Whether it is maintenance or guest-related duties, we want our crew to hold up the 5-star industry standards as productive, hard- working, intuitive crew.

THE SYSA YACHT CHEF PREPARATION COURSE IS ONLY COURSE OF ITS KIND IN THE COUNTRY. 

If you already have a Recognized Chef Qualification/Diploma on land and experience in Restaurants and Hotels or Cruise Ships, we can make your transition from land to sea easier – by offering the 2 Day Yacht Chef course.  For course dates, please contact us at isobel@sysa.co.za

THIS COURSE IS HIGHLY ADVISABLE FOR ALL QUALIFIED CHEFS TO PREPARE THEMSELVES TO FIND A YACHT JOB – WITHOUT PAIN AND FRUSTRATION!

The course syllabus was carefully designed for qualified Chefs looking to enter the super yachting industry and consists of the following practical information:

R 2 500.  Accommodation not included.

• CV preparation
• Preparation of Sample Menus
• Preparation of Chef Portfolio
• Food photo preparation
• Crew placement agencies, visas and crew houses
• Offshore bank accounts
• Seaman’s Books
• Where to stay/when to go
• Dayworking/dockwalking
• Cooking for crew
• Challenges of being a yacht chef
• Budgeting Inventories and Stock take on yachts
• Provisioning for guest trips
• Communicating with Stewardesses
• Networking and finding a job on board a motor or sailing yacht
• MOST RECENTLY ADDED!! Essential information about the new Ship Cook’s Certificate, as well as MCA Food Health and Safety requirements

We also recommend the following courses as part of your complete training for a smooth transition:

• STCW Basic Training + STCW PDSD:  This is mandatory for ANY crew member on board, regardless of position. Price R 9 650.  Accommodation not included.  New courses start each Thursday of every month. Please contact us at isobel@sysa.co.za regarding course availability and contact details. Course duration: 11 days.
• ENG 1 Medical Certificate: Please contact us for more information regarding this mandatory Medical Certificate. isobel@sysa.co.za Price R 3 800 (subject to change)
• MCA/Highfield Internationally accredited Food Health and Safety Level II Certificate: This is already mandatory on all UK/MCA flagged vessels, and very soon ALL yacht Chefs will need to hold MCA approved Food Health and Safety qualifications. This is now offered at SYSA – please contact us on isobel@sysa.co.za for more information. Price: R 3 550.

There are three major considerations for any crew member before you get started:

1. Are you in a position to pay for an air ticket to fly overseas?
2. Have you got sufficient funds to invest in terms of training, visas and accommodation overseas while looking for a job?
3. Do you have the right attitude to work hard and the personality to live in confined and stressful conditions?

QUESTION: I HAVE HEARD FROM FRIENDS IN THE INDUSTRY REGARDING THE SHIP COOK’S CERTIFICATE. DO I NEED THIS TO ENTER THE INDUSTRY?

Ship Cook’s Certification – for Chefs working on UK flagged COMMERCIAL/CHARTER yachts with 10 or more crew and operating more than 60 miles off the coast are now required to have a “Ships Cook’s Certificate”.

Currently only Chefs working on a UK flagged COMMERCIAL/Charter vessel fulfilling the criteria above are required to have the certificate. However, we all know that in the end all other yachts and flag states will follow suit, so we would suggest all chefs working on yachts to eventually gain this certification for future jobs and moving up the career ladder. There are several requirements to be able to complete the Ship Cook’s Certificate, one being a month of sea-time recorded in your Seaman’s book, therefore most to all Chefs enter the industry without this qualification (unless they worked in a Maritime environment where it was required prior to joining the super yacht industry).  This course/assessment is not offered in South Africa at this stage.   Currently only UK flagged vessels are affected by this, but it would be advisable for all chefs and future head chefs to gain themselves a Ships Cooks Certificate after entering the industry.

If you have any questions about the Ship Cooks Certificate – please contact us on isobel@sysa.co.za for more information.