Part 2: Becoming a Yacht Chef — How I Got My First Superyacht Job

What might make you stand out in the crowd of hundreds of yacht chefs!

It all started in 2011. I was back in Australia, strapped for cash after two years of budget travelling around Europe. I needed money fast. Remote restaurants and establishments in outback Australia pay well to attract chefs, and $27 an hour was the best money I'd seen at 22 years old. So I packed my bags and headed to the red, dusty, fly-covered town of Westonia — population around 300 — to run the kitchen at the only pub in town, the Westonia Tavern.

I lasted about four months before I needed a new challenge. Then I saw an ad online: "Looking for a chef to work on the Great Barrier Reef, Cairns, Australia." Not much more detail than that. I leapt at it.

Flying for five hours and 3,500km later I landed in Cairns, the gateway to the largest reef system in the world. I stayed in a hostel that night, got a few hours' sleep, and I was on my way out to sea onboard the fast cat ferry Reef Experience, which catered for around 100 people. As I approached the 35m live-aboard dive vessel Reef Encounter docked in Cairns, I genuinely thought — what have I got myself into. I'd never spent a night on a boat, let alone worked on one. Within minutes I was in the galley helping prepare lunch for the day boat Reef Experience and the live-aboard Reef Encounter, which between them catered for around 135 guests and 20 crew.

"In between cooking for the guests I would go scuba diving 3-4 times a day."

A few days in, one of the instructors invited me to go diving. I jumped at the chance. My days quickly fell into a rhythm — a morning dive at 6am, straight out of the water and into the galley to cook breakfast for the same guests I'd just been diving with. Being prepared was everything. Then I'd be back in the water for another dive before lunch, finish up service, and maybe be in again later that day or on a night dive depending on how much time I had. I did around 30–40 dives before I was even certified. Clocking up dives fast, I soon had my open water, advanced, then rescue tickets.

I was on Reef Encounter for around a year, then moved over to their day boat to set up a new system onboard. I implemented a way of preparing and cooking food fresh daily with a larger selection of dishes for the 100-odd guests. My day was prepping all morning, then heading up to cook on the top deck BBQ overlooking the reef. Some of the best and least stressful cheffing days I've ever had — I really needed it after being completely burnt out on the live-aboard for the past year.

It's funny to look back and think how hard it felt to do a roster of 5 days on, 3 days off. I once got 'stuck' out there for 10 days and I was losing my mind. Honestly that cracks me up to write now — I live on yachts all year round these days. Still losing my mind though... haha.

Racking up over 1,000 dives in the two years I worked for the company, I decided that becoming a PADI Divemaster would be beneficial if I continued on this path. That turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made. It was a huge bonus for my first position as a chef on a 30m luxury motor yacht — they saw potential in me for a unique chef/deck role. Hiring not only a fully qualified chef, but one with a diving ticket and deck experience, gave me the upper hand against other yacht chefs for that particular job.

I'll tell you more about that yacht in another post — my first superyacht job, and the most insane start to any yachtie's career. Cruising New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.

Pictured ~ M/Y Encore anchored at the famous Monuriki Island, Fiji, where the Tom Hanks movie Castaway was filmed.

Versatility is key here. I can't stress this enough. Get out there, take chances, do as many things as you think could be beneficial to your career — just to make yourself that much more employable to a potential yacht and captain.

More on the exact tickets and courses you should go for in Part 3.

Become a Yacht Chef

Thinking about a career at sea? My course walks you through exactly how to break in, get qualified and land your first job — faster than I did. Start with the free Module 1.