As a yacht stewardess, you will experience many different yard periods. In this blog post, I share 6 ways to maximize your time in the yard.

1. Prioritize
Prioritizing is the process of determining what is most important. While you may be tempted to make everything a "high" or "urgent" priority at first glance, be cautious. If everything is urgent, then everything loses its urgency. If everything is necessary, then nothing is most important.

I create my project list using my MKSB repair log, shipyard templates, and guides. The templates are available here.

High-Vital: These are projects that are critically important to complete. Not completing them in this yard period may have significant consequences (e.g., a toilet not working or an interior leak).

Medium-Important: While these tasks are certainly important and should get done, there may be little consequence if they slip by (e.g., professionally polishing the marble tops). If you can get to these tasks, you are likely operating in a productive state. 

Low-Optional: These activities are "nice to haves" or may be related to projects with deadlines far off into the future (e.g., replacing crew mattresses and sheets).

2. Negotiate
You will often be responsible for finding contractors to ensure all interior projects get done. If you don't have many contractors' contacts that you can vouch for, I suggest you always ask the Captain or First Officer if they have someone specific they would like to use for "XY" projects or ask friends what company they have used in the past and why they recommend it. 

Once you have the contacts of all potential contractors, it is time to negotiate. One of your primary duties is to protect the owner and vessel's assets, in this case, money; negotiating prices is crucial. Remember, these companies inflate the costs because it's a yacht.

I am well known for having outstanding negotiating skills. For example, I have gotten quotes for 50% less without reducing quality. Tip: look for contractors looking to gain long-term clients, not just a one-time project.

3. Clean Daily
Let's face it: Shipyards are dirty, and dirt inevitably sneaks into the interior more often than you would like. That's why ensuring your daily housekeeping routine includes an overall interior clean-up will save you time. I don't know about you, but I believe in working smart and efficiently. Vacuuming and wiping all interior spaces twice daily (am and pm), especially all the entrances/hallways will save you time when the shipyard ends, and the vessel's interior is back together for the season.

4. Oversee Contractors
As a stewardess, especially if you are a Chief Stew, one of your primary duties is looking out for the vessel's assets. During the yard, many contractors will likely work on different maintenance projects. You are responsible for overseeing them to ensure they have everything they need to cover areas so nothing gets damaged and that they do the job required on time. Click here to join the YM WhatsApp group for advice on which contractors to hire.

5. Training/Team building
The yard is a great time to review what went right during the season and what needs improvement. Once you know what needs improvement, you can set aside at least one day of the week to train in these areas. I also invite you to take time to do team-building exercises and implement a menstrual rest onboard.

Team building will help you and your team stay motivated and create a strong bond. Join me inside the YM Self-Leadership, where I will teach you how to enhance your communication and leadership skills to build an A-team. Click here to learn more.

Implementing a Menstrual Rest Onboard will increase your team's performance and productivity. When you honor your natural cycles and rhythms as a woman, you can easily create a work-life balance, enhancing your work performance. Click here to get my Menstrual Rest Guide to get you started!

6. Take Leave
A shipyard period is one of the best times to take that well-deserved vacation. In my experience, when time is of the essence, and you need to give your team time off as much as you need them on board, ensure their time overlaps (someone is always coming when another one is going).

This period is also an excellent opportunity to pay it forward by allowing the green crew to jump onboard to help achieve the yard goals while your team is on vacation.

I hope these six tips help you maximize your yard time as much as they have done for me. Remember that time spent in the shipyard is a great way to learn new facets of the job and improve those that need extra TLC.