ONBOARD Magazine spring 2024

THE LONG HAUL
Nadia Kolesnyki talks to Frances and Michael Howorth about
life as Chief Stewardess aboard the charter yacht Azzura
What made you join the superyacht industry?
I was curious and having been born inland so far
from the sea, I yearned for the sea. I was eager to be
financially independent and the exotic lifestyle that
superyachts offered appealed to me.
What was your first yacht and when did you join her?
The 28 metre sailing yacht Patio. I thought she was huge!
Now I know better. I was the sole stewardess on board
and working very hard. It was a huge challenge for me,
and I wasn’t particularly confident given my language.
No one spoke Ukrainian on board that yacht so I was in a
sort of vacuum and had to teach myself English.
How did you manage to succeed?
I decided to enter a table decoration competition. I
was worried that I was going to be judged against so
many others who were way better than me but I just
said to myself you can do it and got on with my entry.
Wonderfully I won! I did not expect that at all.
How long have you been aboard your current yacht?
This is my eighth season in yachting but only my second
yacht. I have been on board Azzura for six years. My
fiancé was the first officer here and he started as a
deckhand. Sadly, he has now left Azzura to join another
yacht. I started working here as a junior stewardess and
I am now Chief Stewardess. The owner likes me and
always comments about my table settings, and I think I
was chosen because of my confidence and my ability to
enter things like the competition. It’s actually great fun
now and I guess a great advertisement for the yacht and
the rest of the crew too.
What do you most like about your current job?
I like the unique experiences this family offers. I love
travel, the people and the chartering. We have a great
crew on board. It’s tiring work but it’s worth it. What I
don’t like is the lack of time off and the ability to go home
as often as I like but I guess that’s the way it is
in superyachts.
If you could recommend a Mediterranean service to
another Stew what would it be?
Catalano Shipping with offices in Monaco, Nice, Cannes,
St Tropez and Toulon are wonderful yacht chandlers
and both Liquid Yacht Wear and Dolphin Wear are great
uniform suppliers. When I need it, they supply it without
any fuss.
Where do you live when you are not on board?
I live in Bodrum and so does my fiancé. We love it there
and go back home as often as we are able to.
What’s the most curious request you have received from
a guest onboard?
I was once asked for a plate of peeled ginger and carrot.
I was amazed to watch it being eaten raw completely
without any further adornment.
What is the most funny superyacht experience you
can recall?
I do remember one embarrassing incident. I don’t speak
Italian and when I went to buy toothpaste, I instead
bought denture glue. The guests saw the funny side.
Then there was the occasion I washed €800 while doing
the laundry and got accused by the rest of my crew of
getting involved in the business of money laundering.
What advice would you give to someone thinking of
working as a stew on a yacht?
Never be afraid to take a challenge. Always push
yourself and find the courage to get where you want to
be. But always remember be yourself and do not try to
be someone you are not or do things you cannot do, do
not be afraid to ask for help or advice.
What makes a good stew?
The job for interior crew offers a huge challenge but
I’m very proud of myself I push myself to make myself
better and it’s something I will always aspire to do. It is
an ideal that I try and inspire my own interior crew to
also follow.
38 | SPRING 2024 | ONBOARD