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Interview with Marli Schoonraad, founder of Pull North Yachting

CrewPass is delighted to announce that we have formed a new partnership with Pull North Yachting. Pull North Yachting is joining us on our mission to make the yachting industry safer! Our newfound partnership enables CrewPass to spread awareness of the importance of background checks at the very beginning of every yachties journey… yacht training academies. Pull North Yachting is an exceptional yacht training academy based in Cape Town, South Africa, that fully prepares green crew with every tool they need to succeed in their yachting career. As a celebration of this new partnership, CrewPass wants to shine a light on the training academy and introduce our readers to the founder, Marli Schoonraad.

Introduction

My name is Marli Schoonraad and I am the founder of Pull North Yachting that started out in January 2019. I used to be a yachtie myself who has now gone from an adventure seeker to newly aspiring entrepreneur. The change has been real! But so rewarding. My passion lies in nature, adventure, creating, travelling, hospitality and helping others find ways to step out of their comfort zones. I believe we all have so much more in us, we just don’t always take the opportunity to meet. Networking has always been a big part of who I am, and I think due to that, here we are today! I grew up in Stellenbosch, and left home after studying photography and marketing when I was 21, 9 years later and I am now based in Cape Town, I live and work from here these days!

How did you get into yachting?

One of my best friends arrived at my house in Stellenbosch after class asking if she could please shower as she was extremely dirty, she started telling me about her Fire Fighting course she just completed and that she was about to fly to the USA and go work on a Superyacht. I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about, but all I wanted to do was join her! We both ended up going our separate ways, I stayed in touch with her and soon as it was possible, I made my way to Palma! I’ve always enjoyed hospitality and meeting new people, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to escape the norm. 

Do you have any advice for green crew joining the yachting industry?

The hustle is real and building your network is so important! Not to only get jobs (which is of course very important as well) but to get to know others in the industry who you can always learn from and gain as mentors! Chasing YOUR vision and what YOU want out of this going forward can open doors you never even knew existed you just have to keep faith!

Why did you leave yachting?

I injured my wrist (not knowing how), and it took exceptionally long to heal as no one could really tell me what was wrong. Turns out it was a pinched nerve that stemmed from my back, and I just needed a really good chiropractor.

Tell us a bit about Pull North Yachting

Pull North yachting is like a seed that landed in the right soil and now it’s this amazing tree that keeps on growing, and the branches are starting to flower in all directions. Haha

We started out as a Guidance & Consulting agency who assisted green crew on how to step into yachting and how to pursue it as a career. I was actually on holiday on the West Coast in South-Africa and so many kite surfing friends of mine wanted to know how and what they can do to get into the industry! Before I knew, I had daily consultations booked with people I have never met. Soon thereafter we started assisting crew with their Visas as well. I recently finished developing an amazing Steward/ess Training Program which I am extremely proud of and excited about! We focus a lot on industry values and how to be the best you. I have added two modules which includes mental awareness & financial guidance. We like to have our team members start out by being prepared while also thinking ahead and focusing on their futures. 

We are based in the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, South-Africa.

What is Pull North Yachting, and where are you based?

Pull North yachting is like a seed that landed in the right soil and now it’s this amazing tree that keeps on growing, and the branches are starting to flower in all directions. Haha

We started out as a Guidance & Consulting agency who assisted green crew on how to step into yachting and how to pursue it as a career. I was actually on holiday on the West Coast in South-Africa and so many kite surfing friends of mine wanted to know how and what they can do to get into the industry! Before I knew, I had daily consultations booked with people I have never met. Soon thereafter we started assisting crew with their Visas as well. I recently finished developing an amazing Steward/ess Training Program which I am extremely proud of and excited about! We focus a lot on industry values and how to be the best you. I have added two modules which includes mental awareness & financial guidance. We like to have our team members start out by being prepared while also thinking ahead and focusing on their futures. 

We are based in the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, South-Africa.

Why did you create Pull North Yachting?

I’ve always had a passion to help others and with my experience in the yachting industry it just kind of happened. I wasn’t ready to leave just yet, is one ever… So this seemed like a great way to still be a part of the industry whilst waiting to go back, little did I know. I also have so many stories & lessons to share, by helping others take the leap I can now make proper use of what I’ve learned throughout my time in the industry and how it made me grow as an individual. I have created a space where I can network & keep meeting new people as well as be creative while guiding & teaching others, I’ll never be bored haha It’s everything I enjoy in one.

