Temporary / Relief Chef
A relief chef is the person a captain calls when the head chef breaks a wrist two days before a charter. You join a galley you have never seen, read the preference sheet on the flight, and serve lunch the same day. It pays well by the day and suits experienced chefs who like variety and can work without help.
The jobWhat fills the day
The job is the permanent chef's job, done with no warm-up. You cook for guests and crew, order provisions, keep the galley to HACCP standard and fit in with an interior team you met that morning. The skill is getting up to speed quickly. In your first hour you learn where everything is stored, what is left in the freezers, which suppliers the boat uses and what the owner will not eat.
Most bookings fall into three types. Charter cover is the most demanding: a week of guests with a preference sheet, allergies and a charter broker waiting for feedback. Owner trips are about matching the permanent chef's style closely enough that the family barely notices the change. Crew-only cover in a shipyard or on a delivery is quieter. You might cook three meals a day for 12 crew in La Ciotat or Fort Lauderdale with a basic budget.
Captains hire relief chefs they trust, or ones a crew agent can vouch for. Expect to need several seasons as a sole or head chef first, references you can check by phone, and a portfolio of real menus and plated photographs. Yachts above 500gt and those carrying more than ten crew will want a Ship's Cook Certificate. Some captains book a short trial day first. Most will not, because there is no time.
Good relief chefs fill their calendars through repeat bookings. One yacht covers your summer leave every year, another calls you for the Monaco Yacht Show. Some keep freelancing for years and pick their own months. Others take a rotational head chef post with a boat they have covered, because the captain already knows their work. With enough experience on big boats, executive chef roles become realistic.
Skills captains look for
- Menu planning at short notice
- Fast galley familiarisation
- Allergen and dietary control
- Provisioning in unfamiliar ports
- Matching an established style
- Cooking for guests and crew
- Working with unknown teams
A day aboardFirst day covering the head chef, 52m motor yacht, Nassau, Bahamas
Land on the overnight flight from Fort Lauderdale and the tender picks you up at the marina. Quick handshake with the captain and chief stew, then straight to the galley.
Go through the dry store, fridges and freezers with a notepad and photograph the labelling system. The permanent chef's notes cover suppliers and the principal's dislikes.
Cook crew breakfast to test the ovens and induction hobs before the guests arrive. Find out which burner runs hot.
Meet with the chief stew about the preference sheet. One guest has a severe tree-nut allergy, two are pescatarian, the children want simple pasta. Build a five-day outline menu.
Pick up fish and produce from a local supplier the agent recommends and send a provisioning order for the next day.
Guests board. Serve a light lunch of conch ceviche, grilled snapper and tropical fruit on the aft deck.
Two hours off in your cabin. Sleep or rewrite the prep list.
Prep and serve crew dinner early, then plate a four-course guest dinner with the stews running service.
Deep clean, temperature log, defrost tomorrow's proteins and leave notes for breakfast. Bed by midnight.
Pay by yacht sizeMonthly, before tips. Estimates. Bars share one scale.
Relief chefs are usually paid a day rate, roughly USD 250 to 600, with flights and travel days covered. Charter tips are normally shared with the crew, but you get no paid leave between bookings, so annual earnings depend on how busy your calendar is. See the Yacht Chef & Galley salary guide for figures from live adverts.
Tickets and visas
Must have
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 or equivalent medical
- Food Hygiene Level 2
- Ship's Cook Certificate on larger yachts
Gets you hired
- Food Hygiene Level 3
- PDSD
- Professional culinary diploma
- Allergen awareness certificate
- Valid driving licence for provisioning
Visas
- Schengen visa where needed
- US B1/B2 or C1/D
- Passport with two years' validity
Where it leadsA typical career path
Temporary / Relief Chef jobsOpen now on SuperyachtRoles.com
Questions crew ask
Can I start my yacht career as a relief chef?
Rarely. Captains book relief chefs because they cannot risk a bad week, so they want proven yacht experience and references. Restaurant chefs usually start as sous or sole chef on a smaller yacht first.
How do relief chefs find work?
Through crew agents, chef networks and, mostly, captains who have used them before. Being available at short notice in Antibes, Palma or Fort Lauderdale makes a big difference.
Do I need my own knives and equipment?
Bring your own knives, whites and a small kit of tools you rely on. The yacht provides everything else, though it pays to ask about the galley set-up before you fly.
Is relief work steady enough to live on?
In the Mediterranean and Caribbean seasons, a well-connected chef can book most weeks. Winter shipyard periods are quieter, so most relief chefs keep savings to cover gaps.