On Wednesday 2nd March The Crew Coach announced the winners of their Superyacht Scholarship, a brand new global competition that gives four lucky hopefuls the opportunity of a lifetime. The scholarship (worth nearly €3,000) provides entry level training courses, certificates, extra goodies and bonuses. We are lucky enough to catch up with Zhara, one of the winners of the Superyacht Scholarship. She shares her experiences of life in the scholarship and how she has progressed into the yachting world.
Zhara was mentored under Caroline from Quay Crew & Chief Stew Fran Garrod.
Hi Zhara! Thanks for taking the time to talk to us. Let’s start from the beginning shall we? Which yacht are you joining and as what position?
Hi! No problem – I’m joining a new build 52m MY.
How did you hear about the scholarship programme and did you have much of a clue about yachting beforehand?
I heard about it through friends that were in yachting and they forwarded the email on to me.
I started working for an ex Chief Stew and Captain couple in their house, so they gave me a good idea what to expect even though I’ve wanted to do it since I was doing my diving, which was about 3 years ago now. To begin with I wanted to go travelling, so invested my money in that first rather than my courses. Luckily I was able to pick up tips along the way from the Chief Stew and that helped improve my HK.
How did you find your STCW? Was it what you were expecting?
I loved it, it was very informative. I was expecting more theory but I loved that a lot of it was hands on. It has given me so much more confidence in real life situations – a massive help overall!
What’s been the most challenging thing?
Not feeling organised enough. I am normally a very organised person but meeting with so many people, doing courses and keeping track of everything has been overwhelming.
What has surprised you the most about yachting?
The amount of money involved in the industry and the competition between crew, specifically amongst green crew, it’s staggering!
Have you had any negative experiences since you’ve been in Antibes?
Not really, I’ve been really fortunate with my experience. I found it hard to get day work initially and I’ve seen heaps of people struggle with dock walking & not getting much positive feedback. I guess I’ve been one of the lucky ones!
How was your first day work? Was it what you expecting or a shock to the system?
The first 2 days were a shock to the system! I was detailing, sewing, I even did a bit of cooking. It was a great experience but we were working long hours (for day work) but it really has given me a great insight into what I can expect further down the line.
Have your long term goals changed since you’ve been here and had a taste for yachting?
Definitely, I now want to become a Chief Stew and have set myself a timeline for this. I would also like to look into the environmental side of yachting in terms of the types of products that are used.
Any advice for new yachties that may have to go down the conventional route of finding a job?
Get advice from people within the industry that have real experience rather than listening to green crew or crew that are new-ish to the industry. Also, don’t get too involved in the partying! Everyone in yachting seems to love having a good time!
If you’d like to get involved like Zhara has, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us here at Quay Crew! We’ll do everything we can to help you get the career you’ve always wanted. Contact us here.