Can you explain what makes Pull North Yachting unique in the market?

We give hands on guidance and like to get to know you for who you truly are, that way we can guide you better and hopefully also assist in finding you your first position on board! Not only do we teach you job related skills that prepare you for your physical position, but also how to stay resilient under pressure and keep your mind set positive while working with your team. We also focus a lot on Networking, we find ourselves to be pretty diverse and once you are apart of the team we will always be by your side, we always help where we can!

Why did you start a partnership with CrewPass?

CrewPass is something that immediately puts you in the league of a professional yacht crew member and it makes it easier for the person on the hiring end to know they can trust you instead of taking their time to find more out about you. I feel it can also make a great beneficial difference when it comes to industry standards going forward. 

Where do you see Pull North Yachting in the future?

My vision is to support and guide crew, I want Pull North to make their lives easy offshore & on. I have a big passion for the industry and what I’m busy with excites me a lot. I really believe that yachting has so much potential, the opportunities you can create for yourself (and others) are endless. We are busy with a few very exciting projects. There’s so much fun to have with Pull North and I can’t wait to see it happen. I feel very strongly about keeping it a “Boatique agency” as I like to work with our clients personally and the team that I’m busy building has the same vision, keeping it real and personal is important.

Summary

We want to take the time to thank Pull North Yachting for supporting CrewPass and enabling us to spread awareness of the importance of background checks internationally. Partnerships are truly the backbone of all businesses, allowing all to thrive and sustain within the industry. This mutually beneficial partnership also allows us to offer more tools to our crew, furthering their yachting careers. If you are looking to get into yachting and are based in South Africa, we highly recommend Pull North Yachting as your future yacht training provider. To see our other partnerships, please go to our Home Page.

Image source: https://www.pullnorth.com/

Pull North Yachting Links

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Why checks are essential for your safety – Yacht crew stories

Introduction

In many industries, background checks are required for employees before starting the job, mainly for the protection of vulnerable groups. CrewPass believes that background checks provide vessels and agencies with the confidence that they are placing safe crew members onboard, but checks also provide crew with the peace of mind that the people they are sharing living quarters with are safe. Through social media, CrewPass has sparked a conversation with people sharing their stories of why criminal record checks are essential. Many of these comments agree that companies like ours are needed in the yachting industry. In this blog post, we look at one person’s experiences onboard with unchecked crew members and how a straightforward background-checking process could have avoided all of the risks and dangers to follow. Plus, another person shows us that without a background check conducted, you really do not know who you are working with and the risks you are exposed to.

TW: Violence

The people who shared these stories would like to remain anonymous for privacy and security.

An abusive deckhand who was wanted for attempted manslaughter

“We had a deckhand who was wanted for attempted manslaughter and had a range of historical violent incidents. He held a knife to my throat in the crew mess one night on charter, witnessed by Chief Officer…he was fired…I went on vacation…he was on the dock (rehired again) in St Marteen when I flew in.

He then did the same again to another stew onboard. He would try to break into my cabin at night. Repeated requests to Captain ignored. I left the yacht soon after. Next yacht, he dragged his stew gf across a dancefloor in front of all her crew (all from a well-known yacht) and smashed up all the pot plants on a rampage one night close to the IYCA. The various management companies ignored repeated requests by crew to stop hiring him on yachts as crew were in danger. 

We had an audit onboard, and I had to say something as my interior was pretty scared. It was followed up, but still, nothing happened. CrewPass would have been essential as it turns out his checkered history in the UK with an attempted manslaughter charge, amongst other things, would have popped up. Last I heard, he’s still in yachting.

Just to give more concern about my story, the managing agent I walked into to place a formal complaint was *a well-known managing company* in Fort Lauderdale. I had a crew member on a well known 68m, who was ex RN and went to hit me in my office. I laid several complaints of the abuse received by myself, soa manager who refused to be in a room with him on her own and 2nd stew was the same. Constant babysitting crew with fear. *A well-known managing company* did nothing. I was in their office for another reason, and they threatened to blacklist me if I did anything further or if I quit or any of the HOD’s quit.

