Holly is the editor of Dockwalk. She grew up racing sailboats in England before switching to the world of superyachts and moving across the pond to Fort Lauderdale.
Armed with an iPhone and a passion for life at sea, crew around the world are taking to social media to offer a glimpse into their glamourous (and often not so glamourous) lives on board. From tips on how to land your first job to travel inspiration and exquisite plates prepped by the best chefs in the business, here are the accounts you need to follow for your daily dose of yachting inspiration...
Hugo Ortega | @superyachtsundayschool
Attracting and inspiring others into the industry is Hugo Ortega at the helm of the @superyachtsundayschool. With nine years of experience under his belt and working his way up to captain, he turns his hand to help others break in and learn how to work on board successfully. Hugo shares the industry’s good, bad and ugly for real-life insight into yachting and tips and tricks for making it in this crazy world. He also offers free training resources and a competitively priced course to take it further.
Emery Wallerich | @emerywallerich
As a deck/stew on board, Emery began sharing her yachtie journey, which led to her going viral on TikTok. From relatable and funny reels to posts unveiling secrets about how to get into the industry, That Yachtie Girl keeps it real with behind-the-scenes footage such as cleaning an anchor locker and fun time off in tropical locations. Follow along with her many other followers, including her supportive captain and owner who are in favor of her growing this online community.
Louis Forsyth, Joshua Oliver and Selena Garrahan | @lostandfound.crew
Social media is all about connecting people, which Louis, Joshua and Selena excel at with this account. Launched for crew by crew, it features tips, advice, meetups and crew-only events. Yachting is a world that spans borders, so the trio direct followers to their Crew Mess Discord community, connecting yachties from all over the world. Follow for lots of positive content and the chance to get involved with their meetups.
Dean Harrison | @theyachtchef
Hailing from yachting’s most Instagram-famous charter yacht Loon , head chef Dean Harrison has been in the industry for 14 years — and his long-standing account is a must-follow. It’s not only inspirational for the culinary delights he rustles up but it’s also served with a side of yachting lifestyle, including epic drone shots and creative reels. From favorite morning coffee spots to galley tips and tricks and how to make the perfect sourdough, the content is as varied as his menus. Dean’s skills are being used in a new TV program about yacht chefs this year — watch this space!
Gemma Hulbert | @theyachtstew
Gemma Hulbert started The Yacht Stew Instagram as a way to connect with fellow stews across the world while she was a stewardess working on a yacht cruising the west coast of Canada. The Yacht Stew sheds light on the world of a stew with tips and recommendations for everything from travel to laundry and wine. What started out as a simple pastime has now evolved into a blog and a podcast packed with even more stew tips and tricks. Hulbert went on to found the LUXM Yachting Group to offers bespoke, online training packages for interior crew.
Nina Wilson | @thecrewchef
Dockwalk's favorite food columnist has been both a stewardess and a deckhand but is most comfortable in chefs' whites cooking up a storm in the galley. After turning her passion for cooking into a full-time career, she scored a job as sous chef on M/Y Hasna and began sharing her creations on Instagram. Now the rotational head chef on Loon, her Instagram account is filled with inspiration from fresh family-style platters to highly detailed dinner plates. If you want inspiration and to try your hand at her signature dishes, she has recently teamed up with @mymuybuenochefs on a Superyacht Chef Cookery course. Over on her YouTube channel , her warm personality shines through her chef POV charter videos.
Captain Kelly | @captain_kellyjgordon
From chemistry teacher to Captain, Kelly Gordon has become an important industry role model. She brings educational resources, tips, and advice to all yacht crew across her channels with posts such as 'fact or fiction' and snippets from her 'Captain's classroom.' Gordon highlights those all-important topics, from mental health and insurance to leadership advice and dating onboard. As well as social streaming, Gordon appears at various industry events for panel discussions. Aside from 'DM'ing' her, crew can also call upon her advice in our 'Ask Kelly' Q&A column.
Madison Brauer | @madisonjay_
Having put in a seven-year stint in yachting, chief stew Madison Brauer leveraged her social following to build her empire. Madison launched an online course and community for stews wanting to land their first yacht job. She shares her story and draws from first-hand experiences and knowledge. Coming from a passion for helping, she hosts free masterclasses and posts tons of information about the industry, course recommendations, and interview tips for aspiring crew. It isn’t just resourceful; she mixes up the informative with funny, light-hearted stew-related memes.