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Day Rate for Yacht Chefs: A High-Stakes Poker Game – Only if You’re Really Good! by Tom Voigt. #24/0158.
Day Rate for Yacht Chefs: A High-Stakes Poker Game – Only if You’re Really Good!
So, what’s the scoop? The question that keeps popping up in all WhatsApp chef groups, rookie forums, Facebook, and social media is: How much should a yacht chef earn per day? This question is as old as the modern yachting industry itself, dating back to when we all started believing that anyone could play at any price level. In reality, a yacht chef’s day rate can range anywhere from €0 to over €1,000—especially if you’ve just saved a last-minute charter. And yes, tips come on top.
But let’s cut through the fluff: the number of yachts has increased, and so has the number of chefs. The influx of newcomers, driven by social media hype, has sparked a full-blown price war. Ultimately, it comes down to whether the deal works for you and if the job is worthwhile. If you’re satisfied at the end of the day, that’s a win. On the flip side, what’s the point of earning €1,000 a day if the stress is so overwhelming that all the money ends up spent on alcohol, drugs, or therapy after the job?
In the end, it’s about earning good money and satisfying the client. Whether you’re saving the day or ensuring that the client comes back, a happy customer is what we’re all aiming for. (And no, I’m not talking about a “happy ending” from a massage parlor.)
Day Rates for Different Scenarios:
1. Emergency Call as an Experienced Sole Chef with Charter Guests Onboard (if the Permanent Chef has lost a leg or a family member):
If you receive a last-minute call to pack your bags and fly out to a charter, you can expect a day rate of around €800, sometimes even more—tips not included. This rate is fair considering that your culinary skills might end up saving the entire charter and the boat’s reputation.
2. Quieter Jobs: Cooking for the Boss and His Wife:
Here, we’re talking about the more relaxed gigs. If your task is to prepare three sandwiches and a soup for an 80-year-old boss and his similarly elderly wife, you’re looking at around €300 per day—and that’s well-paid. In these roles, you might even find time to catch up on a book or binge-watch all the seasons of Downton Abbeyand Breaking Bad.
3. Crossings:
When working as a sole chef during a crossing, your day rate should be at least €250. For a crew of more than 12, you can charge more. Of course, this assumes you know how to manage a galley at sea without everything flying off the counters in rough weather.
You need to be not just a good cook but also a master of inventory and provisioning. Anything can happen during a crossing: food can spoil, seas can be rough, and the trip might take longer than planned. You must plan your shopping meticulously and know how to store fresh produce so it lasts the entire trip. Poor planning could force you into improvisation, which is no fun with a hungry crew and a bad atmosphere. You’re responsible for keeping the crew well-fed and ensuring that no one is completely worn out by the end of the journey—especially if the weather and the food are both subpar.
4. Shipyard Periods:
During shipyard periods, whether you’re cooking on the yacht or from an apartment, delivering meals for 12 crew members plus up to 10 day workers, you can expect around €300 per day. These jobs often involve bulk cooking, and organizing weekend meals can be quite a challenge. Shipyard periods and crossings as a sole chef are great opportunities to meet new crew, build a client base, and potentially secure future charters. If you’re truly skilled, these jobs can lead to strong friendships, valuable client contacts, and even charter bookings.
5. Tips:
One thing is clear: salary has nothing to do with tips, and vice versa. Many yachts try to sell us on the idea that a lower salary can be offset by potential tips. But forget that. Tips are an optionthat may or may not materialize. On larger yachts (90m to 200m) with high rotational crew, tips are often divided unevenly between those who worked their hearts out on the charter and those who stayed at home. Always clarify these arrangements upfront.
6. Worst Case Scenario: The €200 Job:
A chef friend of mine was hired at €200 per day with the promise of a fully booked season and plenty of tips. It sounded like a solid two-month charter job. But as luck would have it, the “charters” turned out to be friends of the manager who was cheating the boss—a fraud. Naturally, the promised tips never materialized, leaving my friend with empty pockets.
Instead of accepting this, he took matters into his own hands and renegotiated with the manager (standing with his luggage already on the dock) and in the end, managed to raise his day rate to €450—proving that sometimes you need to negotiate hard when conditions aren’t right.
7. Winter Jobs in Port:
After the season, winter jobs look bleak. Day rates for yacht chefs are almost nonexistent, as the minimal crew (captain, engineer, deckhand, and stew) usually cooks for themselves. If you’re looking for work, forget about winter in port and find a great ski chalet or follow the season to the Caribbean.
Conclusion:
Day rates depend on many factors—especially your ability to determine the kind of poker game you’re dealing with during the initial conversation or offer via social media or agencies. The market is competitive, but there are always ways to make the most of your situation. Sometimes it’s not just about the money, but also about keeping it cool and making the right decisions.
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Tom Voigt
Private Chef Tom Voigt is an internationally trained chef with a rich culinary background. He holds both an Austrian Chefs and Gastronomic Diploma and a diploma from the TFBS of Tourism in Tyrol, Austria. Raised in a German-Italian household, Tom’s passion for cooking ignited early in life, as he spent his childhood in his family's Italian restaurant in Germany. By the age of 12, he was already running the chef de partie station, balancing his culinary responsibilities with studying economics. Tom’s classical French and Austrian training forms the foundation of his cooking, but his approach is deeply influenced by his Mediterranean roots. He specializes in Mediterranean cuisine, placing a strong emphasis on the use of top-quality ingredients and allowing them to shine in every dish. Tom’s career spans decades of culinary exploration across the globe. His love for travel has taken him through Asia, the USA, and Africa, both as a chef and a backpacker. These experiences have deeply enriched his culinary style, blending traditional techniques with global flavors. His time working in top-tier international restaurants in Valencia, Spain, and at prestigious winter resorts in Switzerland and France has further honed his expertise. Before entering the yachting world, Tom served as Executive Head Chef for one of Germany’s largest tour and festival catering companies, where he crafted meals for legendary artists such as Carlos Santana, Neil Young, Pavarotti, The Rolling Stones, and many more. This unique experience taught him how to cater to a wide range of preferences while maintaining the highest standards of quality and presentation. Fluent in four languages—German, Italian, English, and Spanish—Tom easily adapts to diverse cultures and clients, offering a personalized culinary journey tailored to each guest’s tastes. His empathetic nature ensures that he listens carefully to the preferences of his clients, crafting dishes that not only meet but exceed their expectations. As Tom puts it, "Hospitality is not just a job—it’s a passion. When food stirs emotions, it becomes Art."