What the job covers
The sole chef is the whole galley department. Wilsonhalligan, a crew agency, says the role covers cooking for guests and crew, accounts, provisioning, maintenance, cleaning and menu planning. You also speak to guests yourself about their tastes and menus, and you work closely with the interior team on wine pairings, menu sign-off and service times. On some yachts a stew/cook helps with prep, plating and cleaning when needed. Most of the time, though, every plate and every order is yours.
Dockwalk notes that the chef runs their own department but reports to the captain. On smaller yachts the chef may also pitch in elsewhere. One chef on a 35m yacht told Dockwalk he helps the deck team with docking, anchoring and washdowns, and stands a watch. Expect that on yachts with five to ten crew, where everyone covers more than one job.
A charter day, and provisioning
Charter days are long. A head chef told Bluewater that he gets up around 5 or 6am, about an hour before the guests, to prep breakfast. Lunch prep for guests and crew follows, with dinner prep started alongside it, and the working day can run to 16 hours. As sole chef you also feed the crew at set times, so you have two menus going at once.
Provisioning is half the job. You plan around the itinerary, the cold store and the budget, then order through provisioners and agents or shop locally. A SuperyachtNews opinion piece warns that when a preference sheet goes straight to the provisioner, the yacht can end up flying in ingredients that make no sense for the place it is in. A good sole chef buys local where they can and keeps the stock rotating so little goes to waste.
Working with preference sheets
Before a charter, guests fill in a preference sheet. Superyacht Content describes it as a record of allergies, other limits, special requests and likes and dislikes. Crew quoted by Dockwalk treat it as the start of a conversation. They warn that a personal assistant sometimes fills it in for the guest, so the details may be wrong. Read it carefully, then confirm allergies in person on day one.
Superyacht Content suggests asking guests if they would like a weekly menu plan, which cuts waste at the end of a charter. MSN 1846 from the MCA expects catering staff to understand food allergy and intolerance and how to avoid cross contamination. When you are the only chef, there is no second person to check an allergen card. That check is yours, and it is the most serious part of the job.
How it differs from a head chef in a brigade
Wilsonhalligan describes a head chef on a larger yacht managing between two and ten chefs. That job is about oversight: building rotas and work schedules, supervising cleaning and HACCP procedures, and pairing food with wine alongside the chief stew. A sous chef usually cooks for the crew and helps plate guest food. As sole chef you do all of that alone, with nobody to step in if you are ill or tired.
Wilsonhalligan gives the size range for sole chefs as 30 to 55 metres, and current adverts fit that. Crew & Co advertised a sole chef job on a 28m yacht with a crew of five, and another on a 48m private yacht. Below about 30m the galley is often run by a stew/cook who also looks after the interior.
Pay
USD a month. These are the Head Chef / Sole Chef figures from the Northrop & Johnson 2026 guide, shown for the yacht sizes that usually carry a sole chef. Yacht size and experience move the figure. YPI Crew 2026 gives €4,500-6,000 a month under 30m (the lower figure for chefs new to yachting), €5,000-7,500 at 30-40m and €6,000-9,000 at 40-50m. Refer to the head chef and sole chef pay page for pay by yacht size.
What you need
- STCW basic safetyFor the UK ship's cook certificate, MSN 1846 lists personal survival techniques, fire prevention and fire fighting, elementary first aid, personal safety and social responsibility, and security awareness.
- ENG1 medicalYou need a current ENG1 seafarer medical certificate or an equivalent. MCA approved doctors issue it.
- Food hygieneWilsonhalligan says Food Hygiene Level 2 is mandatory for yacht chefs and lists Level 2 or 3 for every galley role.
- Ship's Cook CertificateUnder MSN 1846, a UK ship operating with 10 or more seafarers and beyond 60 miles of a safe haven must carry a qualified ship's cook. To qualify you must be at least 18, have one month of sea service in any capacity and finish the training in annexes 1 and 2.
- Culinary trainingWilsonhalligan prefers formal chef training, through a high-end restaurant apprenticeship or a college course. One temporary 48m sole chef advert on Yotspot asked for 5+ years as a professional chef.
- Sole chef experienceRecent sole chef adverts on Yotspot ask for experience as a sole chef on a yacht of similar size, plus strong skills in provisioning, budgeting and running a galley.
Open now on SuperyachtRoles.com
Related pages
Questions people ask
What size yacht has a sole chef?
Wilsonhalligan places sole chefs on yachts of about 30 to 55 metres. Recent adverts range from a 28m yacht with five crew to 48m motor yachts. Smaller yachts often use a stew/cook, and larger ones run a brigade under a head chef.
Does a sole chef need the Ship's Cook Certificate?
It depends on the flag and the crew size. Under the UK rules in MSN 1846, a ship must carry a qualified ship's cook unless it normally sails with fewer than 10 seafarers, or stays within 60 miles of a safe haven and never leaves UK waters. Many adverts ask for the certificate anyway, so it is worth holding.
What do you need to apply for the UK ship's cook certificate?
MSN 1846 says you must be at least 18, have one month of sea service in any capacity, finish the training set out in annexes 1 and 2, hold the STCW basic safety courses and have a current ENG1. You apply to the MCA on form MSF4395, and sea service has to be shown by discharge book entries or certificates of discharge.
How much does a sole chef earn?
Northrop & Johnson 2026 gives US$6,000-9,000 a month on 30-40m yachts and US$8,000-11,000 on 40-50m yachts. Adverts match this. Crew & Co offered €5,000 a month on a 28m yacht and US$8,000 a month with 45 days' leave on a 48m yacht.
Does a sole chef cook for the crew as well as guests?
Yes. Wilsonhalligan says a sole chef cooks for guests and crew. A Yotspot advert for a temporary 48m sole chef listed crew meals before, during and after the charter as well as guest food. The crew eat at set times, so plan their meals into the day alongside guest service.
Sources
- GOV.UK: MSN 1846 (M) Amendment 1, ship's cooks and catering staff
- Wilsonhalligan: galley careers advice
- Dockwalk: how to get a job as a yacht chef
- Dockwalk: the perfect preference sheet
- Bluewater: a day in the life of a superyacht chef
- SuperyachtNews: making provisions
- Superyacht Content: chefs on reducing food waste
- Yotspot: sole chef, 28m motor yacht, Italy
- Yotspot: sole chef, 48m motor yacht, France
- Yotspot: temporary sole chef, 48m charter yacht
