Aboard a super yacht here are the most usual positions open to you that we will take look at in this article. How many superyachts have you seen headed in to Belize?
The Captain
In charge of the yacht, The Captain is the man also accountable for the safety of everyone who works under him. A captain’s focus is to see that the yacht is retained from both an operational and safety point of view – he or she also has a tremendous amount of experience at sea but also holds excellent understanding of how to run a business as the Captain fundamentally 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 one who has to maintain a delicate balance of managing the crew and the vessel and has the final say over who is hired or fired is also the captain.
1st Mate / Officer
Actually he is second in command and can assume the duties of a Captain should the Captain be not capable to execute his required duties is what a 1st mate or 1st Officer is. The 1st Mate is in charge for the crew’s welfare, safety and security and reports directly to the Captain.
He is liable for the performance 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.
He is very often responsible for the resolution of crew issues, the 1st Mate is able to communicate well, is good at knowledge transfer to the deck crew in particular.
Engineer
Engineers are in charge for the repairs 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 repair 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, they can earn as much if not more than a Captain, while a chief engineer reports directly to the Captain. Engineers are mainly men but more women are now entering the industry as an engineer.
Deckhand
Deckhands are very hard working, very sociable, reliable, honest and presentable.
When dealing with owners or guests, the best deckhands have a ready willingness to learn, a positive attitude, and an enthusiastic and polite manner. They are easygoing individuals who like to work hard and play hard and go about their responsibilities in a relaxed but professional way.
Deckhands are typically young, male (although more and more women are working as deckhands), single and happy-go-lucky.
The deckhand’s job is almost certainly 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 generally looked at to provide some light-hearted entertainment onboard (usually a description of the antics from the previous night) ant have the least amount of responsibility.
The deckhand’s job can also be quite ordinary at times due to the very nature of some of your duties, like sanding capping rails and polishing hundreds of meters of stainless steel. Spending countless hours wiping down already clean stainless and windows and you will also find yourself and performing wash-down during the early hours of the morning when the owner or charter guests are onboard.
You are the lowest on the pecking order, and as such you can expect to be given arguably the worst duties on board (garbage runs, cleaning the yacht’s bilges, ditching toxic fluids, and cleaning up bird muck), it is very exceptional for deckhands to find themselves managing anybody else on board.
Stewardess and Steward
The one who looks after the interior of the yacht is the stewardess or steward whereas a deckhand is in charge for the exterior of the yacht. Their role is very challenging yet at the same time rewarding and their job is similarly as demanding as a deckhand.
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 décor, 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 tot he Captain and or 1st Mate. Stewardesses need 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 accountable for provisioning of the yacht. Experience is the most important quality for a superyacht chef and formal culinary qualifications are required.
The chefs are required to prepare superb meals no matter what the requirements or circumstances and are expected
to prepare and cook for crew, owners and guests.
The chef will need to b flexible and accommodating, many crew and guests will have special dietary requirements and as such. He or she will need to be able to accommodate 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 those who don’t and like engineers they are in great demand on both smaller and larger superyachts.
The Superyacht Access Club
Advanced Training For Superyacht Crew
www.workonsuperyachts.com
Belize is located on the Caribbean coast of northern Central America. It shares a border on the north with the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, on the west with the Guatemalan department of Petén, and on the south with the Guatemalan department of Izabal. To the east in the Caribbean Sea, the second-longest barrier reef in the world flanks much of the 386 kilometres (240 mi) of predominantly marshy coastline. The area of the country totals 22,960 square kilometres (8,865 sq mi), an area slightly larger than El Salvador or Massachusetts. The abundance of lagoons along the coasts and in the northern interior reduces the actual land area to 21,400 square kilometres (8,263 sq mi).
