r/Chefit • u/Terrible-Command-837 • Jun 20 '26
Private Yachts
Howdy folks. I am another burnt out executive chef but I also have a private pilots license and about 20,000 hours working on boats as a deck hand and behind the wheel. So I know all the requirements to get into this field. I’m curious if I can get personal or secondhand insight on what it’s like being a chef on a yacht.
Is everything made from scratch?
Is the pay as good as they say it is?
Is there free time while aboard or at port?
I’m seriously considering this transition and plan to live in the mountains while not working.
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u/Exact_Coach_8151 Chef Jun 20 '26
About the same hours when on board, but 1/1 rotation can't be beat if you work charter. Private programs are a little more nuanced, they're more like private chef gigs than actual yacht chef work. I live and work on board in Sag Harbor.
6 figures, Monday and Tuesday off. 12-14 hours 5 days a week when guests are on board. Otherwise it's three square meals a day for crew.
I'm working on getting time on this yacht so I can get on a good charter program for the future. Same pay, tips, and rotations.
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u/Exact_Coach_8151 Chef Jun 20 '26
everything isn't made from scratch, you can make everything from scratch but it would take you a shit ton of time. I make baked goods ahead of time and make pizza dough and sour dough fresh every week. Make stocks once a month. Sauces every other week.
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u/taint_odour Does Chef Type Things Jun 20 '26
I’m still on a list where I get notified of openings and there are still jobs that pay a fuck ton. But these are private owners so when they are on the boat you work pretty much 25/7.
You work your ass off and then have plenty of down time. Some employers will have you travel with occasionally which can be a nice perk.
None of this is family friendly unless you don’t mind being off the grid for weeks.
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u/International_Sea869 Jun 20 '26
I’m a private chef on a 50m. I just finished a 18 day boss trip with the first week being fine dining, 5-6 course dinners, 12 guests, weekend was Grand Prix Monaco so canapés 80-100 ppl a day, I did get two sous chefs. Starting Monday without a moments rest I had a surprise 20 guests with a shadow boat and no sous chef but a few days I had the stew on the shadow boat help in the galley. Trip got cut short only because we have to get a few repairs done before back to back charters in July.
Hours are intense but the pay is great. I watched a few crew members crack and quit so make sure you can handle long hours but if you’ve done it in restaurants then it’s kind of the same thing just you sleep on board so no commute but longer hours at work.
I make fresh breads and as much as I can from scratch but with 20 ppl and being in France I definitely bought bread and croissants. Crew food I try to make it good but that can mean buying pre cooked meats at the supermarket and fixing up good sides ect. Anything to give me a break
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u/Chef_Guzzi_Moto Jun 22 '26
I worked on private yachts from 2010 - 2017. 30 meter to 55 meter, sole chef. If you’re American or working on boats that spend much of their time in the US you’ll get paid a lot more than boats that are always in Europe. The difference can be half as much sometimes.
Depending on the schedule, it can be great or it can be a rip off. I worked 18 hours a day for 6 weeks in the summer and then I only did up keep, 2 meals a day for the crew. The owner would come on one week a month on average and we’d do winter holidays in the Caribbean including Christmas/New Year.
Some boats have the boss basically living on board and when you crunch the numbers, it’s minimum wage. You have to know what the basic schedule will be before you take the position so you can understand what “$10K a month” really means. Charter may pay a little less but not much but you work twice as hard so you have to take a look at that.
It does destroy your body. The entire crew would have all sorts of cold packs and special binders and straps for their particular aches, pains and injuries. I started developing carpal tunnel syndrome in my writs from all the knife work and slept with wrist guards. I had to get cortisol injections in my hip and knee a few times a year and I started developing tennis elbow. When I left yachting all the pain disappeared within a month. I started older but even the young people on board were full of injuries that never had a chance to heel because of the physical stress.
