Where, When and How to Look for a Yacht Chef Job

I've literally got a job every single way possible — through an agent, word of mouth, a fellow yachtie, LinkedIn and even Instagram. You are now on show to the world more than ever before. Your social media is the new CV. Remember that.

Pictured ~ M/Y Arience in Nice Harbour, France. Not the busiest place for yachts, so it's best to base yourself in Antibes which is only a short train ride away.

To give you some background, let me tell you about my first encounter with superyachts at the ripe old age of 19. I was travelling Europe with some close mates and we'd heard about yachting through friends, so we thought we'd give it a go. Being a bunch of cheap backpackers, we took a €0 Ryanair flight from Scotland to Marseille, then jumped on a train to Antibes — which we'd heard was the best place to find work on a yacht.

I remember walking into multiple crew offices dressed in board shorts and singlets. It cracks me up thinking about them even considering us. But they told me I had a good chance of securing a position, being a fully qualified chef who had just completed a four-year apprenticeship back in Australia. I thought that was plenty of experience. I was wrong. The competition was fierce.

After not hearing much back from the agencies, and literally watching hundreds of other people crammed into the same crew offices every day, we decided to take the dock-walking route. I remember walking the docks of Antibes in 2008 and looking up to see the mighty M/Y Octopus — a Lürssen 126m — sitting in the harbour alongside some truly incredible yachts. It cracks me up now, thinking how unprofessional we looked coming straight from the beach. If I'd known then what I know now, I would have been far better prepared. The internet was just becoming a thing back then — no wifi everywhere, just internet cafes, and very little information online about yachting. Now you have it all at your fingertips.

That was my first taste of the superyacht industry, and from that day I set out to do whatever it took to get in.

Two years later I returned from my European adventure, having worked in the French Alps and the Greek islands along the way, slowly picking up more and more skills. I knew I needed money to pay for my STCW and I was fresh out of it. So I moved back in with my mum and found a high-paying job to save as fast as I could. I saw an ad for a remote chef to run the restaurant section of a pub — $27 an hour, which was great money at the time. Over four months I built up the bank account and then spotted an ad to work on a dive boat cruising the Great Barrier Reef. I knew it wasn't a superyacht, but it was a boat and a step in the right direction.

After almost a year on board, I booked my STCW, went to see Joy Weston at Crew Pacific in Cairns, and told her I was ready to find a chef position on a superyacht.

A few months later, I got a call — a temp chef was needed on a 40m motor yacht cruising from Cairns to Lizard Island. This was my first real taste of yachting, and honestly, it was my worst experience ever. I won't mention names or the vessel, but the captain was out to get me from day one. Looking back, I think he was testing me — seeing if I could handle the industry. On the first night underway, I was woken at 4am to cook fried eggs for the pilot. The stewardess woke me apologetically, saying the captain had insisted the chef come up to make them. I was furious — cooking those eggs with so much rage. But I did it to the best of my ability and went straight back to bed.

I now understand — yes, he was difficult, but this is yachting. You will be asked to cook pizza, pancakes, burritos, nachos and caviar service at any hour of the day or night. Guests pay serious money to be on these yachts and expect it. I lasted the month contract, left on decent terms and later found out the yacht had gone through around eight chefs that year. That made me feel a lot better. The lesson? Expect anything but normal in this industry — but never expect it to be boring.

Pictured ~ STP Shipyard in Palma de Mallorca, Spain — home to the largest yacht travel lift in Europe and a great place to hunt for work.

So, back to the point of this article — how do you actually find a yacht chef job?

Don't rely solely on crew agents. Technology has taken over and the internet and social media are now king.

Facebook — Join every yacht crew group you can find. Positions are posted daily. Some of the best ones include: Palma Yacht Crew, Antibes Yacht Crew, Rotational Super Yacht Chefs, Fort Lauderdale Yacht Crew, Australia Pacific Yacht Crew, and Cabin Fever.

Instagram — Think of this as your online food portfolio. Create a dedicated page with your food photos and a sense of your personality. This has personally helped me secure positions, including the head chef role on the 60m M/Y Arience.

LinkedIn — A more professional route. I set up my profile with my experience and food portfolio and it eventually helped me land a position on the 37m S/Y Bliss.

Timing and location matter more than most people realise.

European Season — Palma, Antibes, Nice, Barcelona, Monaco April to September is the summer season, with most charter activity during this period. Arrive no later than April for your best chance. October to March is the winter yard period — yachts stay in Europe but there's little cruising. It's still a good time to be around as crews get boats ready for the next season.

Caribbean Season — Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Newport Rhode Island October to April is the main season. Yachts typically depart America and cruise the Bahamas, Caribbean and sometimes as far as Mexico and South America. May to October, yachts head north out of the hurricane zone toward New England or even Alaska.

Finally — and this is my favourite method — word of mouth.

Yachting is a smaller industry than you think. Yes, there are over 10,000 superyachts and probably close to 100,000 crew worldwide, but word travels fast. Good and bad.

Get out amongst it. Go to the crew bars, join group days out, accept any day work that comes your way and meet as many people as possible. Be personable, be approachable, be confident — and most of all, be yourself.

Good luck. I genuinely wish you all the best because everyone deserves to experience this industry the way I have.

And please — stay grounded.

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Head to the next article which will help you decide if you would prefer motor or sail yacht. HERE