A Day In The Life Of A Chief Stewardess On Charter

How did you get in to yachting?

I started out primarily because I wanted to travel, and I was already working as a caregiver for a wonderful family in France who told me about the yachting industry.
I went dock walking and I was lucky enough to get my first job as a solo stew on a 28m private yacht.
It was on this same yacht that I met my now husband who was onboard.

What does a typical ‘charter’ day look like for you?

The day starts with opening duties; setting up for breakfast, preparing breakfast, serving and clearing breakfast, laundry, cabin service, housekeeping duties and more laundry.

This is followed by lunch service and more housekeeping and laundry, ongoing beverage service, setting up for afternoon activities, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres service, dinner service, cabin turndowns, finishing and returning laundry, and to close the day, pulling dishes, décor and service items for the next day’s breakfast.

When the guests come onboard most of my attention shifts to them and sometimes I need to rely on my second stewardess to keep the interior running as usual. 
You can have 10 guests all wanting different things at different times in different places. 
My role becomes predominately service orientated when guests are on and you have less time to help with other interior duties.

What do you know now about working in this industry that you wish you’d known in the beginning?

Not to be afraid to ask for help and explanations on how to take good care of the yacht interior and fragile objects. 
Don’t think that an unsecured vase/statue/bowl/glass will not slide off the table in moving seas!  
Always best to be safe than sorry!!

Best bits of being in yachting?

Watching dolphins bow riding in the yacht’s wake.
 

Being out in the vastness of the sea and hearing the call on our radios that dolphins are around always brought a sense of urgency and excitement to the crew. 
Watching these incredible creatures bow riding the waves, so effortlessly and gracefully, was always an incredible sight.  
It is a picture that I often think of and which will stay with me as one of those very special life moments.

Thank you Sylvia for taking the time to share your crew story with us.
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