Watch the full seminar recording here.
The Monaco Yacht Show always brings together the best of our industry — from design and innovation to crew development and wellbeing. This year, one of the most meaningful sessions was “Real Steps for Yacht Crew Wellbeing”, led by Captain Kelly Gordon, founder of Yachtie Minds Matter, and Laura Beard, Welfare of Yacht Crew Project Manager at ISWAN.
Together, they shared what’s really happening behind the glossy image of yachting: the growing challenges around crew mental health, the cultural shifts starting to take root, and the practical steps everyone in the industry can take to create safer, healthier working environments at sea.
A Growing Call For Help
Over the past four years, ISWAN’s Yacht Crew Help — a 24/7, anonymous multilingual helpline dedicated to yacht crew, has supported more than 1,500 individuals. In 2024 alone, 330 crew members reached out, making over 660 contacts in total.
The most common issues raised, in order of frequency, are:
Employment issues such as contracts, wages, and hours of rest, which make up around 30% of complaints
Workplace stress and burnout
PTSD symptoms
Job seeking and recruitment (around 21%)
Abuse, bullying, harassment, and discrimination
As Laura explained, “Many assume crew only reach out when they’re in crisis, but often it’s someone who’s just had a hard day and needs to talk. No issue is too small, or too big.”
Alongside ISWAN’s work, Yachtie Minds Matter continues to make therapy accessible for free to anyone in the yachting community. Kelly Gordon shared that nearly 38% of those seeking help were facing what she described as “mental health crisis” cases such as trauma, anxiety, or depression. Another 36% were struggling with burnout or work-related stress, and therapy requests jumped 40% in just one quarter last year.
What’s Behind the Numbers
The discussion in Monaco went far beyond statistics. It touched the real, human experiences that fuel these trends. Life on board can be rewarding, but it’s also intense. Crew live, work, and socialize in the same confined space, often under pressure and without personal time. Add long hours, rotating guests, and tight turnaround schedules, and you have a recipe for chronic stress.
For some, there’s also trauma linked to onboard incidents — medical emergencies, near misses, or accidents that leave lasting effects once the adrenaline wears off. ISWAN has seen a marked rise in such PTSD-related cases. And despite the progress being made, reporting misconduct or harassment still comes with fear. Fear of not being believed, of being “blackballed”, or of jeopardizing a hard-earned career.
As one participant shared, “Sometimes the only reason things get fixed is when someone finally says, ‘If you don’t act, I’ll go to the police.’ It shouldn’t have to reach that point.”
Change is Happening — But Slowly
The positive news is that awareness and action are growing. Industry groups, flag states, and management companies are starting to collaborate, share data, and standardize approaches. The Cayman Islands recently introduced new guidelines on sexual harassment reporting, and more flags are following. Roundtable discussions between management companies are also emerging, focused on sharing best practices and improving accountability.
Captain Kelly Gordon summed it up:
“I’ve been beating this drum for four years now, and we’re finally seeing the change. Crew are speaking up, management is listening, and people are getting the help they need.” Still, both Kelly and Laura agreed that one major obstacle remains: time. Many crew (and captains) simply don’t have enough of it to stop, talk, or decompress. And that lack of space often keeps problems from being addressed until they escalate.
Leadership Under Pressure
One of the most striking parts of the discussion came when Kelly, herself an active captain running a fleet of yachts, was asked how leaders cope.
Her answer was honest:
“Somebody once asked me, ‘Who do you go to?’ And I didn’t have an answer. Captains support everyone else, but who supports the captains?”
ISWAN has found the same pattern. Many of the captains contacting their helpline aren’t calling for themselves, but for guidance on how to support crew. It’s a positive sign of empathy and responsibility — but it also shows how isolated leadership roles can become.
Rotation, professional development, and peer support were all raised as part of the solution. Leadership training, especially around emotional intelligence and conflict management, is described as just as essential as technical certification.
The Elephant in The Room: Substance Use
The conversation also turned to one of the most uncomfortable topics in yachting: alcohol and drug culture. While the “work hard, play hard” mindset has long been part of maritime life, it’s becoming harder to ignore its impact. Captains and managers shared stories of impaired performance, safety risks, and blurred professional boundaries.
Kelly was clear on where she stands:
“I run a dry boat. If you’re on board, you’re dry. The boat can catch fire just as easily at the dock as at sea.” Others suggested that the industry needs to adopt clear, consistent policies — such as drug and alcohol testing after leave or incidents, and greater alignment with commercial maritime standards.
What Needs to Happen Next
Several actionable ideas came out of the session that every vessel, management company, and marina can adopt right now:
Make help visible and accessible: Post contact details for outside entities such as Yacht Crew Help and Yachtie Minds Matter in crew areas, onboarding packs, and WhatsApp groups. Make accessible contact numbers for management, DPAs, or flag representatives — people crew can reach out to if they need to report concerns about their captain or someone senior on board.
Standardize onboarding: Every new crew member should receive a clear guide on who to contact for harassment, unsafe work, or wellbeing issues, and reassurance that NDAs cannot prevent safety reporting. Laura put it simply: “Knowledge is power. When people know where to turn, they feel less helpless.”
Invest in training: Mental Health First Aid and Leadership Development should be part of the core skillset for senior crew.
Normalize rest: Rotation, proper hours of rest, and recovery time are safety issues, not perks.
A Shared Responsibility
The final takeaway from Monaco was one of optimism. The conversation wasn’t just about what’s wrong — it was about how much progress has already been made. Crew are reaching out. Captains are engaging. Flag states are listening. Management companies are asking how to train better. The silence that once surrounded mental health and misconduct is slowly being replaced with open dialogue.
For an industry built on excellence and teamwork, crew wellbeing isn’t just a welfare topic — it’s core to performance, safety, and retention. And, as Kelly reminded everyone in the room, “We’re more powerful when we work together.”
A special thank you to our speakers, partners, and everyone who joined us in Monaco to be part of this important conversation about shaping a stronger culture of care in yachting. Learn more about the organizations leading this work:
