Crew Board
J4Crew is a UK-based, family-owned yacht crew recruitment agency founded in 1999 that places qualified engineers and deck officers on superyachts globally using a proprietary matching platform, serving yacht owners, captains, and management companies on a per-placement fee basis.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersManchester, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Crew Board does
J4Crew is a privately held UK-based yacht crew recruitment agency, founded in 1999 by Joe Hodgson as just4engineers and now operating under the J4Crew brand, with an operational presence in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. The firm specializes in placing qualified engineers and deck officers on superyachts worldwide, covering temporary, rotational, and permanent contracts, with engineering roles as its historical core and growing coverage across all onboard departments. Its primary customers are yacht owners, captains, technical superintendents, and management companies seeking vetted crew, while candidate seafarers access roles through a self-service registration portal at no cost.
The company's core product is a bespoke recruitment service supported by a proprietary crew matching platform that manages a database of thousands of crew profiles and accelerates candidate-to-vessel matching. The agency is MLC 2006 compliant and registered with the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency, meeting standards for seafarer protections, no-charge-to-seafarer rules, and insurance-backed compensation. Acquisition channels include a website hub, social media presence (LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram), content marketing via a CV advice resource, and direct sales via email, phone, and WhatsApp.
J4Crew generates revenue by charging employers (yacht owners, captains, management companies) negotiated recruitment and placement fees on a per-placement basis; pricing is bespoke and not publicly disclosed. The company is family-owned and operated by Jacob Hodgson, who joined in 2018 as Director and Recruitment Consultant after a career as a qualified Deck OOW on commercial and yachting vessels. The firm has no external institutional investment and operates as a small, specialist team focused on quality over quantity.
Crew Board firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Crew Board
- Legal name
- J4Crew LTD
- Website
- https://j4crew.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- J4Crew is a UK-based, family-owned yacht crew recruitment agency founded in 1999 that places qualified engineers and deck officers on superyachts globally using a proprietary matching platform, serving yacht owners, captains, and management companies on a per-placement fee basis.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Crew Board industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Yacht Crew Recruitment Services
- akta.pro primary industry
- Maritime & Port Labor (Dockworkers/Longshore) Staffing (BPACAEAL)
Keywords
Where Crew Board is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Manchester
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Crew Board business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Employer Recruitment Fees: J4Crew charges employers (yacht owners, management companies, captains) for recruitment and placement services. The service connects employers with vetted crew members. Candidates incur no costs from J4Crew at any point and do not store credit or debit card details. The agency operates on a success-fee or service-fee basis negotiated directly with employers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Bespoke recruitment service - quote-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Crew Board product offering
Product offeringCore offering
J4Crew is a bespoke yacht crew recruitment agency that places qualified engineers, deck officers, and other maritime professionals onto superyachts worldwide. Operating since 1999, the agency handpicks candidates from a network of vetted crew for temporary, rotational, and permanent contracts, specializing in engineering roles while covering all onboard departments. The service is supported by a proprietary crew matching platform and delivered by marine-qualified recruiters under MLC 2006 compliance.
Product overview
J4Crew is a bespoke yacht crew recruitment agency operating as a single unified service rather than a modular platform. The core offering combines personalized recruitment consultancy with a proprietary crew matching platform to connect qualified yacht crew (specializing in engineering roles) with super yacht positions. Additional services include CV advice with a downloadable industry-standard template. The agency was established in 1999 and operates from the UK with a presence in Palma de Mallorca, serving both crew members seeking positions and yacht owners/captains seeking to recruit.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Yacht Crew Recruitment Services Bespoke, fee-based recruitment service placing qualified yacht crew (engineers, deck officers, and other maritime professionals) on superyachts worldwide. Covers temporary, rotational (e.g., 8:8 or 10:10 weeks), and permanent contracts and is delivered to employers (yacht owners, captains, technical superintendents, management companies). Crew candidates are not charged for the service.
- Crew Job Board Platform
Companies that use Crew Board
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Crew Board technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Crew Board partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights5 records
Crew Board competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Marine Resources: UK-based specialist recruiter for the maritime and yachting sector, placing engineers and officers across commercial and yacht fleets. Comparable to J4Crew in marine engineering recruitment, with a broader commercial-shipping reach.
- YPI Crew: Crew placement arm of Yachting Partners International, recruiting officers and crew for superyachts. Comparable to J4Crew in crew placement service, though backed by a broader yacht management and brokerage parent.
- Yotspot: Online yacht crew recruitment platform connecting captains, owners, and crew globally. Closely comparable to J4Crew's core business of yacht crew matching, with a heavier digital-platform orientation vs. J4Crew's bespoke agency model.
- Crew Network: Yacht crew recruitment specialist placing officers, engineers, and deckhands on private and charter yachts. Direct overlap with J4Crew in superyacht engineering and deck crew placement, with a similar bespoke agency approach.
- Quay Crew: Yacht crew recruitment agency placing deck and engineering crew on superyachts, overlapping directly with J4Crew's customer segments and service offering. Comparable in scale to a small specialist agency serving the superyacht market.
- Spinnaker Crew: Yacht crew recruitment agency placing officers and ratings on superyachts and motor yachts. Directly comparable to J4Crew's core service of placing qualified crew on superyachts across multiple departments.
Emerging players
- Worky: Digital job-matching platform for yacht and boat crew. Comparable to J4Crew in addressing yacht crew hiring but uses a pure marketplace model vs. J4Crew's bespoke agency approach, representing an emerging structural alternative.
Broad incumbents
- Burgess Crew Services: Global yacht brokerage and management company offering crew recruitment as part of a broader service portfolio. Comparable to J4Crew on the crew placement surface, though positioned as a full-service incumbent rather than a focused specialist.
- Hill Robinson Crew: Established yacht management, charter, and crew placement firm with deep superyacht relationships. Comparable to J4Crew on the crew placement function but operates as a broader incumbent across yacht management services.
Regional players
- Luxury Yacht Group: U.S.-focused yacht crew recruitment agency. Comparable to J4Crew in yacht crew placement services but operates primarily in the U.S. market vs. J4Crew's UK/Mediterranean base, making it more of a regional than direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Crew Board social profiles
Digital presenceCrew Board compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Crew Board financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Crew Board leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Crew Board funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Crew Board M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Crew Board
What does Crew Board do?
J4Crew is a bespoke yacht crew recruitment agency that places qualified engineers, deck officers, and other maritime professionals onto superyachts worldwide. Operating since 1999, the agency handpicks candidates from a network of vetted crew for temporary, rotational, and permanent contracts, specializing in engineering roles while covering all onboard departments. The service is supported by a proprietary crew matching platform and delivered by marine-qualified recruiters under MLC 2006 compliance.
Is Crew Board a public or private company?
Crew Board is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Crew Board founded?
Crew Board was founded in 1999. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Crew Board based?
Crew Board is headquartered in Manchester, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Crew Board make money?
One revenue line is on record: employer Recruitment Fees.
Who are Crew Board's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Marine Resources, YPI Crew, Yotspot, Crew Network, Quay Crew and Spinnaker Crew. Worky is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Burgess Crew Services and Hill Robinson Crew. Luxury Yacht Group is listed as a regional player.
Does Crew Board have an API?
No public API is recorded for Crew Board.
What industry is Crew Board in?
Crew Board's product category is Yacht Crew Recruitment Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAEAL, Maritime & Port Labor (Dockworkers/Longshore) Staffing.