Frequently asked questions

Velvet Ocean Crew is a yacht crew network, available as an app and on the web, that connects professional yacht crew with agencies, charter companies and owners. Crew create a free profile; employers search and contact crew directly using AI-powered matching and search.

Velvet Ocean Crew is launching in 2026. You can pre-register today as crew or as an employer to secure early access and be notified the moment the platform opens.

Velvet Ocean Crew covers the Mediterranean, the Caribbean and yachting hubs worldwide, with concentrated coverage in key marinas including Antibes, Palma, Fort Lauderdale and Genova.

Both. Velvet Ocean Crew is built as a native app for iOS and Android, with full functionality also available on the web. Your account, messages and profile stay in sync across every device.

A traditional agency places you with their own client list and typically takes a fee from the placement. Velvet Ocean Crew is a direct network: crew and employers find each other and message directly, with no placement commission. AI-powered search and matching do the work a recruiter would otherwise do manually.

Yes, completely and permanently. Crew create and maintain their profile at no cost. We do not charge crew a subscription and we do not take a percentage of placements or daywork earnings.

From the homepage or the Create Profile page, complete four short steps: personal information, role and rank, certificates, and availability. It takes about ten minutes and your profile becomes searchable once submitted.

Yes. From your profile you can switch between “Available”, “Available from [date]”, “Onboard” and “Daywork only” at any time. Employers searching for immediate availability will not see your profile while you are marked onboard.

Your email and phone number are only shared when you choose to respond to a message. Employers can see your profile and documents but must contact you through the platform’s messaging system first.

No. Your profile becomes searchable as soon as it is complete. Certificates show as self-declared until you upload them — we recommend uploading at least STCW and ENG1 first, since many employers filter for verified documents only.

Yes. Set your availability to “Daywork only” and mark your current marina. You’ll receive notifications when a matching daywork request is posted nearby.

Register your organisation and you get thirty days of full platform access at no charge, no card required. At the end of the trial you can choose a subscription plan or stop — there is no automatic billing.

Subscription pricing is published on the Start Free page and billed monthly. There is no per-placement commission — you pay a flat fee regardless of how many crew you contact or hire.

Yes. Subscription plans include multiple team seats so different recruiters can manage their own searches and shortlists within a shared agency account.

Yes. You can browse and filter the full crew network at any time, build shortlists, and message candidates directly — you don’t need to post a position first.

Role, experience, vessel-size history, languages, base location, availability status and any verified certificates. Contact details are only exchanged once a conversation begins through the platform.

A verified badge means our team has reviewed a copy of the certificate and confirmed it is legible, current and in an authentic format from a recognised issuing authority.

Standard review takes 24–48 hours on working days. For urgent placements, contact info@velvetocean.com for expedited review.

STCW Basic Safety modules, ENG1/ML5 medical certificates, RYA Yachtmaster qualifications, MCA tickets (OOW, Chief Mate, Master), GMDSS, Food Hygiene Level 2/3, and visas including the US B1/B2 crew visa.

We’ll contact you with the specific reason — for example, low image resolution or an obscured section — so you can re-upload a clearer copy. Self-declared certificates remain visible on your profile; we simply withhold the verified badge until the document passes review.

When a position is posted or a search is run, our AI scans crew profiles in the network and ranks candidates by role, certificates, vessel-size experience, languages and availability — surfacing the closest matches automatically, not just keyword hits.

You can type a request in plain language — for example, “bilingual French-English chef with ENG1 available in Antibes from May” — and the AI interprets your intent, applies the relevant filters, and returns matching verified profiles.

AI performs an initial read of each uploaded certificate, extracting the holder’s name, dates and issuing authority. A human team member then confirms the result before the verified badge is applied — AI assists the process but does not replace human review.

No. The match score is a helpful starting point, not a guarantee of suitability. We recommend treating it the way you would a strong shortlist: a reason to look closer, combined with your own reference checks and interviews.

Yes, at any time. Email info@velvetocean.com and we will delete or anonymise your personal data within 30 days, except where we are legally required to retain certain records.

No. We do not sell personal data. We share data only with other Users as necessary for the platform to function, and with service providers who process data on our behalf under contract — see our full Terms & Privacy page for details.

Yes. Data is hosted with reputable cloud providers under contractual security safeguards, and access to crew and employer data is restricted to what each role needs to use the platform.

Email info@velvetocean.com with the profile name or message details. We investigate reports of fraudulent profiles or misuse and may suspend accounts that violate our acceptable use terms.