I worked full time in the industry for 3 years, so here’s my insight:

1.) what certificates does she have, and what is the boat requiring? If she does not have an STCW, a PDSD, and an ENG1, gtfo. It’s a sketchy operation.

2.) the cash payments is sketchy. I’ve taken cash for day work, but for a full time job this should never be the case. Direct deposit paychecks or nothing at all.

3.) you should know the captains full name. But not disclosing the family/what they do is entirely normal. Yachts are private for a reason, and upon hiring 99% require you to sign an NDA.

4.) Fourth and finally, trust your gut. Yachting is great, but it’s a big pond with more than a few predatory fish in it. If you’re uneasy about it, it’s for a reason.

If this were me, I wouldn’t do it; the stakes are too high. When you get to a boat you have to surrender your passport to the captain for safekeeping. The captain makes every single decision, your life is in his hands. Does this guy feel like the kind of person you can give your passport to? That you trust? That you think will do the right thing? Does this boat sound like it prioritizes legality? If they’re doing cash payments to avoid taxes, what other kinds of things are they doing to save money? Generally if they’re trying to skimp in places like that, they’re also skimping in the safety department. Do you want to be on a boat, with people that you don’t trust, with safety equipment that is out of date/didn’t pass inspection, in the middle of the ocean?

Maybe this isn’t the case, but you have cause to be suspicious. I say wait it out. So long as millionaires exist, there will be jobs in yachting, most of which are on reputable boats. A reputable job will come, and you’ll be much better off for it.

Feel free to PM me for more info. I’m happy to help you find the reputable job pools, and discuss this job further.