 900 246
E-mail: ewan.traill@example.com
Location: Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Visas: B1/B2, expires Mar 2032; Schengen: visa held; New Zealand working holiday visa, expired 2025
Driving licence: Full clean UK licence, category B
Visible tattoos: None visible
Smoker: Non-smoker
Languages: English (native), Spanish (basic)
Availability: From 8 Sep 2026, rotational or permanent

Profile

Deckhand with one full season afloat: temporary cover on a 74 metre motor yacht that ran six months, a yard period in Barcelona and 2,400 nautical miles logged. Four years of outdoor and hospitality work before it. Looking for a permanent junior deck berth.

Certificates

STCW Basic Safety Training, expires Jun 2031
ENG1 medical, expires Jan 2028
Powerboat Level 2, issued Feb 2025
PWC, issued Feb 2025
Tender Licence, issued Nov 2025
PADI Dive Certification, issued Aug 2024
VHF Short Range Certificate (SRC), issued Feb 2025
Proficiency in Designated Security Duties, issued Mar 2025

Page two

Yacht experience

Deckhand (temporary), M/Y Vanadis

74m M/Y · Private / charter · 12 guests · 18 crew · Balearics, Corsica and Sardinia · Apr 2025 to Oct 2025

Signed for eight weeks of temporary cover and kept on for the full six-month season
Six-week yard period in Barcelona: hull wash and fair, teak sanded, lockers ground back and repainted
2,400 nautical miles logged as a watch stander, including two overnight passages
Tender and toy handling on guest days, jet skis and Seabobs fuelled, checked and packed down

Land experience

Groundskeeper

Cumbria · Mar 2023 to Feb 2025

Two seasons on a forty-hectare estate: mowing, hedging, chainsaw work and machinery servicing, outdoors in all weather off a written job list.

Seasonal picker, then line supervisor

Hawke's Bay, New Zealand · Jan 2022 to Jun 2022

Six-day weeks through the apple harvest on a working holiday visa. Ran the packing line and a crew of nine for the last two months.

Bartender

Edinburgh · Jun 2021 to Dec 2021

Front bar through weekend service, cash handling and close-downs. First job with guests on the other side of it.

Education

Level 3 Diploma in Countryside and Land Management

Penrith · Sep 2019 to Jun 2021

Scottish Highers

Inverness · Aug 2014 to Jun 2019

Skills

Line handling and mooring, Tender driving, Wash-downs and detailing, Teak and varnish prep, Small-engine and machinery servicing, Chainsaw and power tools, Painting and groundworks, Bar and guest service

Watersports and tenders

Watersports: Jet ski, Seabob, Paddleboard, Wakeboard

Tender licence: RYA Powerboat Level 2, commercially endorsed, tenders up to 8m

Interests

Sea kayaking, Hill running, Woodwork, Sea swimming, Film photography

References

Nils Haugen

Bosun · M/Y Vanadis · n.haugen@example.com

Rhona Baillie

Head groundskeeper · r.baillie@example.com

Build my CV

THE FORMAT

The yacht CV format

A yacht CV follows conventions a land CV does not. These are the five a captain checks first.

A photo at the top
Captains expect one. Use a head and shoulders photo on page one, on a plain background or with the sea behind you, in a plain polo or crew shirt, hair tidy, looking at the camera.
Two pages at most
Page one is the filter and page two is the record. If you have no sea time yet, one strong page is better than two with filler. Do not shrink the type below 10 point to make it fit. Cut instead.
The order a captain reads in
Page one answers four questions without hunting: who you are, the position you want, whether you can legally work, and what you hold. Page two starts with your yachts, each with length, type, your role and the dates, then your land work, education and references.
Tickets with dates
List STCW Basic Safety Training first, with its dates, then your ENG1 medical with its expiry, then the tickets that matter most for the job. A ticket without a date reads as one you do not hold. Tickets that never expire, such as Powerboat Level 2, need the issue date only.
Visas with expiry dates
List every visa you hold, each with its expiry date, beside your nationality on page one. B1/B2 and Schengen decide which boats can take you.

QUESTIONS

Yacht CV questions

Does a yacht CV need a photo?

Yes. Captains expect one. Use a head and shoulders photo on a plain background or with the sea behind you, in a plain polo or crew shirt, looking at the camera. It goes at the top of page one.

How long should a yacht CV be?

Two pages at most. Page one holds your photo, personal details, visas and certificates. Page two holds your yachts, land work and references. If you have no sea time yet, one strong page is better than two with filler.

Should a yacht CV mention tattoos and smoking?

Yes. Yacht CVs state both in the personal details. Write Non-smoker or Smoker. For tattoos, write None visible, or say where they are, for example Tattoo on lower left leg. A plain yes leaves the captain with a question to ask.

Which visas should go on a yacht CV?

Every visa you hold, each with its expiry date, beside your nationality on page one. B1/B2 and Schengen decide which boats can take you, so say clearly whether you hold each one.

What references should a yacht CV include?

Two referees, each with their name, their role, the boat or employer you worked for together, and a phone number or email. Ask each referee before you list them. If you would rather hold them back, write references available on request.