subject: What Jobs Can You Do On A Superyacht? [print this page] In this article we will take look at the most common positions available to you aboard a superyacht.
The Captain
The Captain is the guy in charge of the yacht and he is responsible for the safety of everyone who works under him. A captain's focus is to ensure that the yacht is maintained from both an operational and safety perspective - he or she also has a fantastic amount of experience at sea but also holds excellent knowledge of how to run a business as the Captain essentially reports to "the boss" or owner with regards to operational costs and the large sums of money involved with running a multi-million dollar superyacht.
On a personal level, the Captain always leads by example and is effective when communicating to his crew and with outside contractors, marina staff and port authorities involved with the maintenance and safe operation of the vessel.
The Captain also has the final say over who is hired or fired and has to maintain a delicate balance of managing the crew and the vessel.
1st Mate / Officer
A 1st Mate or 1st Officer is essentially second in command and can assume the duties of a Captain should the Captain be unable to perform his required duties. The 1st Mate reports directly to the Captain and is responsible for the crew's welfare, safety and security.
The 1st Mate is responsible for the implementation of all safety regulations, maintenance schedules, ensuring the yachts paperwork and equipment are in good working order, running fire and man overboard drills, and the safe operation of anchoring and docking operations.
The 1st Mate is able to communicate well, is good at knowledge transfer to the deck crew in particular, and is very often responsible for the resolution of crew issues.
Engineer
Engineers are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of all electronic and mechanical aspects of the vessel i.e. if something breaks (toilets, air conditioners, engines, audio systems, tenders, etc) they have to fix it.
As the superyacht industry has expanded and along with the number of regulations issued by the coastguard agencies (e.g. MCA) the demand for engineers with the right qualifications is at an all time high.
Interestingly, while a chief engineer reports directly to the Captain, they can earn as much if not more than a Captain. Engineers are mainly men but more women are now entering the industry as an engineer.
Deckhand
Deckhands are incredibly hard working, very sociable, reliable, honest and presentable.
The best deckhands have a ready willingness to learn, a positive attitude, and an enthusiastic and polite manner when dealing with owners or guests. They go about their responsibilities in a relaxed but professional way and are easygoing individuals who like to work hard and play hard.
Deckhands are typically young, male (although more and more women are working as deckhands), single and happy-go-lucky.
The deckhand's job is probably the most fun out of all the crew-you're outside all day and, more often than not, messing around with fellow deckies and checking out the hot new stewardesses that have just arrived on the yacht next door.
You have the least amount of responsibility and are commonly looked at to provide some lighthearted entertainment onboard (usually a description of the antics from the previous night).
The deckhand's job can also be quite mundane at times due to the very nature of some of your duties, like sanding capping rails and polishing hundreds of meters of stainless steel. You will also find yourself spending countless hours wiping down already clean stainless and windows and performing wash-down during the early hours of the morning when the owner or charter guests are onboard.
It is very rare for deckhands to find themselves managing anybody else onboard-you are the lowest on the pecking order, and as such you can expect to be given arguably the worst duties onboard (garbage runs, cleaning the yacht's bilges, ditching toxic fluids, and cleaning up bird muck).
Stewardess and Steward
Where a deckhand is responsible for the exterior of the yacht, a stewardess or steward looks after the interior of the yacht. Their job is equally as demanding as a deckhand and the role is very challenging yet at the same time rewarding.
The stewardess looks after the wellbeing of the owner and guests while onboard and therefore silver service experience is vital on their CV/resume.
Duties vary but include things like: Serving celebrities and millionaires, ironing bed linens, napkins and clothing of both the owners and crew, cleaning and detailing the interior of the yacht, food and drinks provisioning, upkeep of dcor, etc.
On larger vessels, a Chief Stewardess can have a number of stewardesses reporting to her and typically they will be responsible for management accounts to the Captain and or 1st Mate. Stewardesses have to have a keen eye for detail and need to be methodical and well organized. There are a number of industry qualifications available to stewardesses, many of which are in demand by superyacht Captains and their owners.
Chef/Sous Chef
The chef is responsible for provisioning of the yacht. Experience is the most important quality for a superyacht chef and formal culinary qualifications are required.
The chef is expected to prepare and cook for crew, owners and guests and they are required to prepare superb meals no matter what the requirements or circumstances.
Many crew and guests will have special dietary requirements and as such the chef will need to be flexible and accommodating. He or she will need to be able to adapt their menu at a moment's notice without compromising on the quality of the meal and service.
The chef works closely with the Chief Stewardess and the Captain and should have excellent communication and time management skills.
Chefs holding a RIB Master or Powerboat certification have an advantage over those who don't and like engineers they are in great demand on both smaller and larger superyachts.
