In
This Issue
Contacts and Jobs:
YachtForums
YachtForums is a discussion forum for yacht owners, yacht buyers, captains, crews, brokers and marine industry professionals and suppliers.
100's of members and 1000's of pictures, products, news, launches, articles, reviews and stories from members all over the world.
If you have an interest in power & motor yachts, come join us!
http://www.yachtforums.com
Q & A
Yacht Chef's Responsibilities
Hello,
I have recently have been really lucky and through a friend I have been given the opportunity to work in the med as yacht stewardess/cook in my gap year. It is something that I really want to do, however, im not to sure exactly what it would entail??
I want to be as ready as I can for when I leave, but I don't really know what duties I would be expected to do? I have worked for three years through school as both the cook and waitress at a small pub, but is there any thing I could do to get me used to a galley situation. Basically, I feel I can cook simple food but i don't really know what is typically expected in this sort of situation.
Also I'm still quite young I have just turned 18 do you think this could be a serious disadvantage for me? Also what is the typical working life like? Do you get the opportunity to meet other people or do you find that you are more restricted to who you are crewed with?
Thank you,
regards,
J
Dear J,
O.K., the good news is that if it is a cook/stew position, you're talking about a yacht with only one or two other crew members. When the job description becomes "chef" or "steward", then it is going to be a larger yacht with more crew to look after. There are also more crew to help but the expectations are higher with regard to the meals.
Your cooking and waitressing experience in the pub will definitely help. If I were you, however, I'd be reading cookbooks and trying new recipes before you set off. Practice sauces and soups in particular, and make sure you can clean and filet a fish. In the Mediterranean, you're fortunate in that most nights will be spent in or near a port where you can buy fresh bread daily.
You also need to know how to prepare about 6 really good, deserts. Staples that will always stand you in good stead are chocolate cake, crepe suzette, creme brulee, fruit tart, lemon souffle, and chocolate mousse.
The special challenge aboard a yacht is that you absolutely MUST be able to improvise. You will almost never have all the ingredients to follow a recipe exactly, and you must be able to adapt what you have and do it quickly with a minimum of fuss.
You'll be the first up and the last to bed in the evening, and you'd better forget how to answer back. Instead just remember the words "no problem."
With regard to your age, I won't lie to you. That could be a liability in many ways. You simply may not have enough experience in the kitchen to improvise. You also could be viewed as vulnerable, and therefore be taken advantage of by various members of the opposite sex. Be sure you go in there with eyes wide open. Never do anything with a man that you are not comfortable about.
All that said, here is an excerpt from my book, "The Yachtie Bible," that spells out all the standard responsibilityes and qualifications for chefs and stews.
Chef's Responsibilities
The chef is well paid, but works the longest hours on the yacht. He/she is usually the first person up in the morning, and the last one to bed.
1. The Chef is responsible for all food and drinks provisioning on the yacht, and must maintain adequate supplies at all times. He/she is responsible for ensuring that all comestibles are properly stored. (The Chief Steward sometimes assumes responsibility for maintaining wine and spirits stores.)
2. The Chef must prepare and cook 2-3 nutritionally balanced meals per day for guests and crew. On some very large yachts, there may be a separate cook for the crew. The meals should be varied and interesting and Chef should present even simple meals in an artistic and pleasing way.
3. He/she must use all perishable foods like meat and produce efficiently to minimize waste, since storage space is limited, and it is not always convenient to go shopping.
4. Chef must plan all menus, but remain highly versatile and able to adjust the menu at a moment's notice, especially if a guest requests a change. Charter brokers will have supplied a food preference sheet detailing guests' food preferences and special needs.
5. He/she must keep all food preparation and storage areas clean and sanitary at all times. On larger yachts there will be a steward to assist with this, but on smaller yachts, the chef may be responsible for the stew's duties as well. When cooking at sea, a special clean-as-you-go technique is needed, since unsecured pots and cookware tend to go flying.
6. The Chef maintains accounting records for all galley purchases.
7. He/she keeps all galley equipment is in good and sanitary working order.
8. He/she assists with boat handling as necessary, including line and fender handling, and on smaller yachts, helming and watch keeping.
9. The Chef must maintain a clean, professional appearance at all times. Including hair either tied back or under a hat when cooking. Guests can't resist visiting the galley; especially right before meal times when they are hungry.
