Two of the most common ways into yachting, two very different daily lives. Having spent 14 years in the galley alongside some brilliant interior teams, here's the honest comparison.

Getting in

Stew is the more accessible entry: STCW, ENG1, a strong service attitude and ideally a silver-service or ...

On land, your produce arrives at the back door at 7am. At sea, keeping a five-star kitchen supplied anywhere on earth is half the job — and honestly, one of my favourite parts of it.

The golden rule: plan backwards from the itinerary

Before a trip I'm studying the route like a navigator. Where can...

Let's have the conversation the brochures skip. The mental side of this job is real, it catches good people off guard, and talking about it honestly is the best preparation there is.

What you're actually signing up for

Months living centimetres from the same faces. Missing weddings, Christmases an...

This is the question underneath all the others — so let's answer it properly. Not with a personality quiz, but with the honest questions I'd ask you over a coffee before you spent a cent on courses or flights.

Ask yourself these, honestly

Can you live in close confinement? Not "do you like people"...

Let me clear this up properly, because there's a lot of confusion (and a lot of people trying to sell you courses you don't need).

The non-negotiables

There are two things you cannot work on a yacht without:

STCW Basic Safety Training. This is the international safety standard for anyone working ...

First, the good news: this is the beauty of yachting — it can give almost anyone a chance to prove themselves. I've worked alongside brilliant yacht chefs who never set foot in culinary school. But let's be real about what "no experience" means and how you bridge the gap.

The truth up front

Nobody...

Hundreds of chefs apply for the good boats. Here's what actually separates the hired from the hopeful — from someone who's been on both sides of it.

Versatility is key. I can't stress this enough.

My first yacht job wasn't won on cooking alone. The boat had a unique chef/deck position, and my PADI...

Every land chef who steps into a galley has the same moment: where's the rest of the kitchen? Here's what cooking at sea actually demands — and the tricks that make it work.

The space

A galley on a 30m yacht can be smaller than a food truck, and you're producing tasting menus out of it. Every cent...

Straight answer: it depends entirely on where you're starting from. Here are the honest timelines I've seen play out over 14 years in this industry.

If you're already a working chef

You're closer than you think. STCW Basic Training takes about a week, the ENG1 medical takes a morning, and a food s...

Yes — nearly every yacht chef I know started on land, including me. Eight years in land kitchens before I ever cooked at sea. But the transition has traps, so here's what actually transfers and what you'll need to build.

What transfers beautifully

Speed, organisation, working clean under pressure,...

You're cooking for people who eat at the best restaurants on earth as a matter of routine. Here's what they actually expect — and what they remember.

Everything starts with the preference sheet

Before guests step aboard, you receive their preference sheet: likes, dislikes, allergies, diets, favour...

I've worked both — sail and motor, 15 to 88 metres, private and charter — so here's an honest insight into what the choice actually means for the person cooking.

The galley

Motor yachts win on space, full stop. Bigger galleys, proper cool rooms and dry stores, serious equipment — on a 60 metre I'v...