First Officer Chris Foce on the challenges as an officer and what senior crew notice.
My long-term goal is to move into the captain’s chair. As chief officer, I’m already heavily involved in safety management, bridge operations, crew leadership, and project oversight, so the transition is a natural progression. For me, it’s not just about command. It’s about building a high-performance program where safety, professionalism, and crew culture are non-negotiable.
I was a university drop out turned into a ski bum and eventually found my way to the sea. However, I came in with a clear career path in mind. I built up my sea time, invested in my qualifications early and targeted vessels that would push me. I treated it as a long-term profession from day one and not a gap year.
If I weren't on a yacht, I’d likely still be at sea, either on large commercial vessels or working in marine project management. The maritime environment suits me. I enjoy structure, responsibility, and the operational side of things. If not afloat, probably something performance focused like high level sport. The dream growing up was to be a MotoGP driver — one can only dream 😊
The toughest part of the job is managing the human element. Operations, navigation, and maintenance are all conditions that are predictable, people aren’t. Balancing owner expectations, crew morale, fatigue, and performance standards simultaneously is the real test of leadership.
Get your qualifications in order, but understand that attitude outweighs experience at entry level. Show up early, stay late, ask questions, and make yourself useful. Yachting rewards consistency and humility.
For those looking to impress on the job, anticipation — always think two steps ahead in this fast-changing environment/industry. Also, be calm under pressure. Owners and guests notice composure more than anything.
Rotation is one of the best developments in modern yachting. It improves mental resilience, long-term retention and overall performance. Crew who rest properly perform better and they stay in the industry longer. This being said, I only went full rotation after eight years in this industry. In the beginning of your career, it's all about getting the most experience in the shortest time frame.
Reputation travels faster than you do in this industry. Integrity matters, The way you handle small things such as paperwork, maintenance standards, and how you speak to crew definitely defines your trajectory.
Last Med summer, I was on anchor in Paros, Greece, when we received a Mayday call from a vessel close by that had struck a reef. The deck team and myself were first on scene and managed to safely transfer all crew and guests ashore and eventually intentionally beached the vessel on a nearby coast.
As chief officer, the largest challenge when crewing a yacht is finding the balance between strong personalities and team cohesion. You need competence, but you also need compatibility. A technically skilled crew member who disrupts culture can cost more than they contribute.
For me, it's about being able to mix maritime professionalism, hospitality, engineering and high-end lifestyle with the love of the sea all at the same time. Few sectors demand such a high standard across so many disciplines at once. The views along the way is the biggest perk.
Never walk empty handed. If you’re moving across deck, carry something that needs relocating. It’s the small things that matter, It compounds over time and senior crew notice.