§ STCW - 95 including Advanced Fire Fighting, CPR, and Advanced First Aid.
§ Previous experience aboard a vessel of comparable size or larger.
§ An ability to maintain a calm and pleasant demeanor while working long hours. The phrase "no problem" should roll from his/her tongue regardless of the request. For example, in response to the request, "Can we do lunch for 10 in an hour and a half?" The cool chef says, "No problem." Chef then extracts the emergency side of salmon from the freezer, sends the Deckie to the bakery, boils a dozen eggs, slices three tomatoes and an onion and opens a tin of caviar.
§ Increasingly, employers are looking for formal culinary training or apprenticeships. However, this is not strictly necessary. A good cook who can keep smiling while working 14-hour days is assured of finding a job with or without formal training. With credentials from a culinary academy, however, the pay is higher. Please see the list of culinary training establishments in the appendix.
§ Alternately, shore based catering experience in hotels, restaurants, or as a domestic chef can satisfy reference requirements.
§ A chef should be a person who enjoys eating as well as cooking. Cooking is an art, and a good cook must be able to blend flavorings creating subtle differences in every meal. The ability to read a cookbook doesn't hurt either!
§ A yacht chef once told me that, "The art is not in the preparation of a good meal, but in the ability to deal with culinary disasters so that the guests never know about them."
Steward/Stewardess Responsibilities
The Steward(ess) on a yacht is like the hostess, housekeeper, waitress and bartender rolled into one. Larger yachts have a "Head Steward/Stewardess", who acts in a supervisory capacity for the one to three junior stewards. The Head Stew is expected to take care of financial record keeping, performance evaluation, work scheduling, provisioning and inventory. Head Stews earn quite respectable incomes, and this is a position to consider as you progress up the ladder of responsibility within the yachting industry. He/she answers directly to the Captain.
1. The stew is responsible for keeping the yacht's interior clean and tidy at all times. There is a special art involved here, since the space is limited, and the cleaning chores must be carried out in the most unobtrusive way possible. For example, beds are made and heads (Marine Bathrooms) are usually cleaned while the guests are having breakfast. (*note: always start the toilet paper roll for them and fold the end into a neat point. It lets them know you were there, and it looks very professional!) The vacuuming of the carpets is often done while the guests are ashore.
2. He/she is responsible for turning down the guests' beds at night. Once again, the prime opportunity to accomplish this is during dinner.
3. The stew serves all meals. Some meals are quite formal, and require formal table settings with china, silver and crystal. Silver service training is a plus.
4. When laying a formal table, the stew should know how to fold linen napkins in a variety of styles to complement the meal.
5. The stew should be creative and liaise with the chef when there is a "theme" meal planned, in order to present the most interesting setting possible. The objective is to ensure that the guests have a pleasant and memorable stay onboard.
6. However impractical, yachts generally keep fresh flower arrangements on board. Therefore, the stew should know some basic flower arranging.
7. The stewards are responsible for all laundry. Many yachts have a washer and dryer, but when there is a lot of washing to be done, like when the bed linens have all been changed, the stew is responsible for getting the laundry to an outside service, and insuring that everything comes back from the laundry. This means that whenever the laundry leaves the boat, a detailed list must be made, and everything on the list must checked when it returns.
8. As part of the laundry responsibilities, the steward/stewardess is expected to iron the table linens and often the bed linens as well. Besides making everything look nice, this practice helps avoid the natural tendency to mold that exists on boats of all sizes. Guests will often have clothing that requires ironing as well.
9. The stew must also help the chef with meal prep and dishwashing.
Steward/Stewardess Qualifications
§ STCW - 95 Basic Safety Training. Any additional lifesaving training or nursing experience is very helpful.
§ Valid Driver's license. If possible, an international driving license is best.
§ Though some training establishments are springing up offering job specific training for Stewards, this training is NOT strictly necessary. It can't hurt, but previous experience in another service industry like hotel, restaurant, or catering can be even more useful if you can provide written references.
§ A clean, fresh appearance and a cheerful disposition are absolutely essential in this position. Thomas S. Wissmann at the International Yacht Sales Group wrote this regarding crew placement through their offices:
contact
info:
Kim Davis - editor
936-348-5397
editor@extraordinary-jobs.com |
One of my favorite subscribers, Gene Parola, author of 