We’ve been talking about the why’s and how’s to getting your first job on a yacht… so now you’ve secured it, how do you keep it? Let’s talk about how to be a good cabin mate to your fellow crew.
One of the biggest things which comes up when I’m talking to captains and senior crew, is respect. We all know that working on a superyacht requires a professional, dedicated and hard-working personality (because I told you so the other week), and it’s common sense to assume that you’re going to be team player. Hopefully. But what about when the working day finishes? It’s worth remembering that when you work on a yacht, you also live on the yacht. Basically you live, sleep, eat, breathe, and exist in your place of work. There’s no escape… there’s no going home at five, closing the door and going to see your friends or family. Your fellow crew members ARE your friends and family now. Whether you like it or not. So being considerate to their needs and respecting their space and boundaries is super important! Especially if you’ve had a tough day.
Crew areas are generally very small, your cabin is comprised of a couple of bunks, a bit of floor space if you’re lucky, some cupboards or drawers for storage, and a dinky bathroom. If you’re on a smaller sailing yacht you may have extremely cramped conditions and the bathroom may be a wet room – so that means you close the toilet lid and shower over the top of it. It’s like camping. I’d love to say glamping but I’m not convinced it’s even that flash…
So what’s my point? You’re sharing this teeny tiny living space with another human being. You may have only just met, and you’re forced into this extremely intimate living arrangement. By the end of the season you’re either going to be BFFs for life, or you’re never going to want to see that person again, either way, get prepared for a few months of living on top of each other (literally – did I mention they’re bunk beds?).
Once you’ve figured out who gets top and who gets bottom (who’s going to get up more in the night to pee or answer calls or alarms etc), that’s decided. Allocate a fair amount of storage space to each person, and respect that. Don’t charge straight into the bathroom and fill up the whole cabinet with just your stuff because you got there first, sharing is caring. Be considerate and split everything down the middle.
Used the bathroom? Wipe down the surfaces. And for the love of GOD, use that toilet brush and don’t leave any nasty surprises for your bunk buddy! Toilets don’t clean themselves. They’re not that advanced yet…
When it comes to shared desk spaces, again share it. If there’s only room for one laptop then maybe discuss how to share the space and arrange times for each of you to use it.
Do not, due to risk of injury, leave cables trailing. And I don’t just mean the risk of tripping over plugged in chargers, hair straighteners, hair driers etc which could result in you getting hurt, I’m more concerned about the injury you may sustain if your cabin mate trips over something you’ve left out AGAIN and then proceeds to beat you to death with it.
This also goes for leaving shoes, clothes or wet towels on the floor. Put it away!
Ok so we’ve covered your cabin, you’re going to keep it neat, tidy and presentable (some yachts do cabin inspections – so you’ve been warned) and you’re going to get into the habit of hanging your wet towel up to dry every day, and even making your bed every morning (believe me you’ll be thankful for this when you crawl into a nicely made bed at the end of a long day rather than a screwed up heap of sheets) but don’t forget to also extend this respect to communal crew areas.
I have known of captains to have a 24-hour rule when it comes to the crew mess. Anything left unattended will be disposed of after a day – whether it’s a pair of trainers under the table, a discarded hoody, or a phone. So watch out.
If you’ve used a cup, a dish, a bowl… put it in the dishwasher. You’re all responsible for your own mess on a yacht, and if you don’t tidy up after yourself don’t expect to last very long before someone dumps your dirty dishes in your bed. Yes it happens.
Be a clean and tidy person, be considerate of others, and just treat others how you’d like to be treated yourself and you’ll be fine. And don’t be afraid to grab a cloth and clean that crew mess table now and again – people will appreciate it, and you!