First 24 Hours on a Yacht (Part 2)

(Read the first part of this article)

The First Day

The morning arrives, I awake before my alarm, draw my porthole curtain and lie in bed watching what looks like a couple of mullet fish cruising between our yacht and the one next door. My relaxing in the bed is a mistake, as I hear my room mate get up and lock the bathroom door, my planned shower, toilet and shave has been thrown as I realise waiting for him to finish could make me late, I opt to dress and eat breakfast. Note to self: establish showering times with the other crew and get in the shower room first tomorrow!

A delicious breakfast with a selection of cereals, yoghurts and fresh fruit, which is followed by picking up my radio and meeting the Captain and deck crew on the bridge for a morning briefing of the day ahead.

I am given a tour of the whole yacht, something I have dreamt about doing as a small boy since I saw these yachts in the South of France during a family holiday here. The interior in the guest areas are a massive step up from the humble and compact crew areas. The guest areas are filled with high-class bespoke furniture, elaborate mirrors, glistening marble flooring, baths, beautiful wooden staircases... I feel like I am on a photo shoot for an interior design magazine or elaborate film set; the style, taste and quality are like nothing I have witnessed before. I am shown into the main guest cabin, where a massive bed sits complete with a walk in wardrobe, sitting area and an enormous ensuite (complete with two large showers and a beautiful bath), surrounded in tasteful white marble. Off the master bedroom is the sitting area and there is a discreet button mounted on the wall, which when pressed creates a deep electrical buzzing noise and slowly light begins to appear between the yachts walls. As the side wall of the yacht lowers, (and the buzzing stops) the wall has completely lowered to create a private balcony, where the owner and guests can sit outside in complete privacy.

After seeing how the other half live, I am returned to normality and my life and job as a deck hand on-board. Today’s job, I have been informed is to wash the yacht.

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For more information read Work on a Super Yacht: The Beginners Guide by Ben Proctor