Part 2: Becoming a Yacht Chef — How I Got My First Superyacht Job

What might make you stand out in the crowd of hundreds of yacht chefs!

It all started in 2011. I was back in Australia, strapped for cash after two years of budget travelling around Europe. I needed money fast. Remote restaurants and establishments in outback Australia pay well to attract chefs, and $27 an hour was the best money I'd seen at 22 years old. So I packed my bags and headed to the red, dusty, fly-covered town of Westonia — population around 300 — to run the kitchen at the only pub in town, the Westonia Tavern.

I lasted about four months before I needed a new challenge. Then I saw an ad online: "Looking for a chef to work on the Great Barrier Reef, Cairns, Australia." Not much more detail than that. I leapt at it.

As I approached the 35m live-aboard dive vessel Reef Encounter docked in Cairns, I genuinely thought — what have I got myself into. I'd never spent a night on a boat, let alone worked on one. Within minutes I was in the galley helping prepare lunch for the day boat Reef Experience and the live-aboard Reef Encounter, which between them catered for around 135 guests and 20 crew.

A few days in, one of the instructors invited me to go diving. I jumped at the chance. My days quickly fell into a rhythm — a morning dive at 6am, straight out of the water and into the galley to cook breakfast for the same guests I'd just been diving with. Being prepared was everything.

Over the following two years I racked up over 1,000 dives. I decided to complete my PADI Divemaster qualification, figuring it could only help wherever my career went next. That decision turned out to be one of the best I ever made.

Reef Encounter and Reef Experience rafted up at one of their dive locations.

Flying for 5 hours and 3500km later I landed in Cairns, the gateway to the largest reef system in the world! I stayed in a hostel that night, got a few hours sleep and I was on my way out to sea onboard the fast cat ferry Reef Experience which catered for around 100 people. As I approached the 35m live aboard dive vessel Reef Encounter I thought, what have I got myself into. I'd never been on a boat overnight much less worked on one. Within minutes I was in the kitchen or as most of you know is called a galley on a yacht. Helping prepare the lunch for Reef Experience and the live aboard Reef Encounter which also catered for around 35 passengers and 20 crew.

“In between cooking for the guests I would go scuba diving 3-4 times a day”

Not long after arriving in those coming days I was offered to go diving with one of the instructors. I once again lept at the chance to do so! My day usually consisted of doing a morning dive around 6am, then straight out of the water I was in the galley and cooking up breakfast for those same guests I was diving with. Being prepared was key here! Then after that I would be back in the water for another dive before lunch, finish up lunch and I might be in again later that day or a night dive depending on how much time I had. I remember I did around 30-40 dives before I was even certified. Clocking up dives fast, I soon had my open water, advanced then rescue dive ticket. I was on that Reef Encounter for around one year then moved over to their day boat to setup a new system onboard. I implemented a way of being able to prepare and cook food fresh daily onboard this vessel with a larger selection of dishes for the 100 odd guests.

My day consisted of prepping all morning, then heading upstairs to cook on the top deck BBQ overlooking the reef. It was some of my best and least stressful cheffing days I've ever had. I really needed it after being completely burnt out on the live aboard vessel for the past year. Its funny to look back and think how hard it was to do a roster of 5 days on 3 days off. I once got 'stuck' out there for 10 days at one stage and I was losing my mind. Honestly that cracks me up to write it. Now I live on yachts all year round! Still losing my mind though..haha

Racking up over 1000+ dives in the two years I worked for the company I decided that becoming a PADI dive master would be beneficial to my career if I were to continue on this path. This was a huge bonus on the first position as a chef on a 30m luxury motor yacht as they saw potential in me for being versatile in their unique chef/deck position they had available. Not only hiring a fully qualified chef but one with a diving ticket and deck experience gave me the upper hand against other yacht chefs in this particular job. I will tell you more about this yacht in another post my first super yacht job, which was the most insane start to any yachtie's career. Cruising New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Australia, New Zealand and Fiji!

My First Super Yacht Job

M/Y Encore anchored at the famous Monuriki Island, Fiji where the Tom Hanks Castaway movie was filmed.

Versatility is key here.

I can't stress this enough.

Get out there, take chances, do as many things you may think could be beneficial to your career to just make you that much more employable to a potential yacht and captain.

Become A Yacht Chef Here

More on the exact tickets and courses you should go for in PART 3!