What really happens behind the scenes of yacht crew welfare, and why are more crew reaching out for help than ever before?
In this episode of On the Bridge, we sit down with Laura Beard, Welfare of Yacht Crew Project Manager at ISWAN (International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network), to talk about the realities of wellbeing at sea and the support many crew don’t realise is available.
With 15+ years of experience both onboard yachts and shoreside, Laura shares her journey from working onboard to studying psychology and stepping into welfare work, bringing a rare blend of lived experience and professional insight.
Together, we explore why crew often struggle to reach out for help, the pressures of life onboard and how YachtCrewHelp, ISWAN’s confidential 24/7 helpline, is supporting crew wherever they are in the world.
We explore:
• Why crew welfare goes beyond mental health
• Why yacht crew are often reluctant to ask for help
• How YachtCrewHelp supports crew confidentiality
• The hidden impact on families back home
• How social media shapes perceptions of yacht life
• What’s next for crew welfare in yachting
If you’re a crew member, captain, manager or work anywhere in the superyacht industry, this episode offers great insight, honesty, and information on how to access support wherever you are.
00:00 – What is your role at ISWAN and what does Yacht Crew Help do?
01:05 – How did your own yachting career lead you into welfare work?
03:00 – What is it really like transitioning from yacht life to shore-based work?
04:10 – Why weren’t yacht crew reaching out for support in the past?
05:30 – What is Yacht Crew Help and how does it support crew confidentially?
08:20 – What trends are you seeing in crew welfare right now?
10:40 – How can captains and senior crew better support their teams (and themselves)? 17:10 – What misconceptions about crew welfare need to change?
22:30 – How do contracts, training and education link directly to wellbeing?
26:30 – How has social media shaped perceptions of yacht life and welfare?
31:35 – What’s next for ISWAN and the Welfare of Yacht Crew project?
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