Assistant Purser

Most of the work is admin. You log every invoice and receipt against the right budget code, reconcile the crew cards and petty cash in several currencies, and get the monthly accounts ready for the purser to send to the management company. You keep crew files current: passports, ENG1s, STCW certificates, visas and contract dates. When the yacht enters a new port you prepare crew lists, ship's documents and customs forms for the agent. On a quiet day you might be updating inventory software or booking crew flights for a rotation changeover.

With guests aboard, the job looks outward. You confirm restaurant bookings in Saint-Tropez, arrange cars to meet the helicopter, track deliveries of flowers and wine, and keep the guest preference sheet up to date. On many yachts the assistant purser also works service shifts at lunch or dinner, so you need real interior skills. On 120m+ yachts with a big purser's office, you may stay at the desk the whole trip, handling the guest accounts and charter APA spending.

Captains and pursers hire people who are accurate and discreet. A degree or background in accounting, hospitality management or office administration helps, and so does solid Excel use. Former second stews with a head for numbers do well, as do hotel front-office staff with a year or two of yacht interior work behind them. Languages are useful, especially French, Spanish, Italian or Russian. A clean CV, good references and a calm manner on the phone count for more than a long list of courses.

After two to three years most assistant pursers step up to purser, usually on a yacht of 70m to 90m where the purser runs the office alone. From there the route leads to interior manager on very large yachts, or ashore into management companies as a crew manager, charter manager or accounts specialist. Some move into yacht management in Monaco or Palma once they want to stop rotating. Experience on a busy charter yacht, with APA accounts and frequent turnarounds, moves you up faster.