Emma Kate Ross: Breaking Barriers At Sea - The Rise Of Women In Yachting

To celebrate this change and find out what improvements might still need to be made, we have interviewed a series of incredible yachting women about their yachting journeys.

From yacht chefs to crew agents to chief stewardesses, we find out how these women found their way into yachting, where they might have encountered resistance or obstacles, the changes they’ve seen during their careers, and what they would like to see happen in future. We also ask them to share advice for women coming into yachting, and for any newbies out there, there are some tips in here you won’t want to miss!

Our first interview subject is Emma Kate Ross, ex-yacht chef and co-founder of SEAS THE MIND, a mental health training provider set up specifically for yacht crew.

Have you experienced prejudice for being a female in the galley? And if so, how did you respond to it?

Emma: I did not, fortunately. I always worked with chefs and captains who valued females in the galley, and I felt their support throughout.

What have you seen throughout your career with females taking on the more traditionally male-dominated roles? Do you think women find success harder, or are things changing? Are women more welcomed into all yachting roles now?

Emma: I’ve seen a vast and encouraging rise in females on deck and in galleys, and it has been so wonderful to see. When I started, seeing a female crew member on deck was rare unless we were part of an all-crew Friday washdown. Now, when I look out my galley portholes (I know, large galley windows = blessed) and gaze over the rows of boats sitting next to us on the dock, I see bad-ass female crew washing down, servicing tenders, leading guest dive trips, checking winches and it makes my heart soar!

Are there any female yacht chefs or women in the industry who inspire you to create change?

Emma: In the galley, as we are naturally a smaller team, I am usually the sole female in the role or the galley, but I know there are amazing female chefs out there!

This may be my sole experience with the algorithm giving me what they think I want, but it seems women are more engaged in posting on social media. We need to make sure that the representation of women on yachts is truly balanced by the representation on social media when we see inspirational, talented, and hard-working female chefs giving us daily doses of their lives, recipes, and provisioning missions. 

I also think female representation on high-profile channels —such as female captain Kelly Gordon, female yacht chefs like Nina Wilson, Matilda Migliaccio, Chef Abby, Rachel Hargrove, and female deckhands like Malia White (@maliakpwhite) on Below Deck plays a vital part. 

This representation encourages newbies to come in and—rather than being forced into an interior role—consider what role suits them best, what skills and experience they have, and what life they would like to carve out for themselves onboard based on their interests and talents rather than any assumptions.

On that note, my last boat had a male chief stew and his partner as the Head of Housekeeping, and that was a brilliant formula, too, as everyone worked to their talents rather than their chromosomes.

Do you have any advice for females in yachting to help them forge a successful career? 

Emma: Pick a job on a boat that gives you meaning and purpose, whether on deck, in the galley, in the engine room, or as part of the interior team. If you don’t know, do your research and ask any experienced crew you know what role they would advise.

Once onboard, keep your eyes and ears open. If an opportunity comes up to help in another department, say YES! Helping on washdowns, assisting the chef in the galley with simple prep or packing provisions, or letting an engineer know you would like to learn more about engine room checks whilst on watch will give you an elective and no-pressure scenario to observe another department and see if it is a good fit for you!

Any tips for chefs in particular?

Emma: Another great way to advance your career and gain confidence as a chef is to do a stage. Experience in a professional kitchen is invaluable. It gives you access to a professional working culture with hard, fast-paced teams. It allows you to amass amazing, closely guarded recipes and observe good working practices for stock rotation, cleaning, maintenance schedules, and prep. This knowledge can all be taken into galley jobs and help elevate the experience for yourself and your guests.

Whilst you are doing your stage, listen and observe. Keep your head down, your ears and eyes open, and just absorb and learn. Keep a small notebook in your pocket, and every break and washroom break, write down everything you can remember! Start by interning in a restaurant you admire, where you love the food and feel a good vibe. Get confident, and once you know how stages work, move on to food and restaurants you may feel uncomfortable with and build your knowledge in areas you need to evolve. I did my first internships in Ottolenghi and Nopi as I loved the food, and then I moved into high-end French restaurants to learn the classics.

Thanks for that fascinating insight about the changing role of women in yachting, Emma. Next week, we’ll continue this series with a profile on Becki Milton, an avid sailor with a Yachtmaster certificate who has worked in crew recruitment and is now a charter broker.