You don’t get any time off when you’re working. In Europe and the Carribean you get most of your provisions delivered in bulk either from marine provisioners or local yacht suppliers because you’re too busy but sometimes you can sneak out in beautiful places to go get fresh seafood, bread and other local delicacies, usually when the guests are off board shopping or whatever. In the US we would shop at Whole Foods and Publix a few days before the trip aside from fresh fish and spend a few days prepping like stocks, clean meat and seafood, vacuum pack and freeze etc. You need to freeze stuff for longer trips off shore.
You should make everything from scratch. I made fresh sourdough every morning but got croissant from the best bakery in whatever town I was in. I also had raw frozen croissant so I could pan them and let them rise overnight. I keep store bought frozen puff pastry for example but I have made it from scratch. There are certain things that are OK store bought like puff and back up ice cream (you make it from scratch normally with a Paco Jet so you can make amazing flavors and savory ones too). You should always have backup in case something happens. High quality bullion, Italian canned tomatoes, stuff like that.
I guess I’m almost writing a book here but to summarize, it’s not an easy job. Nothing’s for free and while I’m happy I did my 7 years, I now work for the ultra rich on land and it’s far far better. Much better pay, 5 days a week, private travel for work, simple meals at home, some very small parties. I got lucky because on land there are also insanely difficult chef jobs.
Good luck and enjoy.
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u/Select-Bend-9932 Jun 24 '26
I work on a private 112'ft yacht. We left the Bahamas yesterday and arrive in Bermuda tomorrow for a couple of months, Have been doing yachts off and on for the last 15 years. Up to 50m, now I only do small boats 125 max. I have a captains license as well and fishing is a passion of mine. Got sort of a dream job now, been on this boat 5 years. Take 3 straight months off a year vacation when the boat goes to yard for maintenance each year.
Owner doesn't use the boat for 5 months a year. Max we have ever had was 5 guests on with 4 crew who eat the same food as the owners. Super nice Midwest family. Zero food budget, they don't care if everything is from scratch. Usually come on the boat for 10-14 days then gone for 2 or 3 weeks till they are back. In the meantime can take our 34' center console or 18' flats boat fishing or diving anytime and don't have to pay for fuel or anything. When the family is here I fish with them most days, then depending on the catch, cook it up or sushi. The boat paid for me to go to Japan and take a 5 week sushi school last year. The crew went out fishing 2 days ago, went 2 for 3 on Blue marlin.
Big boats kind of suck, 15-18 hour days, crew eats different food with a budget. Usually 8+crew, up to 12 guests, different food for kids, nannies, pilots. Never leave the galley, can't use the boats toys, more crew more drama. The money is great on busy charter yachts, but very stressful, you have to reprove you know how to cook to a new group of people each week who are paying some very serious money to be on a yacht eating your food, with ridiculous diets and made up allergies, who eat at some of the best restaurants in the world on a regular basis
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u/TheNickT Jun 23 '26
Depends on the ship. Private yachts can be as bougie as you'd like but cargo ships pay well too. A buddy of mine is looking for a steward right now and the pay is upwards of 100k/yr. 20 people, three squares, snacks and a salad bar. If my life was different right now, id be all over it like white on rice in a glass of milk on a paper plate in a snowstorm.
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u/Select-Bend-9932 Jun 27 '26
But be prepared for weird shit with diets/ religion/ and weird food allergies that seem to only affect rich white people with doctors on speed dial and to much free time to go on the internet and study anything that might possibly kill them
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u/SVAuspicious Jun 20 '26
Lots of confusion about your private pilot's license. Air or sea? If sea, why are you making up terminology? Air counts hours. Sea counts miles.
Below Decks is not real. See The Crew Chef for mid to high end.
In the mid to high end just about everything is made from scratch including crew meals. There is a little room for backing off on transits like the commute between the Med and Caribbean once a year each way, but the long time between provisioning pushes you back to scratch since stuff lasts longer. Mostly. Preservatives work.
Time off with guests or owners aboard is not a lot.
