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Know Your Rights Before You Sign: MLC 2006 Guide for Yacht Crew

9 Nov 2026 · @Gregory

Before you accept a job on board, check that your contract protects you. The Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC) sets the minimum working and living standards every seafarer is entitled to, and yacht crew are no exception.

This guide walks you through what to look for at interview stage, when the contract lands in your inbox, and if something goes wrong once you’ve joined.

Your Seafarer Employment Agreement

Your Seafarer Employment Agreement (SEA) is the contract that sets out what the yacht owes you under MLC. There is no single standard template, so wording and layout vary from boat to boat.

Whatever the format, a valid SEA must:

• Comply with the national laws of the yacht’s flag state
• Include any Collective Bargaining Agreement that applies to the vessel
• Give you terms that are at least as good as the MLC minimum standards, taken together

If a clause seems to give you less than MLC guarantees, ask about it before you sign.

Before and after you sign

MLC gives you the right to take enough time to read and understand your SEA, both before and after signing. Nobody should rush you.

• Every section of the SEA is filled in, with no blanks left “to be confirmed”
• You understand and accept each clause, including salary, leave, hours of rest and repatriation
• You have received your own signed copy of the agreement
• Anything agreed verbally at interview is written into the contract

Yachts outside MLC

Not every yacht has to comply with MLC. Some fly the flag of a country that has not ratified the convention; others fall outside its scope.

On these boats your protection depends almost entirely on the employment agreement itself. Read it with extra care and only sign if you are genuinely happy with the terms. You can check which flag states have ratified MLC 2006 on the ILO’s NORMLEX database.

Checking the employer

Do your own homework on the boat and the owner before you commit. Ask around the dock, talk to former crew, and satisfy yourself that the employer can actually meet its obligations to you, including paying salaries on time.

Your employer should provide adequate personal insurance cover for the whole period of your employment. If it doesn’t and you still want the job, arrange your own cover through a recognised crew insurance provider before you join.

Fair recruitment

MLC protects you from exploitation during recruitment. Know where the lines are:

• No fees for you. A recruitment agency must never charge you, directly or through hidden costs, to find you a job.
• No blacklists. Nobody may use lists or other means to stop qualified crew from getting work.
• No discrimination. Every qualified candidate deserves a fair hearing.
• Minimum ages. No one under 16 may work on board, and no one under 18 as a chef.

If an agency or employer crosses any of these lines, report it.

Raising a complaint

If you have a grievance once on board, start with the onboard complaints procedure, which every MLC-compliant yacht must have. Keep notes, dates and copies of anything in writing.

You can also go directly to the maritime authority of the yacht’s flag state at any time. For Red Ensign (UK) yachts, that is the Maritime and Coastguard Agency:

• Email: mlc@mcga.gov.uk
• Post: 105 Commercial Road, Southampton, SO15 1EG, United Kingdom

If your complaint is about the agency that placed you, use that agency’s own complaints procedure. Complaints are usually expected within about 14 days of the incident, though most agencies allow more time with good reason. If it stays unresolved, it can be escalated to the flag state.

Your side of the deal

Protection works both ways. When you apply for a position, your CV and documents must be honest and current.

• Experience, training and qualifications are stated accurately
• Certificates and your seafarer medical are valid, and you update agencies when they are renewed
• You provide your employer with full copies of certificates, medicals and any other paperwork reasonably requested
• Your contact details stay up to date, so you can be reached and your family can reach you through the right channels

About this guide

The Flying Fish shares this guide to help crew understand their rights. It is general information, not legal advice, and The Flying Fish is not a party to any employment agreement listed on the platform.

Questions or feedback? Contact gregory@theflyingfish.eu or join the conversation in TheFlyingFishLounge.

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