The crew member has a historical background of abuse of his wife and was also a boxer (none of us knew). He had some sort of AVO in UK. Chief Engineer on a very well known 74m verbally abused myself and several crew and hit deck crew on a night out. He hit another crew member on another night out. Constant assault that reached my office – Captain wasn’t interested and did nothing when reported on several occasions on behalf of the crew affected. Turns out the CE has a historical background of violence – another ex-RN UK. He was discharged from RN due to violent behaviour. Complaint to Captain after interior felt unsafe – nothing was done. The new Captain (my former CO on one of these yachts above) has tried months to hire the ex-Chief from the 68m. I went straight to the owner. It puts his reputation, crew, and family at risk. Mates club over a legal implication – disaster…

It is so common I dealt with the dangerous conditions right throughout my yachting career until 2 years ago. I feel what you do is so essential as the problem of violent behaviour is still swept under the carpet, and proper checks are avoided to get crew onboard with urgency – huge complacency.”

*CrewPass has removed the names of the businesses mentioned for privacy.

A crew member involved with the infamous Australian backpacker murders

“Unfortunately, numerous companies with and without so-called ‘management’ fail in pre-screening and vetting of staff/ crew, I was working on a vessel with someone who had quite an ‘unsavoury’ background and was involved with the infamous Australian backpacker murders.”

These extreme cases highlight why comprehensive background checks are so necessary for crew members. Whether you are a captain looking to place crew onboard or a crew member who has to work with strangers, we encourage you to get background checks conducted and provide everyone around you peace of mind. Why is pre-employment screening not an industry-standard in an industry that is so prestigious and highly values security?
If you have experienced something similar or you have your own story to tell please send them in either in the comment section or email us: info@crewpass.co.uk
If you would like to remain anonymous, please let us know, and we will not include any names!

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Seven Seas Recruitment Collaboration

CrewPass is pleased to announce a new collaboration with Seven Seas Recruitment.

Seven Seas Recruitment is a new crew agency dedicated to the yacht industry. Offering desirable job opportunities for all positions in yachting, Seven Seas Recruitment is a great platform to search for your next job.

Get recognised by Seven Seas Recruitment by signing up with CrewPass and becoming CrewPass Approved. Let your future employer know that you are a safe placement option that has passed one of the most extensive background checks on the market for yacht crew.

It is a straightforward process; you fill in your information and wait 7–10 days for your background check results and accreditation.

Seven Seas Recruitment and Crewpass are fully integrated into the registration process, allowing members to connect and validate their CrewPass Approved status in their profile when they apply for a job at Seven Seas Recruitment.

Get ahead of the crowd and become a star candidate today!

Register with Seven Seas Recruitment and validate your CrewPass status today:

https://sevenseasrecruitment.com/

Not CrewPass Approved yet? Subscribe to CrewPass and show your future employer that you are a safe, suitable and reliable crew candidate for just £9.99 p/m:

https://app.crewpass.co.uk/auth/login/

Make sure you follow Seven Seas Recruitment’s social media pages to stay up to date with the most recent job posts:

@sevenseasrecruitment

 

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CrewPass and YPI join forces

CrewPass and YPI CREW join forces

YPI CREW is a leading international yacht crew agency with extensive industry knowledge and outstanding proficiency in superyacht recruitment.

CrewPass is an award-nominated software solution for Identity, background checking and qualification verification.  With a shared goal of creating a safer environment for yachting individuals, yacht crew, employers and clients, YPI CREW has embedded CrewPass within their registration process.  The collaboration raises awareness of CrewPass’ shared aim to make the yachting industry more secure by assisting YPI CREW in seeing which crew members have passed a comprehensive criminal record and qualification verification checks before placing crew onboard.

Crew members who are CrewPass Approved can validate their status through YPI CREW’s sign-up process, which will update their profile, allowing potential employers to know if they have passed our checks. Not CrewPass Approved? Crew members can also subscribe to CrewPass by simply completing our checks through the YPI CREW sign up process.

Working alongside market leaders such as YPI CREW, CrewPass’ Approved accreditation is setting new standards in superyacht recruitment. If you wish to further your yachting career log on to www.ypicrew.com and subscribe to CrewPass today.

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CrewPass is fully integrated on Yacrew’s website

CrewPass is now fully integrated on Yacrew.com – Jobs on Yachts!
 