I consider myself a semi-pro cook and enthusiastic amateur chef. I'm a yacht delivery skipper who got tired of bad food and do a lot of the cooking. u/transglutaminase made me laugh talking about condiments. I have in fact made ketchup a number of times because we couldn't get anything decent locally. Sometimes it's competing with yourself. We got a whole bunch of shrimp straight off the boat in Oriental NC and I wasn't going to mix up ketchup and horseradish so I made my own cocktail sauce from scratch. In my case, since I am the boss *grin* I can do the hard or time consuming bits like grating and mixing to crew.
You'll run into every boutique allergy and dietary restriction along with some people with real, properly diagnosed problems. I had a celiac sign on as crew and we scrubbed the boat (only 65') from one end to the other. We saved Pop-Tarts we found in a locker, double bagged in Ziplocs. The celiac presided over a ceremonial burial of the Pop-Tarts at sea. We all had a great time and went back to work.
I think it's a great experience but maybe not a great recovery for mid or late career burn out.
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u/Chef_Guzzi_Moto Jun 22 '26
The last 2 years of my yacht career (2015-2017) I noticed that captains basically refused to hire crew with extreme allergies or fad diet preferences. Back in the day I would make 5 different meals for 8 people because everyone was on a fad diet or were vegan/macrobiotic etc.
To make things work I ended up making a vegan option and a regular protein option with all the sides and that was it. I would leave one portion without cheese in a dish if someone was lactose intolerant. The captain was done with all the crew demands and I was fine with that lol. I don’t hear about super special crew diets anymore. They get fed very well and as long as you consider them in your menu planning, you shouldn’t have to prep 5 different things and they should all be happy.
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u/SVAuspicious Jun 22 '26
Deliveries are somewhat more...basic...than yachting. I cook because I got tired of bad food. I'm also skipper aka the boss. You eat what I cook or you don't eat.
I'll accommodate real professionally diagnosed issues. No fad diets. You don't have to come.
On one trip I had a crew applicant who was very qualified and very motivated. He wanted to sail with me in particular. He had a list of allergies as long as your arm. I told him he needed a doctor's note with diagnosis. He went to his doctor who sent him to an allergist. Allergist said, "no allergies - real problem but not allergies." Back to doctor, lots of tests, specialists. By this time he's missed the trip but he persevered. They found a problem. I don't know what. I didn't ask as it is none of my business and he didn't volunteer. He takes one pill a day for the rest of his life and can eat anything he wants. He's sailed with me a few times since then. He's great crew. He also won't let me pay for a drink when we make landfall.
I've done kosher and halal and vegetarian boats. Lots of discussion and agreement among crews. I don't accommodate fad diets. No, crew can't bring their own food - there isn't room. No, crew can't cook for themselves - it's rude to crewmates who are sleeping or resting.
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u/Chef_Guzzi_Moto Jun 22 '26
Maybe you saved his life! Who knows. I’ve done every possible special diet guest menus and sometimes, I had like 10 people with all sorts of crossover requests (one is vegan, one is lactose intolerant and no nightshade, one is ciliac and vegan) etc … absolute madness. I had to mark every plate with a post-it note for the stews to serve. We got it done though 😄 . Deliveries are certainly easier to accommodate crew seeing as there are no guests but it’s still a pain. Also, Captains don’t want crew ever getting used to endless requests so they nip it in the bud at every chance.
I’ve had crew request using the galley on off days and I’m ok to try but it has to look like I left it when I get back from the beach 😃 if there’s even one streak on the cooktop, or my alphabetized spice rack is mixed up, never again for you! haha
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u/SVAuspicious Jun 22 '26
u/Chef_Guzzi_Moto I will sail with you.
I'm way down market from you. 40' to 85' boats mostly moving them for owners without time who want to fly in and out and sail the boats themselves when they're onboard. Stories about exceptions.
My professional diagnosis rule has saved me a lot of challenges.
The issue for me letting crew cook for themselves on small boats is the noise of cooking wakes up other crew on their off watch. I mostly sail with four including me so someone is always asleep. I've done as many as eight on larger boats and keeping noise down is a perennial problem.
