34 year-old James Branton worked in yachting for over seven years, working his way up from Deckhand to First Mate. An East Yorkshire boy from the north of England, he now lives in Mallorca and after five years, it’s the place he now calls home. Over the years, James has had quite a varied and interesting career, from working with wind farms off the coast of Liverpool to working for billionaires in Hong Kong. He now shares his highlights and low points of this intriguing and secretive (his words) world, and what made him jump from ship to shore… 

If James hadn’t worked on yachts previously, he tells me, he probably wouldn’t have been in the fortunate position to set a life up on this amazing Island. He, however, never planned to live in Mallorca!  

“It just happened” he laughs… “and I’ve never looked back so I do have the yachting industry to thank for opening this door for me!” 

James had his first taste of the sea when he was just 12 years old. In 2000, he sailed in a 70ft ketch for a week’s voyage with the Ocean Youth Trust. They sailed to Holland from Hull in the North Sea and then continued on from Berwick-upon-Tweed to the North of Scotland. 

“Looking back now it was quite an experience, rough seas, freezing cold, everyone was severely seasick! But at 12, I suppose it was all new and exciting and so that didn’t really matter!”  

After this James wouldn’t go sailing for another 14 years, when a family member took him back on the waves in 2014.  

“Ironically, we sailed from Barcelona to Mallorca and cruised around the island for three weeks. I decided to ditch my office job in a letting agency for a career in the yachting industry.” 

James has worked on yachts for seven years. He completed his Yacht Master at UKSA and then spent some time travelling around Australia and Thailand, where he completed his STCW.  

“While I was there, the school got a call from a yacht in Hong Kong, and they needed a Deckhand immediately. The next day I jumped on a flight, and I started as that Deckhand on a 60m Benetti. No dock walking needed so looking back I was lucky in that aspect, and it was quite an unusual place to start your first yacht job!” 

James stayed on this yacht for ten months and handed in his notice just in time for the beginning of the Med season.  

“For my next chapter, I landed a job on a 104m Lürssen. I joined this beast in Bremen at the Lürssen yard, known for some of the best builds in the world. At the time I was learning all about the job at hand, but I was also very intrigued with all the different new builds. I got to see behind the scenes what goes into the running of such a huge operation. Seeing the half-finished Lürssen builds coming out of the giant sheds was a very impressive sight!”  

James decided to leave when he got a phone call from a friend who asked if he wanted a job working on a wind farm transfer vessel which was indeed quite different to the Superyachts. This job involved transferring wind farm technicians up the towers off the coast of Liverpool. It was a rotational job, three weeks on and three weeks off. 

“When I was off rotation, I would immediately leave the vessel, jump on a train and head to Brighton to help with a cable pull, connecting a new cable from a new wind farm to shore. After eight months of this, I decided it was time to head back to the superyachts.”  

James worked on a handful of different-sized yachts until he decided it was time to leave the seasonal life behind. Although he knew he still wanted to continue to work within the industry if he could.  

“I then got a job on a 34m sailing yacht which was for sale at that time. It didn’t move from Palma and my role mainly included keeping the yacht to a very high standard. Buyers would come (normally with 24-hour’s notice) and the boat always had to be immaculate and what I call ‘yacht show presentable.’  While we had many brokers onboard, I made friends with one who offered me a job as a junior yacht broker after the boat sold. This opportunity then opened another door to my shore life!” 

I was keen to know what James’s highlights and low points were whilst working in the yachting industry. 

“The low points for me were missing my family at home in the UK. Not being able to attend certain important events or go on holiday with friends (as we worked all summer long). Although, my friends at home didn’t really understand my role or the yachting industry. I think they thought my job was just one long holiday!”  

James smiles when I ask him how he responded to that. 

 “My answer was always that I don’t own the yacht!”  

A high point for James he explains, he gets to go to work on these amazing yachts in such a secretive and intriguing industry. 

“We are so lucky, most people outside the industry don’t get the opportunity to set foot on these yachts. They only get to admire them from afar. Another plus point for me is being able to travel and experience all the wonderful destinations that yachts go to. You also meet and get to work with friends from all around the world!”   

Another big highlight for James was when he was working for a Yacht Brokerage, and he sold a Catamaran to a client. “The client then invited me to do an Atlantic crossing with him and his family. We had formed a brilliant bond from the start of the sale, and we are still great friends to this day!” 

