Steward / Chef

On a yacht this size the crew is often three or four people: a captain, a mate or deckhand, perhaps an engineer, and you. You do the provisioning, plan menus from the preference sheet, cook three meals a day for guests and feed the crew. Between meals you turn cabins, run the laundry, clean heads, wipe down the interior and lay tables. Guests expect restaurant-quality plates and hotel-quality cabins from one person, so planning matters more than flair. The prep you do at 06:00 is what gets lunch out at 13:00.

With guests aboard, expect 16-hour days with breaks in short gaps. On a week's charter in the Greek islands or the BVI you might cook for eight guests and four crew in a domestic-sized galley with limited fridge space. Off charter the pace drops. You do deep cleans, inventory, menu testing, galley maintenance and shopping for the next trip. Towards 35m to 40m the job often splits, with a deckhand or junior stew taking some interior work so you can concentrate on the galley.

Captains want evidence of both skills. A culinary course from Ashburton, Tante Marie or Leiths, a photo portfolio of plated dishes and a season as a stewardess or crew cook will get you noticed. Ski chalets, private households and small restaurants all count as relevant experience. Sailing yachts and private owner boats hire steward/chefs regularly, and so do Caribbean and Med charter boats with no spare cabin for a separate chef. Couples applying as captain and steward/chef are always in demand.

Most people use this role to pick a direction. If you enjoy the galley most, the next step is sole chef on 35m to 45m yachts, then sous chef or head chef on larger boats, picking up the Ship's Cook Certificate along the way. If you prefer service and guest contact, you move to sole stewardess, then second stew or chief stew on 40m to 60m. Either way, two seasons doing both jobs well looks strong on a CV because it shows you can work without back-up.