Yacrew hosts thousands of superyacht jobs on their website: www.yacrew.com
 
CrewPass is excited to announce that CrewPass Approved crew will have the CP (CrewPass) logo on their profile on Yacrew’s crew search. This allows crew to promote that they have passed a comprehensive criminal background check as well as an ID check.
 
Employers can see the status of a CrewPass crew member on Yacrew’s crew search, allowing them to see if they are Approved (passed the checks), Pending (waiting for results to come back) or if they have been declined.
 
This integration is a highly beneficial, time-saving tool as well as a great opportunity to give employers insight into a crew member’s suitability.
 
If you wish to further your career, become CrewPass Approved and apply for jobs on Yacrew’s website!

If you already have a Yacrew account and a CrewPass account use this link to update your profile:

Don't forget to follow Yacrew's social media to keep up to date with new job positions:

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Partner Announcement: The OM

Today we are so excited to share a new working partnership between CrewPass and THE OM joining together to promote our shared aims to make the industry not only a safer place for crew, but also support CrewPass approved members in their professional careers.

Emma Baggett who is the driving force behind THE OM -“For me, partnerships have to have integrity, and represent a shared understanding and goal, through my work developing education and training and particularly through my role as a crew mentor, I speak to crew at all levels within the industry every day; so gaining their trust and buy into my advice and support is incredibly important to me. I have been so impressed by the CrewPass concept, which values the importance of background checking not just for the owner’s safety and onboard experience, but also for its impact on the vessel and the crew dynamic.”

THE OM has a commitment to developing pathways and solutions to support crew to achieve success within their professional careers; whilst working with the industry to adopt new strategies toward an innovative, sustainable and equitable future. Crew are an essential factor in the success of the industry; however, they do not always get valued and retained in the way they deserve, CrewPass has already made an impact by working with crew agents and vessels globally to help superyacht professionals stand out from the crowd when seeking employment and gain the trust of their employer once employed.

 “This is an incredibly important time for the industry when finally there has been the realisation that the future sustainability and growth of the sector is not just about technical and ecological solutions. I passionately believe that crew should be valued as the vital human capital, the beating heart of the industry, and supporting them to train, learn and grow throughout their careers is an equally impactful investment.”   -The OM

The OM delivers a range of valuable services that aim to advance your yachting career from developing and promoting Sustainable Maritime Development distance learning degrees for superyacht crew, to offering professional crew career and business mentoring, collaborating with crew to further their professional development and plan for their future life beyond yachting. If you are interested in any of The OM’s services please contact The OM on the contact page! 

To find out more about THE OM, visit their website http://the-om.co.uk

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The Importance of Background Checks

Pre-employment screening is a common practice in most industries. Hiring the most suitable candidate provides peace of mind for employers and saves a lot of money in the long run. To ensure you find the best candidate, conducting background checks can provide valuable information, making the decisions more straightforward. Most checks look at a person’s criminal history, education, credit report, employment history, and reference checks. However, background checks are carried out differently depending on the country.

Although in most areas, the yachting industry is very secure and prestigious, background checks are more optional depending on the yacht owners, captains or agency’s preferences. Most of the checks that get carried out before employment in the yachting industry are just reference checks. Reference checks verify a candidate’s work habits, dependability and social skills. Simple reference checks are not sufficient to fully comprehend a candidate’s suitability. Furthermore, they are not extensive enough to regard the crew member’s life before yachting.

CrewPass’ detailed background checks aim not to vilify crew members but to avoid any potential safety or criminal risks onboard. Superyachts can be considered an extension of their home for yacht owners, and it is a place where they can bring their friends and family. Not only do crew members have the responsibility of human safety, but many priceless items are placed onboard. This is why reference checks do not suffice! CrewPass has created a subscription that spreads the cost of our enhanced criminal record checks. Our checks are carried out internationally, meaning no matter where a crew member lives, we can conduct their checks. 

According to Investopedia (2022), First Advantage (FA) is the overall best background checking sites for 2022. 

First Advantage is the best overall background check site because results are quick, and it offers international background checks. The company manually reaches out to candidates if they need additional information, so you don’t have to contact them yourself. FA’s background checks typically come back very quickly, but that timing can be longer depending on the country or county. First Advantage is CrewPass’ main background checking provider allowing us to give our customers one of the literal best background checking service on the market.

