THE PURSER DESK

Quiz Questions

• 1.
  How would you describe your current yacht admin setup?

  • A.
    Seamless. Everything has a place — and everything actually stays there.
  • B.
    Mostly under control, though there’s a folder named “MAYBE FINAL” that keeps me awake at night.
  • C.
    Manageable, but it relies heavily on me remembering 47 things at once.
  • D.
    Let’s just say… if admin were a regatta, I’d be bailing water mid-race.
• 2.
  Crew onboarding — how does it go?

  • A.
    Digital forms, pre-arrival checklists, and zero panic. Smooth sailing.
  • B.
    It works, but I’m always one WhatsApp away from a missing document.
  • C.
    We get there, but it’s more ‘hunt and hope’ than ‘streamlined system’.
  • D.
    Controlled chaos. Organisation is more of a concept than a practice.
• 3.
  Let’s talk expenses. How’s your receipts and invoicing game?

  • A.
    Logged, labelled, uploaded, and reconciled before the coffee’s cold.
  • B.
    Mostly tidy, but chasing receipts is a weekly sport.
  • C.
    I have a system, but it involves a shoebox and a prayer.
  • D.
    I’ll answer this after I find that missing receipt from St. Barths.
• 4.
  When it comes to documentation (Crew lists, certificates, port clearances, etc)…

  • A.
    Up-to-date, well-formatted, and easy to access.
  • B.
    Mostly there, but some things take a bit of digging.
  • C.
    It varies — a few near-misses, a few panicked moments.
  • D.
    We’re flying by the seat of our spreadsheet.
• 5.
  Be honest — how’s your workload feeling lately?

  • A.
    Manageable. I’ve found the sweet spot between precision and sanity.
  • B.
    Busy, but doable… with an extra set of hands, I’d actually breathe.
  • C.
    Overloaded. I’m efficient, but there’s simply too much for one person.
  • D.
    I’ve googled “Can you clone a Purser?” more than once.
• 6.
  SOPs, checklists, templates — love them or loathe them?

  • A.
    My SOPs are things of beauty.
  • B.
    I’ve got templates, though I tweak them every time.
  • C.
    I have intentions of writing them… one day.
  • D.
    SOPs? I prefer improvisation.
• 7.
  Ok, 1 more question promise - What happens when your current purser takes time off?

  • A.
    There’s a clear handover and nothing skips a beat.
  • B.
    We manage — but it’s a bit of a scramble.
  • C.
    We usually realise too late how much they do.
  • D.
    Purser? What Purser?! If only we had one.

Quiz Outcomes

• 1.
  The Smooth Operator
• 2.
  The Almost Automated
• 3.
  The Balanced Strategist
• 4.
  Grace Under Fire