Job Description: Captain's Position

Built in 1990 by the Burger Boat Company, the "MIDNIGHT" was custom built for this owner and is a very unique vessel. The hull is a C. Raymond Hunt deep-V design, giving an excellent ride and good seakeeping qualities. The hull is constructed of balsa cored
GRP, and the superstructure and swim platform extension of aluminum.

Although it has classic styling, looking very much the part of a commuter yacht, it is a performance yacht that cruises at 33 knots, with twin V-12 MAN diesels producing 1000 hp each, driven through Arneson Drives, which are high tech outdrive units. The yacht has minimal accommodations, it was designed and is used for day trips and dinners aboard.

Forward is a crew cabin with two bunk berths and head with shower. The galley is next aft. You go up two steps to the large dining room. From the dining room you go down steps to the aft cabin which has two single beds and head with shower.

The engine room is aft and is accessed from the aft stateroom or the aft deck. The owners never have stayed aboard overnight, and probably never will. From the dining room you go up two steps to the partially enclosed pilothouse. Aft of the pilothouse there is a large seating area and swim platform with tender. The yacht has teak decks and traditional woodwork with a black hull.

MIDNIGHT has proven herself over the past ten years to be well suited for the owner’s use. Itinerary MIDNIGHT is in use from April 15 – November 15 and is based in a marina in Greenwich, Connecticut. The spring and fall are spent in Greenwich, Connecticut, where the yacht is used mostly for dinner parties aboard, and the occasional lunch trip.
Summers are spent in Seal Harbor, Maine, where the owner has a summer estate.
This is where the yacht sees most of its use, with daily lunch trips, and use almost
every night for several activities which will be explained more in depth later.

The yacht is located in Greenwich, CT from mid-April to late June, and after the summer spent in Maine, from mid-September to mid-November. During these periods while the yacht is based in Connecticut, it is used primarily for dinner parties aboard, ranging in size from two guests to twelve. The daily routine is to find out in the morning what is going on for that night, and then the chef shops and preps.

We may be based in Manhattan for an overnight or a couple of nights; we may get the yacht underway from the dock and have a cocktail cruise before dinner; we may take the yacht on a short trip of about 30-45 minutes,anchor, have dinner, and return to our dock; or maybe just have dinner right there dockside.

Because the captain and the chef are the only crew, it is important that they are both flexible in duties, such as handling docklines when getting underway and docking, helping out with servicing the needs of the guests if they need a cocktail and something along that line. During dinner, the captain is the server, setting the table before the dinner, serving and clearing the table between courses, and helping the chef in the galley however he can. We are generally on call 6 days a week while in Connecticut and in the past we have averaged about 4-5 dinner parties a week.

On occasion when it has been a bit slow in terms of dinner parties, the Captain may ask the Chef to help out with cleaning and maintenance of the yacht. Otherwise, the Chef is responsible for shopping and preparing meals for the yacht owner, keeping the yacht stocked and ready in case of short notice calls, and keeping the galley clean. When the yacht is in Greenwich there is a total of two crew, Captain and Chef.

From late June, till about mid-September, the yacht and its owner go to Downeast Maine for the summer, to stay at the owner's summer residence there. In Maine an additional crewmember is hired for the summer season. This crewmember functions as a Stewardess/Deckhand. In Maine, the Captain and the Stewardess live on board the yacht and the Chef lives in staff housing on the estate. The Chef's job changes a bit as well. During the summer months the Chef has a Chef’s Assistant, whose responsibilities include but are not limited to serving dinners, and helping the chef with whatever is needed.

The owner uses the summer estate all summer as a retreat for himself, with many guests coming and going on a changing schedule. During the 10 weeks in Maine, there are no full days off; we are on call 7 days a week. Nights off are when the boss decides that he and/or his guests will dine out that evening. This daily plan is usually made in the morning; and either the boss or the estate manager will pass on the plans to the Captain. They will let us know where dinner will be (in the house, on the boat, a nighttime picnic, or if they are will be out for dinner) and how many guests are expected. Flexibility, good planning, and adaptability are essential, for plans have and will change from time to time. Nighttime picnic on a deserted island is a major activity. This is the most labor-intensive operation of all the things we do, because of the prep before hand and the cleanup afterwards.

Generally, we load up coolers with food and drink, firewood, small propane grills, lanterns, and other stuff into a dinghy, and load that aboard the yacht. Then we take the yacht out to a deserted island, take the dinghy ashore, unload all the gear, and set up camp.

While the chef gets dinner underway, 4 –20 guests are shuttled ashore, when dinner is ready they are served by the other 4 or 5 staff along to help, then we serve dessert, pack everything up, load the boats back up, and go home.

We are generally alongside our dock again by about 11 p.m., then the next morning we clean up all the equipment and gear, getting it ready for the next picnic. We do on average about 1 picnic like this a week.

1) Short afternoon sightseeing trips;

2) Dinner cruises with dinner onboard;

3) Take guests by yacht to restaurant with drinks and hors d’ouvres on board;

4) Dinner picnics.

In Maine the Captain is responsible for the maintenance and operation of two 22’ Boston Whalers, a 40’ International One Design racing sailboat and other assorted small boats.
In Maine the boats are all docked at the owner’s home.

From November 15 – April 15 the yacht is taken out of service and stored in a shed at a Connecticut shipyard. The Captain remains on the payroll during this period and is responsible for scheduling and participating in the yacht’s annual maintenance work.
The Captain schedules his own off time during the winter. Year-round the Captain is responsiblefor all maintenance on board and hands on ability is needed.

Major equipment or engine repairs are done by factory mechanics. Every four years the yacht receives a complete Algrip paint job. The Captain does all of the varnishing.

For the past 5 winters the yacht has gone into a boatyard in Stamford, Connecticut for winter storage; as of this date the plans for the upcoming winter are in the air, because the yacht is due for a complete paint job.

Qualifications of the successful applicant Previous Captain’s experience is not necessary. The most important qualities are intelligence, high motivation level, flexibility, excellent seamanship and good physical condition. Non-smokers only.

The Captain candidate will be hired Immediately and come on board MIDNIGHT as the mate to receive training from the current Captain.

In the fall, the current Captain who has been with the owner for ten years will leave. At this time the Captain in training will become the yacht’s Captain. The candidate must have good seamanship, navigation and aintenance experience. This yacht is often operated at night in Downeast Maine, where navigating indense fog is often the norm. The Captain must be well practiced in coastal navigation, especially using radar on the fly, as the area can be very challenging.

12-month employment

U.S. Citizen

Drug and background check required

No uniforms

Captain feeds himself

Captain may live on yacht when it is in service; any shore accommodations are at Captain’s expense.

Salary – to be discussed: During the past 20 years the owner has had two Captains; each for ten years. The current Captain was hired by the owner as a mate when he was 23 years old. He became the Captain a year later and has been the Captain for the past ten years. The current Captain is leaving to relocate closer to his family. This is an excellent job.