Erica Lay

Journalist. Writer. Thinker. Challenger.

Welcome to my personal website, an opportunity for me to share some of my professional journalistic work and personal musings, outside of my international yacht crew agency, EL CREW CO. I aim to create a better understanding of the yachting world— a mission which has cast me in many different roles: crew agent, business owner, journalist, adventurer, and media innovator, but one of my favourites: a challenger of the narrative. I'm a woman of action and a believer that often the pen is indeed mightier than the sword. Read more of my work below.

A Bit About Me

I’ve been a freelance writer since 2008. I love engaging with the projects I work on, diving headfirst into the research, investigation, and production of the stories I feel are newsworthy. I am a curious and proactive Journalist, interested in the latest digital media trends and passionate about the future of online storytelling. Drawing on life experiences around the world, my writing passions focus on yachting, food, travel, and sometimes, just my personal musings on the world.

Get in Touch

Recently Published

I have covered everything from breaking news stories to in-depth features, more recently I've been focusing on mental health on board yachts. It’s a satisfying feeling to put my personal experiences, audience understanding, and professional knowledge to good use on every project I’m involved with. Check out a sampling of my recently published work below.

Resilience: Inside the New Custom 65m Flagship by ISA Yachts

Boat International June 2022

The team behind this custom-built 65.5-metre yacht lived up to her name – Resilience – and produced a remarkable new flagship for ISA Yachts. And I, got the inside scoop...

a woman holds her hands over her face_edited.jpg

Burn Out - Are There Any Real Answers?

Onboard Summer 2022

We are all aware that those within our industry rarely live a "normal" life during a busy charter season, and we can't all afford our very own Shaman to help us battle through these summer months, so what's the answer?

Digital Availability

Onboard Spring 2022

New tech and innovation is great, but it has created a society where everyone expects you to respond to calls, messages and emails within seconds, and if you don't, woe betide you. There comes a time to switch off our devices and switch off ourselves.

man opening his mouth and looking up_edited_edited.jpg

What Have YOU Been Offended By Today?

Onboard Winter 2022

So here’s the thing. When I set out to research and write this article, I gave the term “being woke” a spin. I am now deeply embarrassed about this, as after looking into it I discovered I sounded like an absolute knob head.

Is it Time for a Holiday?

Onboard Autumn 2021

It's not big and it's not clever to work yourself into the ground. You're the important one and you need to look after yourself - so book some time off and recharge those batteries.

All You Need is Love!

Dockwalk October 2021

Pride month was back in June, but here at Dockwalk we don’t believe that Pride should be limited to just a few weeks of the year, we believe love should be celebrated year-round. Most of the time we see articles focusing on the negative aspects of yacht life experienced by minorities, so we decided we’d turn this on its head and drop the spotlight on the positive for a change

Get in Touch

erica@elcrewco.com