In her new book, Melanie White talks about working at sea.
White explained how difficult it is to prepare meals at sea and work in close quarters.
Seafarers' mental health can be affected by life at sea.
Melanie White, a former superyacht chef, said that life at sea is more difficult than you might think, from making gourmet meals in a floating kitchen to difficult crew dynamics.
White wrote about the industry in a book that was released last month. We can see mega yachts and parties on private beaches, as well as glasses of champagne and fine dining. When figures reach six zeros, we're desensitized, and then suddenly we're plopped back into what should be our reality.
White wrote a book about working on her first yacht in her twenties. She goes through training to become a yacht stewardess and eventually becomes a chef.
White left her office job to go on a sea adventure. White said she was able to save a lot of money because she didn't have to pay for food or housing when she worked for the Russian.
She took on the role of two crew members in order to cater to the guests demands.
White likened her role to that of a fairy in the book.
When the beds are miraculously made, the service is excellent. Five minutes after taking one, the shower is dry. I was wondering if Mel was serving me champagne when the hand towel was refolded and replaced.
White said it was hard for guests to understand that crew were working with limited supplies. She recalled an incident where a guest asked if they could "heat the Adriatic."
White told Insider that some guests didn't realize that they didn't have infinite resources.
The work is tiring. White said she got "boat bites" from slamming into objects on the ship while it was in motion, and food and cooking utensils often catapulted from the fridge or countertops.
The crew was stressed out by the job and decided to rebel.
The success of a business is dependent on the compatibility of the employees. There is little respite from each other in yachting because of the complex living with work colleagues.
The crew dynamics weren't always good for White. She said in her book that she was "slapped" behind while working with a captain who was abusive. White said in her book that she lost a lot of weight because she didn't have enough time to take care of herself.
She said she spent days sleeping on a table and waiting to go to the bathroom because there wasn't enough room on the catamaran.
White said at the end of the experience that she was healed at the yoga retreat. She left her life at sea to pursue other opportunities after returning to work on other boats. She still keeps in touch with some of her guests.
White said she wrote the book to show the mental health issues workers face at sea.
You can read about White's experience in her book.
Business Insider has an article on it.
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