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Celebrating 1st Anniversary with Wilsonhalligan

As we celebrate the very first anniversary of our partnership with Wilsonhalligan, we have reflected on how we got here and where we are going. The question that came to mind when we approached the recruitment agency was, “How can our partnership mutually benefit both parties as well as the yachting industry?” Although we have written numerous announcements over our initial year, we have never answered that question in depth. Until now.

Why is our partnership a success? Well, it starts with our partner Wilsonhallogan. Wilsonhalligan is a force within the yacht recruitment company founded 17 years ago and firmly established itself. Our partnership works for many reasons, and here are a few. The first and most important is security. Our shared interest in ensuring we can provide an extra layer of security within the recruitment process is undeniably essential.

By partnering with Wilsonhalligan, we have been allowed to provide our customers with an easier way of letting employers know they are fully vetted and accredited by us. CrewPass Approved crew members can register with Wilsonhalilgan whilst connecting their CrewPass account instantly in just a few clicks. Effortlessly. This integration has added extra value to our service as crew understand that we are a company trusted and supported by a leading crew agency. Trust is precious for a start-up company like ours and is hard to come by. We offer Wilsonhalligan the opportunity to place crew who we thoroughly vet. All CrewPass Approved crew have undergone a global criminal record check, ID verification and training certificate validation. This raises the recruitment standards and increases the level of the top-quality crew being placed onboard.

Take advantage of Wilsonhalligan’s unique discount code on our website to get 10% off 24 months’ payment (total background check cost). Apply the discount code: Wilsonhalligan10 or click this link to automatically add the discount to the basket: https://app.crewpass.co.uk/user-registration?pCode=Wilsonhalligan10

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Quay Crew becomes the first agency to include crew criminal background checks as standard.

As part of its standard superyacht industry recruitment service, Quay Crew have partnered with
CrewPass to include detailed criminal background checks for crew and yachting professionals.
Owners, yachts, management companies and the wider yachting sector will be given the option to
have successful candidates go through the extensive process at no additional cost to them.
A number of recruitment agencies have already integrated with CrewPass, allowing candidates to set
themselves apart from the competition with an Approved status, or offering it to employers at cost,
but this is the first partnership to include background checks as part of the standard recruitment fee.
This means that clients could save £199 per candidate – the current cost to have the checks
processed with CrewPass.
The CrewPass service includes criminal background checks, ID verification and certification validity of
individuals, resulting in an approved certification lasting two years. As a result, this partnership will
also benefit unchecked candidates too, who are able to proactively sign up themselves at a cost of
£9.99 per month.

Protecting yachting

Tim Clarke, co-founder and Director at Quay Crew, said: “The safety of yacht owners, their families
and guests has always been of paramount importance, but as the yachting sector and its recruitment
and referencing processes mature, a growing number of yachts are now requiring full criminal
background checks of crew.
“We’ve always following a stringent referencing and document validity process, but this added level
of due diligence offered in partnership with CrewPass goes that extra mile.
“When yachts put it into perspective, background-checking staff is an excellent way of protecting
vulnerable groups onboard with whom crew interact on a one-to-one basis such as children. Simple
reference checks are not sufficient to fully comprehend a candidate’s suitability or history.
“Even on land, employers should feel confident that they are doing everything to ensure the safety
of their business, existing employees and clients/customers.”

UHNW security needs

CrewPass was created to specifically benefit the superyacht industry, unlike other more generic
background-checking companies. It caters checks to the yachting industry to provide a more
bespoke service to satisfy yacht crew, recruiters and clients as well as the peace of mind of yacht
owners.
Conrad Empson, Managing Director of CrewPass, added: “Yachting is, by its very nature, an
international and fluid industry, with people frequently moving around the world. This can make it
fairly easy to take on new identities, leaving entire lives behind, with no straightforward global
protocol to follow for background checks.

“With Ultra High Net Worth (UHNW) individuals having a net worth in excess of $30m, they are
often targets of crime. And following Covid, many have sought the isolation, solitude and freedom
that owning a superyacht can offer, which is why there has been such a flurry of build and brokerage
activity.

“It’s therefore paramount to ensure those yacht owners, and anyone operating in the industry, are
afforded the top level of security from the people who work with and for them.”


The exclusive partnership takes effect immediately.

