People picture a yacht chef plating one beautiful dinner a day. Let me walk you through what a charter day actually looks like.

5:00am — Coffee, then breakfast prep

Up before the guests. Fresh pastries or bread on, fruit platters, juices, and whatever cooked breakfast has been requested — plus a f...

I spent 8 years in land kitchens before 14 at sea, so I've lived both sides of this properly. They share knives and heat — beyond that, they're different careers.

In a restaurant, you master one menu. On a yacht, you cook everything.

A restaurant chef refines the same dishes night after night unti...

I get asked this constantly, and I've done years of both — three years private with the same family, then charter on boats up to 88 metres. Here's the honest comparison.

Private: you become part of the family

On a private boat you cook for the same owner, learn their tastes to the decimal point, a...

I've literally been hired every single way possible — through an agent, word of mouth, a fellow yachtie, LinkedIn and even Instagram. So take it from someone who's tested every channel: here's where first jobs actually come from.

Be where the boats are

You cannot break into yachting from your bedr...

Instagram shows you the sunsets. Let me show you the whole picture — because I love this life, but you should choose it with your eyes open.

The living arrangements

You'll share a cabin roughly the size of a walk-in wardrobe with a crewmate, on a bunk, with a bathroom between you. Your worldly pos...

I want to be as real with you as possible, because yachting is not for everyone, and it's better to know what's coming before you sign on. Most captains and crew will tell you the chef has the hardest job on the boat. Here's why.

You are the make-or-break position

Guests remember the food above al...

Fair question to ask someone who sells a course — so let me answer it the way I'd answer a mate over a beer, including when you shouldn't pay for training.

What you'll spend getting in, regardless

Some costs are unavoidable: STCW Basic Training, your ENG1 medical, a food safety certificate, flight...

This is the question with the happiest answer. Yes — your job is literally travelling the world. Let me tell you what that actually looks like, because it's better and stranger than the brochure.

The standard circuit

At a minimum, yachting runs on seasons: summers in the Mediterranean — the French...

Here's something that surprises people: cooking is the entry ticket, not the job. The chefs who last out here all share five qualities — versatility, flexibility, composure, organisation and humility — and most of them have nothing to do with food.

Organisation, above everything

You're a one-perso...

Yachting is a word-of-mouth industry wearing a professional costume. Jobs are posted, sure — but the best ones are filled by "I know someone" before the listing exists. I've been hired through an agent, word of mouth, a fellow yachtie, LinkedIn and Instagram. Here's how the web actually works.

Crew...

The classic catch-22: boats want references, but you need a boat to get references. Here's how to break the loop — because everyone in this industry, including me, started with zero yacht references.

Land references count more than you think

A written reference from a head chef or restaurant owner...

This is the question I get asked more than any other, so let's get straight into it — no fluff, just what I've seen across 14 years working on yachts from 15 to 88 metres.

The short answer

A sole chef starting out on a smaller yacht typically earns somewhere between €3,500–5,500 per month. Head ch...