I started off my career in the yachting industry with a few temporary jobs in shipyards and ports based in France. After 2 months I found my first permanent job as a junior deckhand on a 50m private Feadship. We had 3 boss trips based in the French Riviera with the owner and his family. Having been part of this great team for over 20 months, I was fortunate to learn all the skills and requirements of the career and I had a chance to get involved in all aspects of being a deckhand – from mooring operations to painting and varnishing projects, to bridge procedures and chart work and then also the watersports and tender driving side of things. I am efficient in steering single- and dual screw propulsion and am currently getting comfortable with jet drives.
I am motivated and well-mannered and am proud to say that I have integrity. I have a proven record of generating and building relationships in all working environments. During the difficult time of having so many crew stuck at home and greenies trying to get into the industry, I have used my social media presence to assist the crew as far as possible.
I am passionate about watersports and the ocean and participated on provincial and national level in surfing, swimming, biathlons and triathlons in South Africa.
My goal is to work my way up to become a chief officer, however, Covid has already caused a huge delay in my plans – as I am sure it did with many others. So, for the time being, I am enjoying the new yacht and amazing crew that I work with until my next rotation in September where I can sit my Yachtmaster practical exam and do a few more courses to kick off the process.
