Hiring crew for ships and yachts
Crew agreements
A crew agreement is an employment contract between a ship or yacht’s owners and its crew.
All crew agreements must have:
- a cover with details of the ship and its owners
- an up-to-date crew list with names, dates of birth and addresses
- a list of anyone on board who is under 18 or exempt from a crew agreement
- contractual clauses for each crew member
A crew agreement can last up to 12 months. After this period, a new agreement must be drawn up.
What goes in a contractual clause
Clauses must include:
- the name of the crew member
- a description of the journey(s) that the agreement relates to
- the crew member’s job description
- details of their pay, hours and leave
- details of required notice and how the crew agreement can be terminated
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) gives guidance on drawing up crew agreements for merchant ships and yachts:
- download MGN 148 ‘Approval of crew agreements: merchant ships
- download MGN 149 ‘Approval of crew agreements: yachts
Contact MCA for advice on drawing up a crew agreement.
Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA)
Telephone: 0845 603 2431
Find out about call charges
What to do once you’ve drawn up a crew agreement
-
Get every crew member to sign the agreement when they join the ship and at the end of the journey.
-
File the agreement with the shipping registry in the ship’s ‘flag state’ (the country where it’s registered).
-
Display a copy on board the vessel.
-
Send a copy (with the official log book, if a merchant ship) to a superintendent or proper officer within 3 days of its expiry.
Who signs a crew agreement
Most of the people on board a ship or yacht must sign the crew agreement. However, certain personnel will have separate employment contracts and won’t have to sign, like:
- captains
- bodyguards
- nannies
- entertainment staff