About Quay Crew

Since being established in 2013, Quay Crew has placed over 1,800 candidates on more than 350
prestigious superyachts and worked in partnership with some of the world’s leading boat builders
and yacht management companies.

The team, based in Poole, UK, has 60+ years’ combined onboard experience, plus an additional 45
years’ recruitment expertise.

United in our efforts to service both clients and candidates equally, we favour quality over quantity,
making the right match through consultation, thorough due diligence, and verbal referencing –
significantly reducing the risk and cost of a bad hire.

This approach facilitates long-lasting and high-performing relationships for an exceptional onboard
experience all round.

From the bridge to the engine room and the deck to the galley, we recruit at all levels from green
crew with certified potential to experienced Heads of Departments and Captains.
With a dedicated New Build and Land department too, we provide complete recruitment solutions
for the entire sector.

Our mission is to not only attract but also retain the best talent in the sector through actively
promoting diversity and inclusion, longevity and progression both at sea and on land.

We do this by following best practice recruitment methods and continuously improving standards
through education, research, market insights and progressive partnerships.

In addition to our third-party partnerships with organisations such as LegaSea, Young Professionals
in Yachting, The Crew Academy and CrewPass, we also provide all placed candidates with free access
to a 24/7 helpline run by qualified clinical psychologists at Mental Health Support Solutions (MHSS),
with whom they recently published their mental health report – Mental Health Onboard: The State
of the Superyacht Sector.

CrewPass Accreditation will be included in the full standard recruitment fee for clients who want it.

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2022 Wrapped Up with CrewPass

What were CrewPass’ 2022 milestones? How, as a business, have we expanded and grown?

This year, CrewPass has been inspired by Spotify’s Wrapped 2022, presenting our readers with a fun way to process our official end-of-year round-up. We are celebrating a year of endless ways we have evolved, grown and expanded as a business. Starting today, we are monumentalising a year that has gone by and inviting our followers, customers and other stakeholders to join in on the celebration and witness our success in 2022.

"Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision"

For those that may not already know, CrewPass was launched in December 2021. We started strong with 2 partners, Viking Crew and Bespoke Crew, who supported our mission from the very beginning. Since then, we have advanced our number of partners and diversified within the yachting industry. Our partners include yacht training providers, yachting services, job boards, agencies, and more…

In 2022, we partnered with:

– 11 Crew Agencies

– 2 Job Boards

– 8 Other Professional Yachting Services

(11 Website Integrations)

Although the year is coming to an end, our growth in supporters is not. We have some very big names soon to be announced and some very impressive partnerships that will, without a doubt, shift the yachting industry for the better. Keep an eye out for the end of this month and the beginning of 2023, as more will be revealed shortly.

"Don't find customers for your products, find products for your customers."

We are nothing without our customers, so we would like to take this moment to say a massive thank you to everyone who has signed up with us and contributed to the revolution of background checking in the yachting industry. Our customers are part of the new wave of more secure recruitment processes and help our mission to prove why the lack of vetting crew is a massive safety flaw that needs to be recognised and acted upon.

“Website without visitors is like a ship lost in the horizon.” – Seth Godin

Our website is the centre point for our customers, it’s where we can give further information about our services, where our customers can sign up for our checks, and read our industry-related blogs.

In 2022 we had:

– 80K New Users

"The great thing about social media was how it gave a voice to voiceless people."

When CrewPass launched in 2022, we had no followers on our social media platforms. Since then, we have seen consistent growth in numbers across all platforms. Arguably, our most popular platform is our Instagram page which has over 1.1K followers. We have posted over 300 feed posts and gained a couple of new partnerships through DM’s.

We consistently post business updates, yachting-related news, app demonstrations, customer reviews and yachtie-inspired posts. Furthermore, we are especially well-known for our Instagram reels, where we present followers with a glimpse of CrewPass’ personality and the people behind the company. We know that background checks aren’t the most entertaining topic on Instagram (although it is essential) we do our best to ensure we keep our posts relevant, enjoyable and educational.

In 2022, we achieved:

– 2.4M+ Impressions
–1.4M+ Reach
– 4 Platforms

Without a doubt, CrewPass has packed many things into a short year, and the milestones already accomplished are a testament to our staff. As a team, we have opened up various avenues by attending boat shows, networking events, presentations, demonstrations, talks, podcasts, interviews, giveaways, dinners, Zoom calls and more.

