Over 30 placements a year, ranging from 20m to 100m+

Struggling with superyacht Captain recruitment? Overcome the challenges of finding the right Captain and find the perfect fit for your program.

Arrange a free consultation

Burnt by a poor performing Captain?

Don’t want to repeat a bad experience?

Need some certainty of compatibility?

Specialist executive search for Superyacht Captains

Finding the right Captain with the right skills, experience and personality can be very challenging. But every superyacht is like a small business and requires, quite literally, a competent and trustworthy leader at its helm.

With our extensive market knowledge and unique approach to Captain recruitment, we are the go-to partner for owners, owner’s reps, management companies and Captains worldwide, making suitable placements for the long-term success of superyachts.

We’re so confident we can source the right Captain for your requirements, that we offer a zero-risk, money back guarantee service on all placements made with our executive search service.

Arrange a free consultation

Benefits of our Captain recruitment service

Build long lasting relationships

Great guest and owner experience

Minimise crew turnover

Reduced overheads and costs

Money back guarantee, zero risk

Captain Consultant and Director

Tim Clarke

Tim is one of our founding Directors and also specialises in Captain recruitment and consultancy.

After a successful career in corporate recruitment in London working on behalf of big banking brands including Goldman Sachs, Barclays and Reuters, Tim worked onboard as a Deckhand for two years before setting up Quay Crew with Caroline in 2013.

His honest client appraisals, personal coaching and mentoring has resulted in over 50 successful Captain placements, many onboard yachts over 100m, and he regularly produces industry insight reports specifically on the superyacht Captain recruitment market.

Arrange a consultation with Tim

Consultant and former Superyacht Captain

Simon Ladbrooke

New Zealand-born Simon has enjoyed an extensive and global career in the superyacht industry spanning more than 25 years. Most recently Simon was Build and Operational Captain on Elixir / Gigagi, 55m Amels for six years.

As well as being Captain on several prestigious superyachts, Simon has also worked in the boat building sector and as a project manager onshore.

With in-depth knowledge of vessel operations, crew management and owner relations, Simon is an expert at consulting clients on superyacht Captain sourcing and selection as well as supporting Captains with their career progression.

Arrange a consultation with Simon

Testimonials

“If you want to hire the best possible Captain for your yacht then Tim & Simon at Quay Crew should be the first people you call. I have been working with them since 2015 and they have placed many Captains on yachts I manage from 20m up to 107m. Their knowledge of the Captain market is unrivalled. They know who is great, but more importantly, who is terrible (and unfortunately there are lots of terrible captains out there). They have access to Captains no one else does with whom they know well and have excellent relationships with. The insight they can provide is incredibly useful too regarding salary, packages, market intelligence, the hiring process and improving your retention on board. ”

Jack Molyneux, Director, Roccabella Yachts

“Thanks for your expert assistance in our recent search for a captain. Our operation and itinerary dictates that any prospective candidate has to be a particular type of person. Further, we always expect longevity from our senior crew and this can only be achieved through a very focused selection process following an initial brief. Your approach was to listen carefully to our brief and then carry out a very focused search for the right fit. In the end you gave me two CVs, both of which were perfect and very hard to choose from. I’d be very happy to recommend you to any other prospective clients.”

Giles Frankal, Owner’s Rep, Odessa Fleet (50-100m+)

Clients we work with include…

Arrange your free 30 minute consultation

For a confidential conversation about your current Captain requirements or some market intelligence on current salary and leave packages, book a free consultation here.

Book Consultation