All roles/Deck and Bridge/Fleet Captain
Deck and Bridge
Fleet Captain
A Fleet Captain oversees several yachts for one owner or company, setting standards, approving budgets and crew, and keeping every vessel safe, compliant and ready when the owner wants to use it.
- Department
- Deck and Bridge
- Reports to
- Owner or Owner's Representative
- Yacht size
- Fleets of 2 or more yachts, usually 50m+
- Contract
- Permanent, split between sea and shore
- Starting pay
- €18,000 per month
What the job is
A Fleet Captain is the senior master responsible for more than one yacht under the same owner or family office. The fleet might be a 90m motor yacht, a 60m support vessel, a sailing yacht and a chase boat. Each has its own captain. Your job is to sit above them, make sure every vessel runs to the same standard and give the owner one person who knows the whole picture.
Much of the work is management rather than driving. You approve annual budgets, sign off refit specifications, review safety management systems, plan the season so the yachts are where the owner needs them, and help choose senior crew. You visit each yacht often, sit in on drills and audits, and step in to command when a captain is on leave, during a delivery or for a big crossing.
The role suits a captain with years in command of large yachts who is calm with owners, firm with contractors and fair with crew. You need sound judgement on money, because you are spending someone else's. You also need to know when to leave a captain alone. Good Fleet Captains back their masters in public and challenge them in private, and keep the owner informed without burying them in detail.
What makes a good one
- Large yacht command experience
- Budget and refit management
- Owner and stakeholder communication
- ISM and ISPS compliance
- Senior crew selection and mentoring
A day in the life
- 07:00Read overnight reports from all three captains. The support vessel has a generator fault and the sailing yacht needs a decision on new sails.
- 08:00Walk the main yacht in the Antibes yard with the captain and chief engineer. Check progress on the hull paint and the tender garage hydraulics against the refit plan.
- 09:30Meet the yard project manager. Push back on a variation order for extra scaffolding and agree a revised date for the shaft seal work.
- 11:00Video call with the Palma captain about the sail quote. Approve the budget and ask for a second supplier price before ordering.
- 12:30Lunch with the crew in the yard canteen. Hear concerns about crew accommodation ashore during the refit and note them for the captain.
- 14:00Review the support vessel's ISM internal audit findings with the DPA. Agree corrective actions and deadlines.
- 15:30Interview a chief officer candidate for the main yacht with its captain. Agree on a shortlist of two for a sea trial.
- 17:00Update the fleet budget tracker and write a one page summary for the owner's representative covering costs, schedule and the season plan.
- 19:00Call the owner's office to confirm the yachts will be in Sardinia by early July. Book flights to Palma for the sail inspection next week.
Pay by country
Monthly salary for a permanent Fleet Captain, usually paid in EUR or USD whatever the region. Charter tips rarely apply as most fleets are private. Annual performance bonuses, travel and housing allowances are common.
- France and Monaco
- €18,000 – 28,000
- Spain
- €17,000 – 26,000
- Italy
- €17,000 – 26,000
- United Kingdom
- £15,500 – 24,000
- USA (Florida)
- US$19,500 – 30,000
- Caribbean
- US$19,500 – 30,000
- UAE
- AED 72,000 – 110,000
- Australia
- A$30,000 – 46,000
- New Zealand
- NZ$33,000 – 51,000
Required
- MCA Master (Yacht) 3000gt
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical
- GMDSS GOC
- HELM (Management)
- ECDIS
- Ship Security Officer
- Medical Care
- Advanced Fire Fighting
Recommended
- MCA Master Unlimited
- ISM internal auditor training
- Designated Person Ashore training
- Project management qualification
- RYA Yachtmaster Ocean
Visas
- Schengen
- US B1/B2
- C1/D
- Australian MCV
Where it leads
Fleet Captain jobs open now
Questions crew ask
How much command experience do I need to become a Fleet Captain?
Most owners want at least five to ten years as captain of yachts over 50m, often including a new build or major refit. A clean safety record and strong references from owners matter as much as sea time.
Will I still drive the yachts?
Yes, but less often. You typically take command for deliveries, crossings, sea trials and when a captain is on leave, and spend the rest of your time on budgets, audits, crew and planning.
Is the job based on board or ashore?
It is usually a mix. Many Fleet Captains have a cabin on the main yacht and a base ashore near the fleet's home port, and travel between vessels and yards throughout the year.