It has been challenging, especially as a startup business. Our biggest struggle was to get people to listen to why our service is essential and to gain the trust of well-established yachting companies and individuals. However, as time advances, we have gained the trust of yachting leaders as well as many crew members, and CrewPass is being spoken about from all corners of the globe.

In 2023, we have some big announcements regarding new partnerships and significant developments that will change the industry (positively) forever. As we expand and grow, we will remain true to our mission, keep our customers at the forefront of our minds, and maintain safety as our top priority.

The CrewPass team wishes you a great festive holiday season and a very happy New Year, and we look forward to seeing everyone in the next one…

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How do background checks improve security for UHNW families onboard?

Introduction

Ultra High Net Worth (UHNW) is an exclusive group of wealthy individuals located across the globe, each with a net worth above $30m. During the Covid-19 lockdown period, the world saw a rise of self-made millionaires and the super-rich as they benefitted from skyrocketing house prices and thriving stock markets. Although there is a slight decrease in the UHNW population post-Covid, the superyacht industry has financially benefited from the last 2-years. During the height of Covid times, the yachting industry grew in demand as the industry can offer isolation and solitude that many other forms of travel could not compete with. 

UHNW Lifestyle

Outsiders would be surprised to learn that the UHNW population seek “noble purpose” in their lives… People within this tax bracket are often highly educated individuals that embody high levels of emotional intelligence and generosity and expect these attributes to be adopted by their children. Family and friendships are at the top of UHNW’s priorities, and they often value relationships more now than ever.

The population highly values security. As previously mentioned, UHNW individuals cherish their loved ones dearly and wish to guarantee they are protected at all costs. Once again, UHNWs are “embracing the gated community and private club model,” including superyachts filled with “familiar people”.

“The pandemic made private, protected environments such as villas, farms, ranches, islands, jets, and yachts the most favoured spaces, and UHNWs have continued to enjoy them.” – Cision, 2022.

Image sourced from: Denison Yachting

Security on Superyachts

The superyacht industry strives for top security and high customer service above everything else. Onboard the yacht, there are many devices and technology built to protect the guests onboard, including acoustic devices, detection devices, anti-drone protection, cloaking systems, escape rooms, lockdown systems, surveillance and other systems set in place. The question is, why do we let the yacht recruitment process stay stagnant when everything else is advancing towards being secure as possible?

Pre-employment screening is common practice in most industries. Background-checking staff is an excellent way of protecting vulnerable groups onboard with whom crew interact on a one-to-one basis. Simple reference checks are not sufficient to fully comprehend a candidate’s suitability. It is so easy for crew members to embellish their CV and references as the resources tend to be unreliable and taken at face value alone. Furthermore, these checks need to be more extensive regarding the crew member’s life before yachting.

“Comprehensive employment background checks have a wide range of benefits such as reducing workplace violence, increasing applicant quality, reducing the loss of employees due to dishonesty, hiring the right candidate, and avoiding company losses and negative publicity.” –Simpliverfied, 2019.

The solution to safer recruitment

CrewPass was created to specifically benefit the superyacht industry, unlike other more generic background-checking companies. We cater our checks to the yachting industry to provide a more bespoke service to satisfy yacht crew, recruiters and clients.

For Crew– The yachting industry is highly saturated with green crew aspiring to work onboard. When crew leave their training providers, they leave with the same qualifications, little/no work experience on yachts and similar attributes presented on their CVs. It is hard for crew to stand out from the crowd with so much competition, and this is where CrewPass comes in… The “Approved” accreditation is another certificate crew can add to their CV. When crew let employers know they are CrewPass Approved, they notify them that you have passed CrewPass’ comprehensive criminal checks and ID verification, letting them know that they are safe to place onboard. No longer will crew have to undergo a check every time they apply for a job via an agency as the CrewPass Approved accreditation is valid for 2-years. Crew can even validate their “Approved” status on most crew agencies and job boards internationally. CrewPass is a sought out for accreditation and is recognised by the leading industry professionals. The background checking company allows crew to prove to employers that they are more suitable candidates than unchecked crew members.

