What did you do before yachting and how did your yachting career first begin?
Before I was in yachting, I was a fashion photographer in London, Rome & Paris.
My yachting career began with a spontaneous week’s holiday to Palma – after socializing in bars and meeting, a deckhand (you know who you are) didn’t take long to convince me that I should get my STCW and ENG1 and try my luck on the yachts wasn’t really much of a competition to rainy UK.
What has been your favourite boat you’ve worked on and why?
I really don’t have a favourite – each boat, crew, guest and itinerary was completely unique and each boat had it’s pros and cons and I value all of these different experiences equally.
What are the best and worst parts about working on-board?
Best part of yachting is undeniably the access you get. Working for people that can have anything they want; you get a glimpse of the freedom that is financially possible for them. Another great point is the food! Having a chef onboard is amazing.
Worst part is sometimes it is super long days, no breaks. Missing out on seeing the place you were excited to visit.
How do you keep sane on charter?
Keeping good crew Morale is very important to me even if all is going wrong and the guests are being difficult your crew becomes like your second family, and a good team will always be the backbone of a great charter.
What are your best strategies for spoiling charter guests?
I pick up on their routines and their likes and dislikes and try to make sure that they have what they need before they even realize they want It.
What’s the coolest thing you have done for guests?
Having a background in photography/videography there where these particular charter guests that loved to be filmed (this is not normally the case at all) at the end of the charter I gathered all of the highlights of the footage and edited them a short movie of there trip. They absolutely loved it.
What is your signature cocktail?
Espresso martini with a twist – secret ingredient – a magician never revels their secrets wha ha ha
What is your favourite yachting destination?
Again, this is so hard to choose as each place steels a little piece of my heart, but if I was at gunpoint it would have to be Mallorca. I love this island.
If you owned a superyacht, what would you do differently?
Ha ha this is defiantly bias as obviously I have never owned a yacht.
I would give the yacht to the crew for 1 week of the year to have their own charter!
What is your on-board pet hate?
I really hate wasting food so when people leave packets open it drives me crazy.
What career achievement are you most proud of?
I think it is when you get to a point when you know your good enough to train others to do what you do. This felt like an achievement and this is one of my favourite points of the job to watch/help others grow and achieve their goals too.
“Real queens fix each other’s crowns without letting the world know it was broken”
Best housekeeping tip/hack?
Don’t overcomplicate things with a million products. Stick to what works.
Tell us about your funniest embarrassing moment on board.
This is not a confession for the islander this will be a personal conversation. Ha ha sorry I’m going to blame the NDA agreement.
What’s your favourite adventure in Mallorca?
There have been so many but one that really stands out is, when I first moved to the island and did my STCW95. The other soon to be crew members and I hired some mopeds and drove across Mallorca exploring the country backroads, meeting locals, tasting the great food and stopping at the beach for a drink in the sun. I suppose this is the memory that sticks because I love Mallorca and I love new places and, in this moment, Mallorca was new and exciting. Also, I made some friends for life that day.
If you could give your 20-year old self one piece of advice, what would it be?
I often get asked this question. To be honest I wouldn’t have listened, I would have thought I was hallucinating! I think 20-year-old me isn’t ready yet to meet me now.
The path I have led has got me to where I am today and I’m happy with that. #noregrets
What’s your plan for the future?
Keep growing, keep learning, stay focused.
Thank you for reading!
Name: Jodie Talbot
Position: Chief Stewardess/ 2nd Stewardess
Interview by Melanie Winters
+34 646 897378
melwmarketing@gmail.com
