Working a Yacht Season is hard work with long hours but can be rewarding both financially and because you can get to visit many incredible places by boat. Hundreds of people work for private motor and sailing yachts each summer and winter. The summer season in the Mediterranean starts in early May, in time for the Cannes Film Festival (2nd week in May) and for the Monaco Grand Prix (last week of May).

The summer season runs to September and for the winter season many of the boats cross the Atlantic to the Caribbean in October/November and then return to the Med again in May. Those not crossing to the Caribbean stay around the Med along the South Coast of France, in Palma, along the Spanish Coast or around the Greek Islands or along the Turkish coast.

Recruitment for the summer in the Mediterranean therefore can begin as early as the end of April and continues throughout the summer months. Many winter positions in the Caribbean are offered to crew who have performed well in the summer and career prospects are very good if you have the right approach and committment to your work.

By registering with YachtChefs.com you are able to gain access to many of the employers through one source. Your CV profile is held on our database and you simply click on a job that interests you under the Job Listings button and apply for the job online. It couldn't be easier!

YachtChefs.com ...THE EASY WAY TO FIND WORK !

UPDATE: May 2006 - There are hundreds of Job Seekers in Antibes and along the French Riviera looking for work during May and June so competition for work is fierce. Be prepared to tough it out until you find work. Most crew working on yachts or motor boats are doing it as a career move and many of the boats are looking for well qualified and experienced crew who will add value to their operations. There are many courses and qualifications to help you progress in this area if you are thinking of working in it as a career move. The wages have risen significantly over the past years which reflects the higher standards that the captains and yacht owners are looking for so think carefully on what you are looking to gain from working on a yacht and if you are just looking for a one season placement then it will be harder to find a short term position. I have listed some of my experiences to help you if you decide to go for it down in Antibes.

Applying for the right job is important. We obviously focus on chef work but want to briefly cover other types of work available to you on yachts/boats.

1. Deckhands. These positions are the least paid and you do not require any major qualifications to find a job. You may be required to have a RYA certificate if you are going to have to drive a tender or take the helm if on watch. Wages start from around $1,000 per month working on a sailing yacht to around $3000 if you are on a motor yacht. Duties include washing/ cleaning the exterior of the yacht, painting/varnishing work, mooring/anchoring duties and other deck work when under sail.

2. Steward(ess). If you have service/waitering experience then these are the positions for you. Silver Service experience is also advantageous as many of the yachts are multi-million pound boats and require high levels of quality service for the owners/charter guests.

Wages are lower on sailing yachts, starting from around $1500 per month and for motor yachts starting from around $2500. There are many agencies in Antibes who offer various crew training courses to help you gain the right qualifications.

3. Chefs/Cooks. If you have completed a ski season in a high standard chalet and/or if you are a qualified chef with good restaurant experience then these are the positions for you.

Jobs are available as either crew chefs or cooking for the owners/guests or both. Depending on the size of the yacht you may have staff working for you. Your responsibilities on smaller yachts are to provide a varied and interesting menu, undertake the shopping yourself, and keep your galley clean within the required hygiene controls.

Wages start from around $2500 per month on a small sailing yacht rising to $7000 and above on large motor yachts. As a chef on a larger yacht/boat you would have a team working for you in the galley. You must be capable of serving cuisine to extremely high standards and be able to work to set budgets to deliver the right product to eith a private owner or charter guests.

4. Engineers. Many yachts have engineers working who take care of the technical equipment on the boat. Areas of responsibility would be in the engine room, looking after the tenders, electrics and just about every piece of mechanical equipment on the boat. Wages start from around $2000 on a sailing yacht rising to around $3000 on a large motor yacht.

Working conditions and pay. Almost all jobs are live in and you would live on-board, normally sharing with one other person. Personal space is usually very limited and you must enjoy working in a close-knit environment.

A sailing yacht with only 4 crew will be a very cosy working environment whereas working on a large mega-yacht you would normally have a crew lounge/area where you can relax. If you are sailing long distances be aware that you can't escape from your fellow crew members or nip down the road for a pint with friends!

As we have highlighted above the rates of pay are normally good and usually paid in US Dollars or Euros and depending on the yacht's registration tax free. This means you get your salary, food and lodgings all included.

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CV Writing & qualifications. Complete your CV in as much detail as you can, showing the dates, subjects and grades of your qualifications achieved at school, college, university and any other professional qualifications achieved.

If you have any sailing qualifications (STCW), food hygiene certificates or any other training remember to include these. Don't forget to mention your travelling experience and leisure interests as well. Include details of the number of miles you have in your log book or any safety courses and certificates you have taken!

Write a brief summary of your profile and what you are looking for as well as including any menu plans you have and the types of cusine you are interested in cooking.

Remember you are competing with other people for a limited number of jobs so the more complete your CV, the more information the employer can use to decide if you have the qualities, work experience and personality they want from their employees.

We now have a facility for you to add your photo to your application as well so load any of you in your chef whites or crew unifrom!

Thanks for chosing to use YachtChefs.com to find work and good luck with your job search!

The YachtChefs.com Team!

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