For Vessels– As previously mentioned, yacht owners and guests always appreciate top security onboard. CrewPass improves safety onboard by minimising potential threats and risks that could occur with non-vetted crew members. Assets are also valuable and sometimes priceless to owners, so only the safest crew members must be allowed to step foot onboard. Any conflict, violence, theft etc., can damage a vessel’s reputation. Captains can feel confident that the crew placed to look after said guests are thoroughly checked and are suitable to give excellent service. Crew that go through CrewPass checks will undergo searches, including global sanctions lists, criminal records, watch lists, certificate authenticity validation and ID checks. There are options for vessels to pay to get every crew member checked before they get placed onboard or choose to search for already CrewPass Approved crew.

For Agencies – Crew recruitment agencies strive to place the best candidates onboard. By doing this, agencies have seen the need for CrewPass as the company takes on the time-consuming admin work from the vetting crew and handles the checking process for them. Not only does CrewPass enable agencies to place fully vetted crew, it also means they can reduce the risk of the dangerous crew being placed with other crew members. Recently, many crew members have spoken out about unsafe living arrangements with threatening crew with secret criminal records that never got flagged up in the recruitment process. CrewPass can ensure that all crew who go through their checks are secure. By crew being CrewPass Approved before reaching the agencies crew members can be placed almost immediately, cutting out unnecessary time.

For just £9.99 p/m (2-year term) crew can get one of the most comprehensive global criminal background checks on the market, ID verification, CrewPass Approved accreditation and status updates on the app. If an agency or a vessel wishes to verify their crew and get checks conducted on crew members, they can pay a one-off fee of £200 per crew member. If you wish to conduct checks on your crew, please contact us!

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Frey Recruitment X CrewPass

CrewPass is excited to announce a new partnership with Frey Recruitment! Frey Recruitment offers a personal approach to recruitment for yachts and luxury villas. The crew recruitment agency matches candidates’ skills and aspirations to complement the dynamics and needs of the vessel. The agency has a job board allowing crew to view and apply to various jobs, from deck positions to interior roles to shore-based positions and captain jobs.

Our core ambition with starting Frey was to offer a true personal approach to recruitment. Advertising, interviewing and reference checking can take valuable time from clients so we do the leg work for them and provide only carefully selected candidates.

-Frey Recruitment

Frey Recruitment now allows CrewPass Approved crew to validate their status when signing up for their crew registration process. “Approved” crew will now confidently display their status to all employers, letting them know they have passed a comprehensive criminal record check and ID verification. CrewPass Approved crew can click the “Approve with CrewPass” button to sign into their CrewPass account and automatically update Frey Recruitment’s system. 

This integration benefits all stakeholders as it reduces the amount of time spent on admin, provides a higher level of security onboard, and makes the recruitment process more sustainable. If you would like to know more about CrewPass provides crew, vessels and agencies, please visit our Superyacht Crew Background Check page.

Crew looking to find their next job can click this link to see all of the positions Frey Recruitment have to offer: https://freyrecruitment.com/

Not CrewPass Approved? Please kick off your checks today for just £9.99 per month* 

Sign Up
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CrewPass’ interview with Cara-Lees Yacht Crew

Introduction

CrewPass is happy to announce that we partnered with Cara-Lees Yacht Crew, a crew recruitment agency based in Edinburgh, Scotland. We were lucky enough to have Cara-Lee agree to an interview to inform our readers what her agency offers and other helpful insights/information relating to the yachting industry.

What Cara-Lees Yacht Crew has to offer

“The company offers a truly bespoke and personalised yacht crew placement service based platform of professionalism, honesty, transparency and unrivalled personal relationships.
Also, we don’t adhere to the ‘traditional’ office hours, enabling us to be on hand for clients when they find themselves in need of crew urgently night or day or on a Sunday, e.g. and this also enables us to encompass yachts working in differing time zones.”

What sets you apart from other crew recruitment agencies?

“Cara Lees Yacht Crew is about maintaining and reinstating the traditional values that perhaps may
have been lost along the way in recent years in crew placement services. Automation having taken
on a significant role in recruitment.”

“Another aspect is not just being driven by targets and sales, but making that placement because it’s
making a difference to someone’s life and career advancement. And also, importantly, contributing
positively to the crew dynamic, operations and yacht owner/guest experience. It’s important to take the time to find out what is beyond a CV.”

“Too often, good candidates can be and are overlooked by automation. If a crew member appears to
have ‘boat hopped,’ Ask why? Find out the back story. Have that conversation. Technology and automation certainly has its place, but person-to-person interaction shouldn’t be substituted.”

