What really happens behind the scenes of yacht crew welfare, and why are more crew reaching out for support than ever before?

In this episode of On the Bridge, we’re joined by Laura Beard, Welfare of Yacht Crew Project Manager at ISWAN (International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network). Laura brings a rare combination of lived yachting experience and professional welfare expertise, having spent over 15 years working both shoreside and onboard before stepping into her current role.

Laura shares her journey from shipyards and refits to life as yacht crew, and how studying psychology led her to a career dedicated to supporting others. We explore the realities of crew welfare today, why yacht crew often struggle to reach out for help, and how Yacht Crew Help, ISWAN’s confidential 24/7 support service, is changing that.

The conversation dives into mental health, contracts, workload pressures, leadership responsibility, and the often overlooked impact on families back home. Laura also explains how ISWAN uses real data from crew to shape education, campaigns and industry collaboration, and why welfare goes far beyond mental health alone.

This is an honest, compassionate, and essential listen for anyone working in or around the yachting industry.

If you enjoyed the episode, please subscribe, share, and leave a review to help more people find the conversation.

Chapters

00:00 – What is your role at ISWAN and what does Yacht Crew Help do?

01:05 – How did your own yachting career lead you into welfare work?

03:00 – What is it really like transitioning from yacht life to shore-based work?

04:10 – Why weren’t yacht crew reaching out for support in the past?

05:30 – What is Yacht Crew Help and how does it support crew confidentially?

08:20 – What trends are you seeing in crew welfare right now?

10:40 – How can captains and senior crew better support their teams (and themselves)?

17:10 – What misconceptions about crew welfare need to change?

22:30 – How do contracts, training and education link directly to wellbeing?

26:30 – How has social media shaped perceptions of yacht life and welfare?

31:35 – What’s next for ISWAN and the Welfare of Yacht Crew project?