“The Purser? Isn’t that just for big yachts? Usually a girl, right? Basically the chief stew or the captain’s PA? Doesn’t she just book crew flights? She’s interior crew … isn’t she?”

I’ve heard these assumptions more times than I can count, both from shoreside professionals and those working on board. The truth is, the purser is one of the most misunderstood and underrated roles in yachting – both during a yacht’s operation and even more so in its build phase.

For most positions on board, the hierarchy is clear: captain, heads of department (HODs) and the teams beneath them. But the purser occupies a unique space – neither fully part of any one department nor easily defined. They operate outside formal boundaries, acting as the crucial link between crew, management and ownership.

And while many believe pursers are only reserved for the largest yachts with the cabin space, every yacht benefits from having one – especially during the build stage. A purser establishes operational and financial systems, supports the HODs, manages crew on boarding and balances operational efficiency with crew wellbeing.

A skilled purser sets the tone for the entire yacht, ideally from day one of the build. The goal? Deliver a vessel that runs seamlessly, staffed by a motivated, cohesive crew ready to operate at peak performance. Starting early saves time, money and stress, positively impacting crew retention, operational smoothness and, ultimately, the owner’s enjoyment. As the saying goes: “Happy crew, happy owner.”

I began my yachting career shoreside, working in sales for a large yachting company – a sector still largely male-dominated. As sales Central Agency manager, I handled everything from collating technical specifications and creating yacht marketing materials to preparing legal documents for closing meetings. Little did I know then how valuable these skills would become during yacht builds.

Emily Beck

Frustrated by the industry’s hesitance to support a woman into a pure sales broking role (a simple Google search demonstrates this hasn't changed) – and at a pivotal point in my own journey – I decided to leap from shore to ship. Everyone thought I was mad: “But crew spend their whole careers trying to come ashore … why would you go the other way?” I’m so glad I ignored them. That transition – from shoreside to on board and later back ashore – gave me a perspective few others have.

After a couple of seasons on sailboats, I was offered my first purser role. Suddenly, I was juggling a thousand moving parts – crew and guest logistics, finances, complex paperwork for remote destinations, and the endless challenges that come with life at sea. I travelled across the Caribbean, French Polynesia, South America, Costa Rica, Mexico, Norway and the Mediterranean. Over three years, I managed owner trips, charters, warranty periods, dry dockings, crew issues and navigated mountains of administration brought on by Brexit and Covid.

But it was in the new-build sector that my career truly transformed.

I joined my next yacht during the final year of construction – an intense, high-pressure period. I was responsible for on-boarding over 90 crew members, more than 60 of whom were housed ashore for six months. Nothing about it was simple. I was setting up operational and financial systems from scratch, managing complex visa arrangements for a multinational crew, establishing processes for daily living in a small Northern European village, and supporting crew emotionally as they adjusted to life in a shipyard away from home.

The crew is the heartbeat of a yacht and the purser is the backbone of a yacht build.

Working on a build is unlike working on an operational yacht. It’s not just a different role – it’s a different world. You’re creating systems that don’t yet exist, preparing a vessel and crew for life at sea before it has even touched water. It taught me adaptability, patience and the importance of seeing beyond steel, glass and engineering. A yacht is nothing without its crew and they need to feel valued.

Then came another turning point. After the build launched and the yacht completed its first operational year – a whirlwind of sea miles covered and guest trips completed – I discovered I was pregnant. The management company’s response was blunt: I would probably need to leave immediately. I pushed back. Pregnancy is neither an illness nor a disability, and I knew I could continue working. After negotiation, I stayed until six months, when MLC regulations no longer covered me.

I finished with an incredible send-off from an amazing crew, but the experience highlighted a stark reality: this is a challenge that men in the industry rarely face and one that women in most other sectors are spared. Where do I go from here? What does this mean for everything I’ve built – the hard work, the dedication, the growth, the experience? Returning ashore felt abrupt and disorienting – without even factoring in a newborn, who, frankly, felt like an extremely unpredictable permanent charter guest!

Leaning on my shoreside experience in yacht sales and my on-board knowledge with new builds, warranties and yard periods, I realised my passion: supporting yachts during their build phases; setting up systems, nurturing crew and shaping the foundation of the yacht’s culture. This aspect of a yacht is not usually at the forefront or focus during a build and is often left until the last minute with more pressing technical or aesthetic issues taking precedence.

However, a yacht’s success isn’t just about technical systems or engineering – it’s about people, processes, and culture. A truly successful handover –
a seamless, turnkey delivery – relies on operational systems that work from day one, a solid financial framework and a professional, well-supported crew aligned with the owner’s vision. And this is where the purser quietly shapes success. Correctly done, the role goes far beyond accounts and travel bookings; it lays the foundation for the yacht’s entire operational life.

The crew is the heartbeat of a yacht and the purser is the backbone of a yacht build. 

www.thebuildpurser.com

This article first appeared in The Superyacht Report – Owners Focus. With our open-source policy, it is available to all by following this link, so read and download the latest issue and any of our previous issues in our library.

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