“Having worked in the yachting industry for many years on both private and charter, motor and sail,
along with several years in crew recruitment in a highly regarded crew agency, I’ve achieved a
wealth and depth of knowledge in all aspects of daily life in this unique setting – including
understanding the ideal crew dynamic. My business now brings this experience and knowledge
together in the recruitment and placement of top-class crew.”

Image sourced from Cara-Lees Yacht Crew's website

Why did you partner with CrewPass?

“In this incredibly unique and ever-growing industry, it has become more of a necessity to now be a lot more security and safety conscious when placing crew. Reference checks are obviously a good indicator but perhaps don’t always bring to light anything unsavoury about a character’s record or
arrests if they have them.”

“We are placing crew who work, eat, sleep and breathe in incredibly close proximity to one other. It
is imperative that we as a crew placement service have done our due diligence and vetted candidates as comprehensively as possible. CrewPass will help to ensure the safety of our crew, and
clients, who are some of the most influential and powerful individuals in the world, giving them
peace of mind that every measure has been taken in creating that safe haven for all.”

What trends have you noticed in the superyacht industry in 2022?

“It’s become a massively competitive industry recently, and a great flood of entry-level candidates wanting to break into the industry. Also, more mental health awareness and support are being made available. No longer is this an undiscussed subject, and crew is left to suffer in silence.”

What are your red flags when interviewing a crew member?

“Lack of manners, over-familiar, inappropriate language used. Any evasion to pass on referee
contact details is a big red flag. It’s very rare but has happened.”

What are the most in demand and sought out roles within the yachting industry?

“As there are more Deckhand and Stewardess positions for the level candidates. Rotation, of course, is also in demand. Charter yacht positions are also very much sought after.”

Image sourced from Cara-Lees Yacht Crew's website

What advice would you give a green crew member trying to get their first yacht job?

“Perseverance and determination are key. It’s can be very tough to break into the industry with such a lot of competition. But present your CV and yourself well. Be courteous and polite. If given a day work opportunity, work hard, be punctual (early is better still), show willingness and leave any attitude or demands on the dock! Go the extra mile, but be yourself.”

Our partnership...

“I’m delighted to have formed a partnership with CrewPass and firmly believe this is the way forward when it comes to ensuring a safer working and living environment onboard. Without doubt, it’s a very affordable and worthwhile accreditation that all crew should have and one I support fully.”

-Cara-Lees, founder of Cara-Lees Yacht Crew

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Galatea Recruitment has integrated CrewPass into their registration process.

CrewPass is excited to announce a new partnership with Galatea recruitment! Galatea Recruitment is a new recruitment agency which values supplying crew with a more bespoke service. The boutique agency provides job positions worldwide for green crew and experienced crew. The agency has HQs in both Palma and London but offers job opportunities across the globe via its website: https://www.galatearecruitment.com/

Galatea Recruitment strives to place crew in jobs of the highest standards, where they can truly excel, while finding yachts their most compatible team to deliver next level service and culture

– Galatea Recruitment, 2022

Boutique crew agencies have seen a rise in demand as the crew value a more personal approach within the recruitment process. Small agencies can offer a more hands-on recruitment process which more large corporations can’t compare.

Galatea Recruitment agrees that CrewPass’ background checks help crew gain employers’ trust and allow them to put forward more reliable crew confidently. 

“CrewPass and Galatea Recruitment’s integration shows a great progression within the yachting industry regarding improving security within the yachting recruitment industry.” – Jessica Collins, Marketing assistant, CrewPass. 

CrewPass Approved crew can now register with Galatea Recruitment and validate their accreditation allowing employers to see which crew member’s on their website have passed our comprehensive background checks. This allows crew to stand out from the crowd, and employers can feel assured that the person they place onboard is fully vetted and who they say they are.

If you are looking for your next yacht job, register with Galatea Recruitment and kick-start your yachting journey. If you wish to be a star candidate, sign up with CrewPass and start your checks today!

Become CrewPass Approved
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CrewPass is attending the METS Trade next week.

Conrad Empson, will be representing CrewPass at the METSTRADE 2022.