James is proud of the fact that when he was visiting different marinas around the Med, he always made a friend or two from other boats as well as his own crew.  

“My biggest highlight was the Monaco Grand Prix. I was working on a 34m motor yacht, trackside, in a prime mooring spot for the race weekend. Topped only by the fact that F1 legend Valtteri Botas was also onboard as our guest VIP. That was an amazing weekend I will never forget!” 

James also describes to me another experience at a Monaco Grand Prix, that wasn’t so amazing… well, it certainly was a tad more embarrassing anyway! 

“I was a tender driver, and I was taking guests to an exclusive beach club just next to Monaco while the F1 race was in full throttle. Somehow, we got a line wrapped around the propeller, luckily a nearby water taxi had come to rescue the VIP guests and take them to the beach club. Meanwhile, I’d radioed the Marina to explain the situation and they sent the police to tow me back in! All their blue lights flashing and sirens blaring, bearing in mind this was prime time mid-F1 race! The surrounding yachts started sounding their horns and the crowd that had gathered were all clapping and cheering! Although quite embarrassing, I was more worried about losing my job however, we managed to rent another tender within a couple of hours, so all ended well!” 

I ask James what finally made him decide to make the jump from Ship to Shore.  

“I didn’t really know it was time to move ashore until I got offered the broker position I mentioned earlier.  When I was on the 34m SY, I was getting very used to shore life. I was living ashore while working an 8 to 5 job on an awesome yacht. Some days we would even get to take her out for a sail. Some would say it was the perfect gig but at the back of my mind, I knew it wasn’t going to last forever. So, after the yacht sold, I decided to take the position and another door opened for me into the world of yacht brokerage!”  

I am curious to find out how difficult or easy he found the transition. 

“I suppose I thought finding a job with my skills would be hard, however, like my journey into yachting, I was offered the junior broker’s position whilst working on a yacht. I was lucky, it was a seamless and painless transition!”   

“So, what do I do now? After working in yacht brokerage for a further three years or so, where I also did some concierge services by helping clients with their shore needs such as arranging helicopters to Ibiza and charters etc, I am now working for a company called ACREW. 

ACREW is dedicated to connecting with exceptional captains, crew, onboard and onshore leaders, and industry specialists who consistently ensure a safe and outstanding experience for guests and owners. Sustaining these high standards requires collaboration with the best people, not only in terms of skills and expertise but also as partners and team members. 

ACREW hosts events and gatherings at destinations around the world where crew and business members can come together to learn, network, and connect with industry professionals. To bring together onboard and onshore leaders, ACREW organise numerous free events throughout the year, welcoming everyone in the yachting industry to join in.  

These events are hosted at various yachting destinations, including Palma where one of our offices is located. Palma was also one of the first boat shows where we organized events for crew and companies in the yachting industry.  

We will be at the Palma International Boat Show in April. Additionally, ACREW organises the annual ACREW Crew Awards, the ultimate celebration of excellence and professionalism in the Superyacht Industry. The Crew Awards is the premier event for Superyacht crew to be recognised for their hard work and personal achievements in the industry. 

Recognising the unique challenges faced both onboard and onshore, we have utilised proven concepts to develop tailored solutions for our industry, focusing on measurable results. Whether you’re an individual crew member, a vessel, a charter broker, a business or a destination, ACREW is here to support your growth. 

Over the past 15 years, ACREW has proven its value to over 15,000 captains and crew, representing 1,500 vessels, and to over 500 onshore specialists through events, market studies, award programs, and specialised crew and business consulting. 

I joined their sales team eight months ago and I’m loving the job!”  

I’m eager to know, now he’s planted his feet on ‘terra firma’, what he misses most about his yachting life. 

“Other than the pay and tips” James jokes… “It’s a nice feeling when you drop off the guests after weeks of charters knowing you’re all going to hit the bar for some well-earned drinks!  

We also finally get to explore the amazing locations we are in at that time and catch up with your pals from different yachts in different marinas around the world!”  

Finally, I asked James what advice he’d give to fellow yachties about going land-based. 

“Be patient, be creative and open-minded on what jobs you can do onshore. Be prepared to take a step back or in a different direction on a land-based job. Do as much networking as you can when you’re out and about. The Maritime Academy school is doing some very helpful courses for “Life after Yachting” and in my opinion, they offer some very valuable courses which open more doors into the workplace of shore life, but you can still stay within the maritime industry.”