Feeling very comfortable amongst the rolling waves, my first taste of open ocean was at 17 – on a 10 day youth challenge and voyage on the Young Endeavour square-rigger. The sense of freedom, with no land in sight, rotating watch duties, and climbing the mast underway it was my first experience on a boat bigger than 5m. I was hooked! I joined a recreational sailing and ocean racing club in Melbourne, Australia and these experiences left a positive and lasting impact and eventually led me to the Superyacht industry. I made my ‘sea-change’ in 2016 when I dock walked in Antibes. That first season sure is a big learning curve, but loving life and what this industry has to offer, even when after weeks of back to back charters (!!) I kept on the curve and am now a loving and loyal crew member of Spirit in the stunning Great Barrier Reef, Australia.
One my favourite aspects of my job include the many creative outlets from the flexibility we have with moving the outdoor furniture around to create different ambiances, the table settings under the stars and cocktails created with local produce and a free hand. I enjoy finding ways to make their guests experience unique and memorable whether it be dinner party games, a theme night, or documenting the guests escapades in the turn up sheets, which we put out each morning for guests to read over their coffee. Guests love to read highlights of the adventures they had the day before and what’s to look forward to. As I get to know the guests I add some jokes, such as betting on who catches the biggest fish that day. I am careful to pick my audience, but most of the time they ask me to collate and print these out as a journal of their holiday. At meal times, I usually have some quirky facts about Australian and New Zealand showcased wine, the vineyard or the wine maker that’s a conversation starter for the guests who really look forward to the presentation of the wines.
I thrive having a strong stewardess team and we support each other efficiently; when duty calls we operate like clockwork. We work together so well on charter, during meal times guests often quip that are like synchronised swimmers! I happily share interior duties, and this gives her an opportunity to develop her skills and remain motivated and inspired which supports me too. In fact, the whole crew has great camaraderie and we all support each other. I’m so grateful for this dynamic.
The Chef, Captain and I are really passionate about the environment, and minimising waste where we can, we are transitioning over to using as much reusable, biodegradable, refillable and also locally made products as we can.
I also feel very honoured to be nominated and excited that our boat was nominated for best crew too!
