Where this sits
Governing: STCW Table A-VI/1-4; COSWP 2026, Chapters 3 and 13; MLC 2006 (complaints). Builds on: Module 1.
STCW gives two of the PSSR competences to people skills: contributing to effective communications on board and contributing to effective human relationships on board. They are not soft extras. Poor communication shows up in accident reports alongside fatigue, and a crew that does not get on will not speak up when something looks wrong.
Communication that works
| Principle | In practice |
|---|---|
| One working language | Know the vessel's working language and use it on deck, even when two of you share another. |
| Closed loop | The receiver repeats the order back; the sender confirms; then act. |
| Standard terms | Use the vessel's terms for lines, stations and equipment. "Port bow spring", not "that rope". |
| Radio discipline | Short, clear, identify yourself, wait before transmitting, never assume you were heard. |
| Handover | Pass on what matters: open jobs, defects, guest requests, hazards. |
TIP: Say "stop" Any crew member may stop a job they believe is unsafe. A good bosun thanks the person who called it, even when they were wrong.
Devices and distraction
COSWP 3.15 is blunt about mobile phones. They cause distraction and loss of awareness, and in safety-critical settings this "has led to death, injury and serious damage". The MCA recommends robust restrictions on devices on the bridge, at mooring stations and during bunkering (3.15.4), and that personal phones be used only off duty in safe places such as cabins and rest areas (3.15.8). On a yacht, the same applies around tender launching and crane operations.
Human relationships
A yacht crew is a small, mixed, often young group living in shared cabins, working long days, with little privacy and a hierarchy that changes by department. What helps:
- respect for rank and for people: follow reasonable orders, and give them courteously;
- tolerance of different nationalities, cultures, religions and habits;
- fairness in how work and time off are shared;
- dealing with problems early, quietly, face to face, before they grow;
- keeping the private private: cabin mates' lives are not mess-room gossip or social media content.
When it goes wrong
Conflict is normal. What matters is how it is handled.
- Talk to the person directly and calmly, away from others.
- If that fails, go to your head of department.
- If it is still unresolved, or the head of department is the problem, use the on-board complaint procedure required by the MLC, which lets you go to the master or ashore.
COSWP lists bullying and harassment as an organisational factor that safety officers should consider when investigating accidents (13.8.3). Behaviour that crosses into harassment, bullying or violence is covered separately in L3.3.
CAUTION: Guests and crew Guests are not colleagues, and the service relationship makes it hard to say no. The same standards of respect apply in both directions. Report guest behaviour that makes you unsafe to your head of department or the captain.
Culture you can see
On a well-run yacht, juniors ask questions without fear, mistakes are reported without blame, and rotation of the unpleasant jobs is seen to be fair. You contribute to that from your first week.