Purser

Most of the work is administration. You keep the yacht's accounts and cash float, reconcile every department's spending against budget, and send monthly reports to the management company. You handle crew contracts, payroll queries, flights, medicals and certificate renewals. You prepare crew and guest lists, arrange customs and immigration with agents, and keep the ISM and ISPS paperwork in order. On some yachts you also hold the owner's preference sheets and the inventory of art and fine wine.

With guests aboard the job turns outward. You book restaurants, helicopters, cars and shore excursions, chase late provisioning deliveries and track the charter APA down to the last receipt. The end-of-charter APA reconciliation has to be right before the guests leave. On a 65m yacht the purser may also work some interior service in busy weeks. On a 120m yacht the role is purely administrative, often with an assistant purser and a separate office.

Captains hire pursers they can trust with money and confidential information. Many come up through the interior, usually from chief or second stew, after showing they can handle the admin. Others come from hotel front office, private aviation, accountancy or executive assistant work. Strong Excel, a clear head with numbers and good written English matter more than service flair. A second language, especially French, Spanish or Italian, helps in the Med.

Pursers who do well often move to the largest yachts, where the job carries more budget and a bigger team. The natural next step aboard is interior manager, overseeing both admin and the interior department. Many pursers move ashore after five to ten years, into yacht management, charter management or crew management roles. The skills carry straight across: budgets, compliance, crew admin and owner relations are what management companies do all day.