However, CrewPass much more than a simple background checking company. We offer a variety of services that benefits everyone in the industry. Our Superyacht Crew Management Software allows vessels and crew to keep track and manage daily operations onboard. This app includes a digitalised crew list, in & out board, watch rotas, private/group chats, sea time calendar, rest hours reporting, document storage, and more to be announced soon!

For just £9.99 p/m (2-year term) crew can get one of the most comprehensive global criminal background checks on the market, ID verification, CrewPass Approved accreditation and status updates on the app. If an agency or a vessel wishes to verify their crew and get checks conducted on crew members, they can pay a one-off fee of £200 per crew member. If you wish to conduct checks on your crew, please contact us!

Keep up to date with the latest CrewPass updates, blogs and news by signing up for our newsletter and following our social media accounts.

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CrewPass is now supported by Diana Corell

About the Diana Corell agency

Diana Corell offers a range of professional yachting services, including crew placements and interior yacht set-up and management. Diana Corel assists with a variety of crew placements for everyone in the industry from Captains to interior to exterior crew! Diana Corel also specialises in more niche services, including nanny services, masseuses, beauticians, personal trainers, nurses, yoga instructors, carpenters and water sports instructors.

Although Diana Corell is mainly based in Europe, the crew agency can work remotely allowing  the agency to help crew no matter where in the world or time zone. The team at Diana Corell have vast connections worldwide to various shipyards, yachts, captains, project managers and pursers.

Yacht New Build & Refit Management

Diana Corell also delivers a complete interior yacht set-up service. The company works with a long list of partnerships and designers to meet the needs of its clients. Diana Corell can be hired to come and set up your yacht along with our crew placement service. The agency can also assist with visas, bank accounts, crew travel, accommodation and much more.

The partnership

The Diana Corell team agrees that pre-employment screening is essential to provide vessels with extra security onboard. This is why the agency has come on board to support our ‘Approved’ accreditation recognising that if a crew member is CrewPass Approved this means the crew member has passed an enhanced criminal record check and ID verification. This partnership aims to spread the word about the importance of background checks and with another supporter CrewPass is one more step closer to making the yachting industry more secure.

Find out more

Diana Corell’s website: https://dianacorell.com/

Diana Corell’s social media:
Facebook
LinkedIn

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Trilogy Luxury Training Academy is partnered with CrewPass

Trilogy is a superyacht steward(ess) training academy based in South Africa. The training academy has the most up-to-date and industry-relevant course content, with hands-on theory and practical-based courses.

Trilogy offers a wide range of entry-level courses, progressive courses and niche course to benefit crew at any level.

CrewPass and Trilogy’s partnership aims to further aid crew with their employment journey. The partnership gives crew all the essential tools to gain a competitive edge over other candidates. Trilogy is supporting CrewPass by educating their crew members about the importance of background checks and how our accreditation can further their careers.

Gain a competitive edge by accomplishing superyacht training courses that are provided by an internationally recognised training academy. Also, highlight that you are a safe crew member by passing a full background check by CrewPass.

To find out more about Trilogy visit their website:

Click here

If you want to be CrewPass Approved, subscribe today:

Click here

Trilogy’s social media links:

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Please follow CrewPass’ social media pages, including our Instagram Page, where we post regularly.

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Google Pay and Apple Pay update

CrewPass has added Google Pay and Apple Pay for a simple and secure way to pay

Paying via Apple Pay and Google Pay offers customers a more accessible, safer and private payment method. Customers no longer have to dig out their cards and then type in a million card numbers to pay. This payment method is widely accepted, encouraging a quick sign-up process for our customers. CrewPass has added these payment methods to make the customer journey as smooth and straightforward as possible. CrewPass’ potential customers can skip the checkout forms by paying with just a touch, slide or a click!

How to use Apple Pay and Google Pay on the CrewPass sign-up process

If you have an Apple device, customers will need to use Safari to use Apple Pay. Whereas, if you use a different browser, customers will only be able to pay with Google pay. With both payment methods, there is no maximum transaction limit.

If you want to subscribe to CrewPass, please click the button below:

Make sure to follow CrewPass’ social media pages: