Yes. Not every year, but it happens. Here is exactly how it works, because it is a fair thing to ask before you spend a week with someone.
Why crew move on
Almost everyone who crews a yacht is working toward a bigger one. That is the career. A captain or chef builds a reputation on a boat this size, an opening comes up on a 50-footer, then a 60, and the good ones keep climbing from there. Some are aiming at 150-foot yachts eventually.
It does not run in a neat line. Location matters — someone builds a life in the BVI and turns down a Mediterranean season to stay. Relationships matter. Timing matters, because a step up only happens when a boat actually has a need.
Crew come back because they have earned it, not automatically. At the end of every season I look at how the boat was run.
When the season runs, and when crew change
Our BVI season is November 1 through August 10. Crew go home to their families in the off season, and that gap is when any change happens. So whoever meets you at Trellis Bay on day one is who you have on day seven. Nobody swaps out mid-charter.
There is also a short window in October when we sail from Grenada rather than the BVI, before the boat comes back north for the season.
What every new crew member has to have
Every crew member is vetted before they join. The floor is at least five years already working aboard a comparable yacht — this is not where anyone learns the job.
Then they train, on this boat specifically: ship systems, maintenance and repairs; local BVI navigation; galley and menu work; guest interaction; contracts; provisioning.
The BVI navigation piece is the one guests feel most. Knowing which anchorage is calm in a north swell, or which mooring field empties out by four o’clock, is local knowledge. It gets taught, not assumed.
Why our guest reviews name different people
You will see crew names in some of the reviews on this site. Those were the people aboard for that particular charter.
I do not edit reviews to make them match. A guest wrote what they wrote about the crew they actually sailed with, and changing that would make every other review on the page worth less.
What does not change
The boat. The standard every crew member has to clear before they set foot on it. The waters, which are the same beautiful BVI whoever is at the helm. And me — I own Aquanimity and I am the one you deal with when you book.
“Jack was consistently professional, gracious, and warm, always greeting us with a smile.”