Meet US

Are you looking for a company to handle the crew vetting process, provide comprehensive criminal background checks and offer an innovative solution for daily operations onboard? CrewPass’ superyacht crew background checks and crew management software give you the advantage you need in the yachting industry. We provide safety for those who value the best onboard.

Contact us to arrange a meetup:
info@crewpass.co.uk
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Women in yachting speak out.

TW: This blog post mentions acts of domestic abuse and violence.

After the release of last week’s blog post, “Yachtie’s string of violent crimes get brought to light”, the post started to gain attraction, and numerous people have since spoken out with their own personal stories working onboard. This subject is such a sensitive one, but these stories must be heard to drive change. The rise of cases of sexual assault and predatory behaviour towards women in yachting is becoming rapidly publicised within the industry. The rise of cases publicised is most likely linked to the fact that there are more available platforms for people to speak freely. Nevertheless, this isn’t to say that there has been a recent spike in cases per se.

Understanding the work conditions within the in yachting industry.

The yachting industry’s hush-hush approach is notoriously well-known and has been expected for so many years. Thus, everyone within the industry has had a high level of expectation in regards to keeping everything, including work conditions, top secret and completely classified. However, the new age of social media, especially Facebook, with uncountable pages and groups where people can educate, inform and warn others about the going on in the industry, has caused a shift in this pattern for the better. Therefore, in a short time frame, social media has significantly impacted the ability of female individuals to fight against social injustice within the world of super yachting.

Gender discrimination in the yachting industry.

Unfortunately, it is not unheard of in the general workforce to be discriminated against because of gender. Statistics in the US show that about “42% of US women have faced discrimination in the workplace on the basis of gender.” (Teamstage.io, 2022). Plus, a whopping “…8.2 million UK employees report they’ve been discriminated against on the grounds of their gender.” However, discrimination towards women seems far more prolific in the yachting industry than in many other industries, with 77% of women experiencing problems onboard (Yachtcrewhelp.org). Crew members only have to read through Yachtie-based Facebook pages/groups to see the detailed unethical behaviour in the industry. The superyacht industry’s blase attitude towards discriminatory behaviour has been the catalyst for the self-destruction of its glorified reputation.

A female crew member's story:

“I joined a boat on a freelance basis and ended up getting involved with the mate. I was under the impression from something he told me that he had undergone a background check during the hiring process. It was either a lie or the background check was not thorough.”

“I found out later he had multiple arrests and felonies (including assault/battery) and a family member had a restraining order against him. If the yacht had conducted a proper background check, he never would have been hired and I would’ve been spared an abusive relationship.”

“That’s why I’m so glad CrewPass exists now. Hopefully, we can make the yachting industry safer and protect crew from circumstances like this.”

Another crew story:

“We had a deckhand who was wanted for attempted manslaughter and had a range of historical violent incidents. He held a knife to my throat in the crew mess one night on charter, witnessed by Chief Officer…he was fired…I went on vacation…he was on the dock (rehired again) in St Marteen when I flew in.”

“He then did the same again to another stew onboard. He would try to break into my cabin at night. Repeated requests to Captain ignored. I left the yacht soon after. Next yacht, he dragged his stew gf across a dancefloor in front of all her crew (all from a well-known yacht) and smashed up all the pot plants on a rampage one night close to the IYCA. The various management companies ignored repeated requests by crew to stop hiring him on yachts as crew were in danger.”

“We had an audit onboard, and I had to say something as my interior was pretty scared. It was followed up, but still, nothing happened. CrewPass would have been essential as it turns out his checkered history in the UK with an attempted manslaughter charge, amongst other things, would have popped up. Last I heard, he’s still in yachting.”

“Just to give more concern about my story, the managing agent I walked into to place a formal complaint was *a well-known managing agency* in Fort Lauderdale. I had a crew member on a well known 68m, who was ex RN and went to hit me in my office. I laid several complaints of the abuse received by myself, soa manager who refused to be in a room with him on her own and 2nd stew was the same. Constant babysitting crew with fear. *A well-known managing agency* did nothing. I was in their office for another reason, and they threatened to blacklist me if I did anything further or if I quit or any of the HOD’s quit.”

