Yacht chef requirements: what owners and captains expect

A strong CV ashore does not automatically translate to a yacht galley. Owners and captains recruit against a specific set of requirements, and chefs who understand them move through interviews far faster.

Certification comes first

STCW basic safety training is the entry requirement for working vessels, alongside a seafarer medical certificate such as the ENG1. Food safety qualifications are expected as standard. Chefs targeting larger yachts should understand the ship's cook certification requirements that apply to vessels with crews above a certain size, and keep documents current before applying rather than after an offer.

Provisioning is the real test

At sea, the supermarket does not exist. Captains ask about provisioning because it predicts everything else: planning a charter menu around what can be sourced in a remote anchorage, managing cold storage across a crossing, and adjusting when the delivery that was promised does not arrive.

Guest expectations remain at the level of a fine restaurant throughout. The chefs who succeed treat constraint as part of the craft.

Temperament decides longevity

A galley is small, the season is long, and the crew mess eats three times a day whatever the guest schedule looks like. Discretion around guests, composure in close quarters and genuine care for crew meals are what captains mention when they describe a chef they would rehire.