How Many Crew Does A Sail Yacht Need?

For sailing yachts between 30 and 50 feet, a crew of four to six is typically required, including a captain, first mate, cook, and one or two deckhands. For yachts over 50 feet, the crew size can range from six to 20 or more. For recreational cruising, a crew of two is usually sufficient. A 90-foot yacht with multiple decks and luxury amenities may require a crew of 8-12 people, including a captain, first mate, chef, stewardess, and others.

Small superyachts between 24-30m (80-100ft) in size will require a crew of between 2 and 8 members, whereas mid-sized yachts between 30-60m (100-200ft) will require between 8 and 20 members. Most luxury yacht charters come with a crew of between 1 and 6 members. Larger vessels, such as super yachts, often have a crew of up to 15 or 20 people.

The size of the crew is mostly determined by the amount of bunks, with a 60-footer usually having 3-4 cabins. Some boats are equipped with systems that allow pretty large boats to be sailed by one or two people, while some smaller boats need at least 3 cabins. The size of the crew depends on how much time you want to put into the yacht. A boat over 65 to 75 feet will be a full-time job for one person to clean.

For a small vessel, about 50 to 80 feet with room for eight guests, an owner would need two to four crew members. Sailing crew needs more seamanship skills, but not necessarily more of them. Some functions are different. Sailing yachts usually have a catamaran, which is a relatively small boat, usually limited to approximately 75 feet in size, powered by a motor and can tackle areas close to shore.