“The crew member has a historical background of abuse of his wife and was also a boxer (none of us knew). He had some sort of AVO in UK. Chief Engineer on a very well known 74m verbally abused myself and several crew and hit deck crew on a night out. He hit another crew member on another night out. Constant assault that reached my office – Captain wasn’t interested and did nothing when reported on several occasions on behalf of the crew affected. Turns out the CE has a historical background of violence – another ex-RN UK. He was discharged from RN due to violent behaviour. Complaint to Captain after interior felt unsafe – nothing was done. The new Captain (my former CO on one of these yachts above) has tried months to hire the ex-Chief from the 68m. I went straight to the owner. It puts his reputation, crew, and family at risk. Mates club over a legal implication – disaster…”

“It is so common I dealt with the dangerous conditions right throughout my yachting career until 2 years ago. I feel what you do is so essential as the problem of violent behaviour is still swept under the carpet, and proper checks are avoided to get crew onboard with urgency – huge complacency.”

Resources for women in yachting

This blog post tells an important message, brings to light unknown stories and brings awareness to a broader audience. We only want to educate our audience, and if you have been affected by anything mentioned in this post, we have added a few resources that may be able to benefit you.

Association of Women in Yachting – “…the Association of Women in Yachting provides a platform for professional women in the yachting industry to network and surround themselves with like-minded industry leaders.”

Yacht Crew Help – “Yacht Crew Help is a free and confidential multilingual helpline for professional yacht crew available all day, every day.”

SeaCode – “SeaCode is an anonymous platform for seafarers and those working in the Merchant Navy, superyacht and cruise industries to raise awareness about some of the problems they face at work. SeaCode offers a safe space for victims and survivors of abuse (including sexual abuse), bullying, harassment (including sexual harassment) and discrimination – along with any other challenges faced at work – to share their stories, learn about workers’ rights, and provide a community of mutual support.”

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Yachtie’s string of violent crimes gets brought to light

It goes without saying that ensuring all crew on board is safe is just as important as keeping the owners, clients and guests safe. Yacht crew are put in small living conditions with complete strangers, not truly knowing who the person they are sleeping next to is. Employers who do not pre-screen crew members before they step on board unknowingly put people in potentially risky/dangerous positions. This week’s blog is about a series of unfortunate events that could’ve been prevented if employers had conducted a simple background check. For the sake of the individuals involved, we have kept their identities anonymous.

In 2019, a man in the yachting industry from the US pleaded guilty to harassment charges for sharing private pictures of his former partner. The 28-year-old was convicted and pleaded guilty to two class 1 misdemeanours in the United States. The judge ordered the man to serve concurrent 60-day jail sentences for the sustained harassment of an ex-romantic partner, with credit for 24 days served. The man was also made to serve three years of probation and undergo mandatory mental health and domestic violence evaluations and treatment.

According to sources, in 2022, the American man’s probation is finally over; however, his wicked ways continue. A woman came forward, stating that the same man violently abused her friend, and the abuse got so out of hand that he broke her friend’s ribs alongside other dreadful things. The poor woman went to the police, but at present, the only thing that was accomplished was setting out a restraining order on the man.

An anonymous source told us that she happened to interview the man, unaware of his violent past, but was very put off by his rude and confrontational attitude. Setting aside the man’s unpleasantness, the agent attempted to give the guy the benefit of the doubt, and asked to see his documentation and references. However, the man provided a pathological excuse regarding why he couldn’t provide any governmental documentation and could only provide the agent with one mediocre work reference. By this point, the agent’s growing discomfort, distaste for the man’s character and too many red flags caused her to dismiss the man entirely. Little did she know that this man was the infamous abuser and that placing him would not only dampen the agency’s reputation but potentially cause more scary situations for the crew onboard.

Many crew agencies and vessels have been made aware of the man’s real identity. Meanwhile, many industry professionals and agents even stated that they had blacklisted this man from being placed on board. The case is still ongoing, and new disturbing stories/experiences with the man seem to be coming to light.

However, since this story has been made common knowledge, we have seen an increased demand for pre-screening yacht crew. Many agree that the most recent situation onboard could’ve been avoided if background checks were an industry standard worldwide. Ensuring that all crew have undergone comprehensive criminal record checks, global sanction checks, ID verification and even certificate authenticity checks, many threats and dangers onboard could’ve dodged. A straightforward background check can protect crew members from serious threats and save agents from potentially damaging their own reputations. If you wish to learn more about our services please click this link: https://www.crewpass.co.uk/home-page-background-checks/