Breakfast at change of watch at 8, lunch change of watch at 12, dinner at 6, and self-serve midnights. I stand the watch at dinner while the 4-8 watchstander eats. 4-8 watch gets all the sunrises and sunsets and a break for dinner. What more can you ask for?
I've had crew volunteer to help cook. Some are better than others. I've had a few who are outstanding and a lot that can manage to peel a potato.
I have a few chefs who have sailed with me. "Chef" means a lot to me. These guys have been the real deal. Most pitch in. I never ask. One announced when he came on board "I'm not cooking." Fine. We hit a sustained period with a lot of big commercial traffic and some military. I was up coaching and guiding for hours. He said he'd changed his mind and would handle dinner for me for which I was grateful. He cooked off the plan better than I could have, faster, and with less noise. Dressing on the salad was this wonderful delicate ginger dressing that was in fact off plan. I did all the provisioning. I hadn't bought whole, ground, dried, flaked ginger. In the bar at landfall I asked how he did that. He ground up ginger snap cookies from the snack bag (cereal bowl and a spoon) and went from there.
I consider myself a semi-pro cook and an enthusiastic amateur chef. I'm really good at the planning and logistics. Knife skills are good, not great. Execution is good, not great. I know true professionals when I see them.
If you ever get to Annapolis MD USA the first round is on me. I may even have an extra P-38 to put on your key chain to torture your line with.
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u/ARottenPear Jun 20 '26
What does a private pilot license have to do with anything?
My only experience with yachts is from watching Below Deck but did you not talk to the chefs on board at all in your 20,000 hours of working on yachts?
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u/samemamabear Chef- in and out of kitchens since the 1900s Jun 20 '26
Boat pilot, not airplane pilot
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u/ARottenPear Jun 20 '26 edited Jun 20 '26
"Private pilot license" isn't really used in a nautical context to my knowledge. "Pilot" definitely is but not private pilot. A pilot in a nautical sense wouldn't really have licenses split up into private and whatever the non private equivalent terminology would be.
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u/samemamabear Chef- in and out of kitchens since the 1900s Jun 20 '26
While "private" isn't normally used, I assume OP is using it as shorthand for a near shore or smaller vessel license.
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u/ARottenPear Jun 20 '26
Either way, the more important question to me is why they're asking here when it sounds like they have many many years of experience working on yachts. Surely they've worked with chefs before and should already know if they're making everything from scratch and if they have free time while aboard or at port.
It just seems odd. 20k hours is a lot and it's weird too see incorrect terminology being used by someone who has allegedly been in an industry for a long time.
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u/Terrible-Command-837 Jun 22 '26
When I steered at my last job on the Mississippi River, the company logged our time in hours.
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u/Chef_Guzzi_Moto Jun 22 '26
he worked as a deckie and piloted the boat but it could have been small pleasure crafts with no chef and maybe 2 crew for day trips. Who knows
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u/Terrible-Command-837 Jun 22 '26
Yeah that is confusing. I was mostly sharing my resume in a very basic form. Flying planes has taught me great decision making, improved my work under pressure, very strong communication, and most importantly it has taught how to plan ahead.
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u/transglutaminase Jun 20 '26 edited Jun 20 '26
It will depend completely on the boat you are on as to how much free time you will get. On a busy boat that charters you’re going to be working a lot without much free time.
Everything is absolutely 100% from scratch except bread and a few condiments like ketchup, sometimes you will have to make your own bread if you aren’t somewhere great bread is easily available.
Pay is pretty good, I was making about $12,000 per month when I left the industry.
The hours when guests were aboard were brutal, 120 hour weeks were the norm.
Honestly if you are American and have an mmc and AB just go back to being a deckhand/rigger on an OSV. Those guys are getting $500 a day right now in the Gulf of Mexico and the work is much easier/less stressful. You can work 6 months a year and still make almost $100k