For Paige.

On 3rd July 2025, the world lost a beautiful soul, Paige Bell.

A bright, kind, and ambitious young woman was taken from the world in an undignified and undeserving way. Paige entered the industry like so many of us once did, full of enthusiasm and determination to build a career, seeking adventure, growth, and a sense of belonging. Tragically, her story ended in heartbreak, and a fellow crew member charged with murder.

Her loss is deeply felt throughout the yachting community, and it’s a stark reminder that mental health struggles often go unseen, sometimes with devastating consequences.

We owe it to every crew member to create an environment where support, understanding, and care are prioritised. The yachting industry grieves; but this should never have happened.

And it must stop happening.

Mental health in yachting isn't a new topic, but it's one we need to bring to the forefront and genuinely start acting on.

And yet, we don’t talk about it nearly enough.

Instagram paints yachting as a golden ticket to paradise, a glamorous life aboard a millionaire’s world-travelling super yacht, cruising through crystal-clear waters, surrounded by beautiful crew in exotic locations. It’s no wonder it draws in waves of Gen Z and millennials, raised with ambition, opportunity and presented with the world as their oyster…

But behind the wanderlust, there's another side: long hours, high stress, isolation, and very little personal space.

It’s a lot to handle, yet rarely shown, and even more rarely discussed.

As Recruiters, What Can We Do?

One of the most challenging parts of our job is trying to gauge how someone’s really doing, both mentally and emotionally. But just as importantly, we have to consider how they’ll respond to the environment we’re placing them into.

We’re not psychologists. But we are people, and we look for the signs.

How a candidate talks about previous boats.

The energy they bring to a conversation.

Whether they’ve bounced from job to job.

Sometimes, you can sense that something’s off even if their CV suggests otherwise. It might be in their body language, or just a shift in demeanour that raises a red flag.

And unfortunately, sometimes there are no visible signs that someone is struggling or may face difficulties in the future.

A big part of that insight comes from referencing and here’s the issue: getting solid references is harder than ever.

Captains and HODs are flat out during the season. We completely get it.

But when we can’t verify someone’s experience or temperament, what should we do?

Is it okay to pass along an unverified reference, just to keep things moving?

We’d love to hear from leadership on this because we want to keep raising the standard, not lowering it to keep pace with demand.

To The Captains And HODs

You set the tone. Always have, always will.

Culture starts at the top. And we know you carry the weight of running a vessel smoothly, it’s not easy. But mental health isn’t just a “crew issue.” It’s a team dynamic issue. A performance issue. A retention issue.

Small shifts like encouraging open dialogue, leading by example, and partnering with recruiters who genuinely care about people could make a huge difference.

At CYC, we're committed to placing the right people on the right boats and that means helping you build teams that work well together, support each other, and are made to last.

To All Crew Members

As crew, we also need to choose wisely.

I focus my recruitment on working with outstanding yachts and industry leaders.

• We are a small, people-first agency.

• We work only with vetted clients, those we’d work for ourselves.

• We’ve turned down clients who didn’t meet our ethical standards.

• We are not driven by numbers;

we are driven by the happiness and safety of crew.

If something feels off about a job, trust your gut.

Some of the best yachts I’ve joined didn’t offer big packages up front, but they did offer

respect, loyalty, and growth.

A Question For Crew

How do you manage your mental health onboard?

Is it something your yacht addresses openly?

Are there systems in place to support crew who are struggling?

Or is it still something you’re expected to “just get on with”?

We’ve heard all kinds of stories. Some boats are getting this right, they do mental health check-ins, create space for rest, and have zero-tolerance policies on bullying or burnout. Others, sadly, still live by the “toughen up” mentality.

We know this is a fast-paced industry, where time is tight and patience is sometimes even tighter. But that’s exactly why we need to be talking about this.

Mental health isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. Especially onboard a yacht.

Help Us Do Better

Let’s open up the conversation and get honest about what’s working and what’s not.

Which tools or approaches are you using onboard that do support crew?

Where are the gaps?

How can we, as recruiters, be more helpful to you and your team?

We’re listening and always learning. Because supporting crew shouldn’t stop at placement.

In memory of Paige and to honour her, let’s speak up.

Let’s support each other.

Let’s stop accepting what should never be normal.

We are responsible for each other now

Let’s advocate together for change, so this never happens again.

You can support Paige and her family via the GoFundMe link.

DONATE

💬 Want to talk? Need to talk?

Please reach out. You are not alone.

Let’s build a safer yachting industry together.

📧 jenny@coltonyachtcrew.com

🕊️ Rest in peace, Paige.

We will stand for you.

We will not let you be forgotten.