All roles/Galley/Sous Chef / Second Chef
Galley
Sous Chef / Second Chef
The Sous Chef runs the galley alongside the Head Chef, cooking for guests and crew, leading the junior chefs and taking full charge when the Head Chef is off or ashore.
- Department
- Galley
- Reports to
- Head Chef
- Yacht size
- 50m to 150m+
- Contract
- Seasonal, permanent or rotation
- Starting pay
- €4,500 per month
What the job is
You are the Head Chef's right hand. On a 60m yacht with a three or four person galley, you cook guest breakfasts and lunches, prepare sections of dinner, and make sure every plate leaving the pass matches the Head Chef's standard. On many boats you also cook for the crew, which can mean 20 to 30 people three times a day on top of guest service. When the Head Chef takes a day off, you run the galley.
Much of the work happens before anyone eats. You write prep lists, check deliveries against orders, label and date everything in the walk-in, and keep fridge and freezer temperature logs. You train the Chef de Partie and Commis, keep the galley clean to inspection standard, and help plan menus around guest preference sheets, allergies and what the local market has that morning. Provisioning in remote places like the Maldives or Raja Ampat means planning weeks ahead.
Hours are long on charter, often 14 or more a day for a week or two at a stretch, then quieter in yard periods and on passage. Guests may ask for sushi at midnight or a children's menu at short notice, and you need to deliver without fuss. The role suits a chef with solid restaurant or hotel experience who can work in a small, moving kitchen and live with the people they cook for.
What makes a good one
- Fine dining cooking to restaurant standard
- Running a section and leading junior chefs
- Stock control and provisioning
- Allergy and dietary menu planning
- Calm under long charter hours
A day in the life
- 06:00Into the galley to bake bread and pastries, set up the breakfast station and put crew breakfast out.
- 07:30Cook guest breakfasts to order as guests appear on the aft deck. Eggs, fresh juices and a fruit plate for the guest on a low sugar diet.
- 09:30Check the morning delivery from the Positano provisioner, reject soft tomatoes, and update the fridge log and stock sheet.
- 10:30Briefing with the Head Chef on lunch and dinner. You take lunch: a beach-style seafood spread, plus crew lunch for 22.
- 13:00Lunch service for 10 guests on the sundeck, then crew lunch at 13:45. Clean down and reset the galley.
- 15:00Prep for dinner: fish butchery, sauces, garnishes and the canapé list. Show the Commis how to fillet the sea bass properly.
- 17:00Short break in the crew mess, then back to cook crew dinner before guest service starts.
- 19:30Canapés out with sundowners, then a five course dinner. You run the hot section while the Head Chef plates and calls the pass.
- 23:00Deep clean, label leftovers, write tomorrow's prep list and set dough to prove overnight.
Pay by country
Monthly salary for a Sous Chef on a 50m to 100m yacht. Larger yachts pay at the top of the range. Charter yachts add tips, commonly €2,000 – 5,000 per charter season month on busy programmes. Food and accommodation are provided on board.
- France and Monaco
- €4,500 – 6,500
- Spain
- €4,500 – 6,500
- Italy
- €4,500 – 6,500
- United Kingdom
- £3,900 – 5,600
- USA (Florida)
- US$5,000 – 7,200
- Caribbean
- US$5,000 – 7,200
- UAE
- AED 18,000 – 26,000
- Australia
- A$7,500 – 10,800
- New Zealand
- NZ$8,300 – 12,000
Required
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical
- Food Safety Level 2
- Professional kitchen experience
Recommended
- Ship's Cook Certificate (MCA)
- Food Safety Level 3
- Culinary diploma or apprenticeship
- PDSD
- WSET Level 2 Award in Wines
Visas
- Schengen visa (non EU crew)
- US B1/B2 or C1/D
- Australian MCV for Australian cruising
Where it leads
- Galley Assistant
- Commis Chef / Fourth Chef
- Chef de Partie / Third Chef
- Sous Chef / Second Chef
- Head Chef
- Executive Chef
Sous Chef / Second Chef jobs open now
Questions crew ask
Can I go straight into a Sous Chef job from a restaurant?
Yes, if you have been a Sous Chef or senior Chef de Partie ashore in a good restaurant or hotel. Captains and Head Chefs care more about your kitchen record and a strong trial shift than yacht experience, though a season as a Crew Chef or Sole Chef on a smaller yacht helps.
Do I cook for the guests or just the crew?
Both on most yachts. You usually cook guest breakfast and lunch and help with dinner, and on many boats the crew meals are your responsibility too. On the largest yachts a separate Crew Chef may handle the crew.
Do I need the Ship's Cook Certificate?
It is not always required for a Sous Chef, as the Head Chef often holds it. It is recommended, because some flags and larger yachts ask for it and you will need it to step up to Head Chef.