A chase boat is not a tender. It needs its own dedicated crew once it goes above roughly 12 metres or starts running independently of the mothership. This page covers what crew you need, what they cost, how the chain of command works with the mothership team, and where the common operational mistakes happen.
For broader context see what is a chase boat and chase boat cost.
When dedicated crew becomes mandatory
Three triggers move the chase boat into needing its own crew.
- Length above 12 metres. Below 12 m, the mothership's deckhand can run the boat on day duty. Above 12 m, the operational complexity, responsibility, and certification load justifies a dedicated captain.
- Independent operation. If the chase boat is run from a separate berth, hired out for charter, or used while the mothership is at sea, it needs its own watchkeeper.
- Commercial coding. If the chase boat carries paying passengers it falls under MCA workboat code or equivalent and a certified captain becomes a legal requirement.
Below all three triggers, the chase boat is run by the mothership crew on rotation. Above any one, dedicate a captain.
The standard crew structures
We see four configurations across the market.
Mothership-rotated (no dedicated crew)
Used on chase boats below 12 metres that stay close to the mothership. The mothership's first deckhand or bosun runs the chase boat as needed, returning to the mothership when not in use. Cheapest option, lowest operational complexity, but caps the chase boat's utility.
Single dedicated captain
Standard on 12 to 15 metre chase boats in seasonal Mediterranean use. The captain is hired April to October, lives on or near the chase boat, runs day operations, and handles maintenance. Off-season the boat is winterised and the captain released. Salary band: 75,000 to 110,000 euros for the season.
Captain plus deckhand
Standard on 15 to 18 metre chase boats and on 12 to 15 metre boats with high-utility programmes (sport-fishing, charter, dive). The deckhand handles guest service, lines, fenders, and assists the captain. Salary band: 110,000 to 160,000 euros for the captain plus 35,000 to 55,000 for the deckhand, both seasonal.
Captain, mate, deckhand
Used on 18 metre plus flagship chase boats and on chase boats run year-round. The mate covers watch rotation when the captain is off, allowing the boat to operate longer days or overnight. Salary band: 220,000 to 350,000 euros for the team, full-year basis.
Certification requirements
Captain certifications depend on length and use.
| Boat length | Use | Minimum captain certification |
|---|---|---|
| Under 12 m | Private | RYA Yachtmaster Coastal or equivalent |
| Under 12 m | Commercial | RYA Yachtmaster Offshore (Commercial endorsement) |
| 12 to 24 m | Private | RYA Yachtmaster Offshore |
| 12 to 24 m | Commercial | MCA OOW (Yachts under 3000gt) or USCG 100T Master |
| Over 24 m | Any | MCA Master (Yachts under 3000gt) |
Most chase boats sit in the 12 to 24 metre commercial bracket, which means an MCA Officer of the Watch certificate is the working minimum for the captain. The deckhand needs STCW basic safety training (95) plus a Personal Watercraft licence if jet-skis are aboard.
ENG1 medical certificate is required for all certified crew. Renewed every two years.
Chain of command
The chase boat sits under the mothership captain operationally but the chase boat captain has full command authority on his own vessel. Three layers.
- Mothership captain. Sets the day plan, allocates the chase boat for missions, and has overall fleet authority. The chase boat captain reports daily.
- Chase boat captain. Owns all decisions on the chase boat. Can refuse to depart or return to port if conditions warrant. Reports to the mothership captain on programme but to the owner or charter party on day-to-day operations.
- Crew. Reports to the chase boat captain.
If the chase boat is hired out for independent charter, the chase boat captain becomes the master of record and the mothership chain decouples for the duration of the charter.
Salaries by region and season
Numbers below are full-package gross including liveaboard accommodation, food allowance, uniform, and travel. We update them annually from the broker placements we make.
Mediterranean season (May to October, six months)
| Role | Low | Mid | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Captain (12 to 15 m) | 70 k | 90 k | 110 k |
| Captain (15 to 18 m) | 95 k | 125 k | 160 k |
| Deckhand | 32 k | 42 k | 55 k |
| Mate | 55 k | 70 k | 90 k |
Caribbean season (November to April, six months)
Similar to Mediterranean band. Owners often run the same crew across both seasons (12 month employment) at a 35 to 45 per cent uplift.
Year-round
Mediterranean summer plus Caribbean winter. Captain on 12 to 15 metre band: 130 to 180 k annual. 15 to 18 metre: 175 to 250 k annual.
Living arrangements
Chase boats above 14 metres often have a single cabin that allows the captain to liveaboard during the season. Chase boats below 14 metres rarely do, and the captain needs shore accommodation. Three options.
- Apartment ashore at the home berth. Cleanest. Owner provides or pays a housing allowance of 1,500 to 3,500 euros per month depending on city.
- Liveaboard on the mothership. Used when the mothership has spare crew accommodation. Captain commutes daily to the chase boat berth.
- Liveaboard on the chase boat itself. Only viable on hulls 14 m plus with a real cabin and head. Comfortable for one captain, tight with a second crew member.
Hiring through the right channels
Chase boat captains are a niche pool inside the broader yacht crew market. The right captain has experience on small fast hulls, knowledge of the mothership's operating area, and a temperament that works under owner direct supervision (chase boat captains see far more of the principal than mothership crew do).
Crew agencies that handle chase boat placements include YPI Crew, Bluewater, Quay Crew, and Wilsonhalligan. Direct placements through the captain's network often produce better fits than agency-led searches.
Common crew mistakes
Three patterns we see.
- Trying to run a chase boat above 12 metres without dedicated crew. Mothership crew get stretched thin, the chase boat sits idle on days the mothership is busy, and resentment builds. Hire a dedicated captain.
- Underspeccing the captain certification. Hiring a Yachtmaster on a hull that needs an MCA OOW. Insurance discovers it after a claim and refuses to pay. Get the cert level right at hire.
- Mismatching captain personality to owner profile. A captain trained on commercial yachts may not have the close-quarters service skills the principal expects on a chase boat. Interview for fit, not just paper qualifications.
The captain as project manager
For owners commissioning a new chase boat, hiring the captain six months before delivery is standard practice. The captain attends sea trials, manages the punch list, oversees commissioning, and arrives at delivery already familiar with the boat. Cost is six months of salary plus travel, which is recovered many times over by the cleaner first season.
For broader context return to the superyacht chase boats overview and chase boat cost.