Former yacht crew Brandon Guenther has published a guide for those intrigued by yachting careers. His downloadable report, "The Rich Man's Navy Wants You! How to begin an exciting and lucrative yachting career," offers insight and advice from his personal experiences on megayachts. 

Before his yachting career, Guenther had served four years in the U.S. Army. Afterward, he lived on a boat in Cincinnati, Ohio, and when the ownership with partners fell apart, he thought about what to do next.

He realized he enjoyed the boat.

“So, I took a negative and made it a positive,” he said. “I got a job with a tug and barge company near the marina. We did shuttles for the football and baseball games and more.”

And that was where he met a captain who spent the winter in Florida working on a glass-bottom boat.

“She told me about that and the story of her deckhand who got a job on a yacht, and I thought, I’ve gotta check that out.”

So he packed up, headed down to Florida and worked on the glass-bottom boat. He capitalized on connections while living in a crew house and found a crew job.

“I was so grateful for the help from that captain and boat that I wanted to repay them by working hard for six months before I took work on M/Y Savannah, a 118-footer,” Guenther said.

His yacht career started in the early 2000s with a year as a first mate, or as he described, a glorified deckhand. He also worked on the 109-foot M/Y Diamond Girl.

“I had owned a boat and I thought I knew something about them, but I didn’t know the first thing about an ocean-going vessel,” he said. “My captain was great. He encouraged me to dig into Chapman’s to learn, to get the answers myself.”

So, Guenther studied Chapman Piloting and Seamanship, considered by many to be the bible of boating.

“In retrospect, I didn’t know much compared to what I know now.”

Guenther had a background as a helicopter mechanic in the Army, and he used that knowledge to work up to deck and eventually to first mate/engineer positions. He said his first boat had all the documents and blueprints so he could really study the workings of a yacht.

One day, Guenther decided to share what he had learned.

“I was inspired by people outside the industry,” Guenther said.”They would say ‘wow’ and then I’d spend an hour talking about yachting. I guess I just got asked enough.”

In “The Rich Man's Navy Wants You!” Guenther introduces potential crew to Ft. Lauderdale and the industry and explains how to get a job. He illustrates his report with anecdotes and a description of a day at work on a yacht.

Seasoned crew will appreciate advice such as:

Always remember: you are not on vacation, your guests are.

Be flexible in the beginning until you are experienced and your goals are well defined. Start with the basics and work your way up. 

Do not be sluggish, but work with enthusiasm. Professional yacht  crews recognize when a new person has potential. What you lack in skills you will make up for in expressing desire. 

While working in Pompano Beach, Fla., Guenther ran into his high school sweetheart. She was down from Ohio at a business meeting in Miami.

“We had dated before the Army, but it just didn’t work out then; we were too young,” Guenther said. “But the sparks started flying like they used to, so I moved home.”

Now 35 years old, Guenther owns a boat detailing and shrink wrapping company in Ohio. He’s not sure what will happen with his writings, but with an 8-month-old son, every little bit helps.

“This is for people to know the yacht industry exists as an option,” he said. “For people with desire and willingness to take a risk, for people ready to step outside the box.”

Since it isn’t quite an entire book, Guenther calls his downloadable work a special report, which is available for sale online at www.YachtCrewGuide.com.                                                                                            

About the Author

Dorie Cox

Associate Editor