Chef de Partie / Third Chef
The Chef de Partie, usually called Third Chef on yachts, owns one section of a brigade galley. On most boats that means feeding the crew, running pastry and bread, or taking a station on guest service. You only find the role on larger yachts, roughly 70m and up, where three or more chefs share the galley.
The jobWhat fills the day
The core of the job is a section. On a 75m yacht with three chefs, the Third Chef often cooks all crew meals for 25 or more people, three times a day, and helps on guest plating at dinner. On bigger boats the role splits further: one Third Chef on pastry, another on crew, another on garnish or cold larder. You prep, cook, clean down, rotate stock and keep your fridges labelled and dated to the standard the head chef sets.
With guests aboard, the hours stretch to 14 or 16 a day. Crew food still has to go out on time while you prep canapés, bake bread at dawn and plate a tasting menu at night. Between trips the pace drops, and you deep clean, inventory and help the sous chef plan provisioning. In the shipyard you may be the only chef left aboard, cooking for crew and contractors from a small galley or a rented flat.
Captains and head chefs hire Third Chefs with real kitchen training. Two or three years in a good restaurant or hotel, ideally at chef de partie level, counts for more than yacht time. Clean, consistent crew food matters a lot, because the crew eat it every day and complain loudly when it slips. A pastry background is a strong selling point, as are plant-based and allergy-aware cooking. Calm under pressure and tidy habits are tested within the first week.
Most Third Chefs move up to Sous Chef within two to three years, either on the same boat or by changing yachts. Others step sideways into a Sole Chef job on a 40-50m yacht, which pays more and gives full control of the menu but means working alone. Keep a portfolio of guest dishes with photos and sample menus. Head chefs and agents will ask for it when you apply for your next role.
Skills captains look for
- High-volume crew cooking
- Pastry and bread
- Section management
- Food safety and allergens
- Stock rotation and ordering
- Fine dining plating
- Working in a brigade
A day aboardCharter day, 85m motor yacht, Maldives
Start the bread and morning pastries for the guest breakfast. Set up crew breakfast in the mess.
Help the sous chef finish the guest breakfast service, then clean down your section.
Prep crew lunch for 28: two hot mains, a vegetarian option, salads and fruit. Check fridge dates and log temperatures.
Serve crew lunch in two sittings to cover the watch change.
Two hours off. Eat, sleep or sit on the crew deck.
Prep canapés and the petit fours for tonight's beach dinner. Bake the evening bread.
Cook and serve crew dinner, then pack the galley kit for the beach set-up with the deck team.
Plate starters and desserts on the beach while the head chef runs the grill. Bring everything back aboard.
Final clean, prep list for tomorrow's breakfast, then off watch.
Pay by yacht sizeMonthly, before tips. Estimates. Bars share one scale.
Charter tips can add $1,500-4,000 a month in a busy season, split with the rest of the crew. Rotation is rare at this level, but permanent contracts usually include 30-45 days' paid leave and flights. See the Yacht Chef & Galley salary guide for figures from live adverts.
Tickets and visas
Must have
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical
- Food Hygiene Level 2
Gets you hired
- Ship's Cook Certificate
- Food Hygiene Level 3
- PDSD
- Culinary diploma or apprenticeship
- Allergen awareness training
Visas
- B1/B2 (US)
- Schengen right to work or visa
Where it leadsA typical career path
Chef de Partie / Third Chef jobsOpen now on SuperyachtRoles.com
Questions crew ask
Can I get a Third Chef job with no yacht experience?
Yes, if your restaurant or hotel CV is strong. Head chefs care more about two or three years in a good kitchen than about sea time. Get your STCW, ENG1 and food hygiene certificate first, then register with agents in Antibes or Palma before the season starts in April.
Will I cook for guests or only for crew?
Both, on most yachts. Crew meals are often your main job, but you will help plate guest dishes, bake and prep canapés, especially at dinner. On the largest yachts a pastry Third Chef may work almost entirely on guest food.
Do I need the Ship's Cook Certificate?
Under the Maritime Labour Convention, a yacht that has to carry a qualified cook needs at least one chef aboard with this certificate, and that is usually the head chef. As a Third Chef you are rarely required to hold it, but it helps your application and you will need it once you aim for Sole or Head Chef.
How long before I can move up to Sous Chef?
Usually two to three years, provided you show you can run a section on your own and cover for the sous chef on days off. Staying a full season or more on each boat helps. Agents notice when someone changes yachts every few months.