Rules & Standards
JoinMyBoat connects maritime professionals in good faith. These rules protect every member — sailors, employers, and the wider community. Violations may result in immediate account suspension.
Contents
General conduct
- Treat every member with respect. Harassment, hate speech, or threats will result in permanent ban.
- Use your real identity. Impersonation of another person or organisation is prohibited.
- Do not share misleading, false, or fraudulent information about yourself, your vessel, or your company.
- Keep communications on-platform until you have verified the other party's identity independently.
- Do not solicit money or financial information from other members outside of a formal employment agreement.
Job listing standards
- Listings must describe a genuine, currently available position. Placeholder or speculative listings are not permitted.
- All stated salaries, contracts, and working conditions must be factually accurate and legally achievable.
- Listings must specify the flag state of the vessel and the applicable employment law jurisdiction.
- Required certifications (STCW, MCA, flag-state licences) must be correctly stated. Do not lower standards to fill positions quickly.
- Listings that are filled or withdrawn must be marked inactive within 48 hours.
- One active listing per position. Duplicate listings for the same role are prohibited.
Employment compliance
- All employment offered through JoinMyBoat must comply with the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC) and relevant flag-state requirements.
- Crew must be provided with a written Seafarers' Employment Agreement (SEA) before departure.
- Minimum rest periods must comply with STCW regulations (10 hours rest in any 24-hour period; 77 hours in any 7-day period).
- Wages must be paid in full, on time, and in the agreed currency. Wage deductions not permitted by law are prohibited.
- Repatriation costs are the employer's responsibility in the event of early contract termination without cause.
- JoinMyBoat accounts designated as Crewing Agencies must hold a valid licence in their operating jurisdiction and comply with the MLC prohibition on charging fees to seafarers.
Privacy & data
- Do not share another member's personal data (email, phone number, passport details) without their explicit consent.
- Screenshots or recordings of private conversations may not be shared publicly without consent.
- Employers may only use crew applications for the position applied to. Applications may not be forwarded to third parties.
- JoinMyBoat stores identity documents exclusively for verification. See our Privacy Policy for full data handling details.
Prohibited behaviour
Reporting abuse
If you encounter a listing or member that violates these rules, use the Report button on any job listing. All reports are reviewed by our moderation team within 72 hours.
Listings under active review are marked with a ⚠ Under Review badge visible to all users. Listings found to be in violation are removed and the posting account is subject to suspension or permanent ban.
Click the Report listing button on the job post
Select the violation category and add details (optional but helpful)
Submit — our moderation team receives an alert immediately
You will receive an email update when the report is resolved
False reports made in bad faith may result in action against the reporting account. JoinMyBoat does not mediate employment disputes — for legal advice consult a maritime employment solicitor or your flag-state authority.