July 8, 2021 - Digital nomad Cyndie Burkhardt reveals what life is like as a Yacht Week host for a week. 

Some experiences are too good to pass up and whether you have fun or live to regret it, you go along for the ride just for the kick of saying you did it.

When something falls out of left field and I know I just have to say “yes,” I follow my gut. It’s all about the journey, right? Want to be a yacht host for Yacht Week in Croatia? Main responsibilities: prepare, cook, and serve meals for 12 people; manage the galley and the food supply; clean the heads. Below Deck has nothing on this gig…

Everyone comes together in the galley—it’s the workspace for hosts and the café for guests. All photos ©2021, Cyndie Burkhardt.

Port of departure: Trogir

Saturday was the start of Week 23, as The Yacht Week group calls this particular week in its summer sailing season. Fifty boats with ten guests each (plus hosts and skippers) comprise its biggest flotilla of the year. I fell into a job as a yacht host and found myself in an alternate reality from my previous week with Croatia’s elite sport—I went from guest to staff in a single day. My work began at the marina, including provisioning the boat, unloading food and liquor packages, inspecting inventory, and greeting my “crew,” as guests were called.

Breakfast. All photos ©2021, Cyndie Burkhardt.

The job

People who apply for these jobs typically pay €1,000 to attend a 3-week training academy. I filled out a brief application, attended a free 1-day training, and received my assignment. The only extra effort on my part was to complete an online food safety course for a required certificate. The pay was laughable given the amount of work but hey, it was change in my pocket and maybe the gig would lead to something else.

At first, I was excited and then I grew anxious. What if the guests didn’t like my food? Or me? What if they were demanding, or obnoxious? I received a set menu with recipes for lunch and dinner but I needed to come up with my own breakfast. Sometimes I make quick egg dishes at home—like scrambled or hardboiled—but the company suggested shakshuka (huh?), frittata, Benedict, fried, poached, pancakes, muffins, and more. I had no clue how to make those from scratch and I started stressing about BREAKFAST! 

Destination: Vis

Guests got their drink on first thing in the morning—Karlovačko, tequila shots, Hennessy, champagne, Red Bull, vodka, and more. They were content to party on the boat all day rather than explore the towns or the islands. Why travel all this way from home and never leave the dock? It seemed a waste to miss so much of what Croatia has to offer. But it wasn’t that kind of trip...

Sunset at Fort George, Vis Island. All photos ©2021, Cyndie Burkhardt.

When nighttime came however, guests went to a DJ/dance party at Fort George. I’d heard the sunset views were spectacular up there, but today the party was the main event. It felt like I stepped into a music video—crazy DJs, bodies moving in sync with every rhythm and gesture, the crowd singing each word of each song, and all sorts of outrageous clothing—except this wasn’t choreographed.

Destination: Pakleni Islands

The next day started with a circle raft, which was all the boats joining to form a big swimming circle. Guests lounged on their floaties and swigged from their bottles while a DJ boat blared music. By the time we arrived at Palmižana later that afternoon, I was happy to get off the boat for a break and a shower.

The party’s just starting. All photos ©2021, Cyndie Burkhardt.

By 1am I was in the “grave,” sailors’ jargon for my tiny sleeping quarters at the front of the catamaran. To enter, you open a hatch on deck and hop in, there’s no door. When I found out this was going to be my “room,” claustrophobia kicked in and I did everything I could to stay calm. It was still better than sleeping in the galley.

I had just fallen asleep when one of the guests was above my head shouting and pounding on the deck, “Cyndie, are you awake?” Not really, but now I was. One of the other guests wanted to go to the hospital. Oh boy, this wasn’t a drunk prank or a plea to make hangover food. I rallied to get up, wondering what exactly was going on and what to do. Who to contact first, get the medic, get on a boat to the nearest island with a hospital, was it even open at this hour? So many questions were racing through my head…

The front hatch on a catamaran leads to the “coffin,” a small sleeping bunk. All photos ©2021, Cyndie Burkhardt.

The girl felt ill and was upset. Me, the skipper, and the guest who woke me jumped into action and helped her calm down; then she just wanted to sleep. She’d been partying hard all day in the hot sun, without drinking water, and it caught up with her. 

The “coffin” is named for its size and shape (literally). All photos ©2021, Cyndie Burkhardt.

Destination: Štipanska

The day we hit Štipanska for a barbeque and a party, it was another scene straight out of a music video, only this time I was right in the middle. One of my guests asked if I knew how to twerk. Sure I’ve seen it, but can’t say I knew how to do it. She proceeded to teach me in 10 seconds. Bend over, hands on knees, arch your back, look over your shoulder, shake your butt up and down. Want to take it further? Raise your arm up in the air. It was the most fun I had with my crew and we all shared a good laugh.

The DJ boat is full-powered with speakers and sound. All photos ©2021, Cyndie Burkhardt.

Destination: Brač

Midway through the week, this cooking business was exhausting. The job description was clever marketing: prepare food for a few hours a day, enjoy time with your guests, swim, serve lunch, relax and party in the evening. With hours upon hours of prep, cooking, and endless dishes, I had virtually no down time and little sleep. I started to resent the job as it became clear that there would be no “play” time.

Guests party on floaties and travel between yachts to pick-up friends. All photos ©2021, Cyndie Burkhardt.

At 8pm, the agreed upon dinnertime for this one night, I was ready with salmon, couscous, and tabouleh. The guests were out and started to trickle in after 9pm. It was a chaotic mess and I didn’t finish serving and cleaning up until nearly midnight. I was totally deflated that nobody contacted me about their change of plans or even cared. I crashed in bed, ready for the trip to be over.

Destination: Stari Grad, Hvar

At Stari Grad, we were moored in a bay, with each boat was tied to the next. Guests roamed onboard each other’s yachts to drink and eat while some partied in the water on large floaties. The DJ boat was back and the scene roared on for the entire day and night. I was trapped on the boat to cook, serve, and clean while people got wasted all around me. We never disembarked for the island or saw that side of Hvar.

Carpe Diem Beach is a favorite party spot in the Pakleni Islands. All photos ©2021, Cyndie Burkhardt.

Destination: Trogir

On the last day, I woke up before 6am and tired as I was, I moved nonstop on all the outstanding duties I needed to complete. I liked my guests and it was a little sad to say goodbye after getting to know them for the week, but I was sooo happy to be going home.

My mother asked if I had fun and I replied, “I’m glad I did it, it was a new adventure. I was off the computer for a week, I lived on a yacht, learned some things, and met some nice people. But no, I did not have fun.” I have a funny story and I’m okay to end it there.

Story and photographs ©2021, Cyndie Burkhardt. https://photo-diaries.com

Learn more at TCN’s Digital Nomads channel.

TCN now has a new resource in the Total Croatia Sailing Page. Get answers and information about Croatia’s favorite pastime on the water.

July 7, 2021 - Why is a sailing yacht the best office for digital nomads? Cyndie Burkhardt tells all. 

Many digital nomads enjoy Split’s climate and working with a sea view, which are among the best perks of being here. If beautiful blue water, fresh air, and sunshine are your thing, you can satisfy your inner nature-lover while working ON the sea, with the right yacht and the right skipper.

I grew up by the beach and I love being in, on, and near the water. When friends invited me to join their week-long yachting vacation I didn’t hesitate to say yes. It’s been a goal of mine to experience this beloved Croatian pastime and pre-season was an ideal time of year—not too hot and not too many tourists. We were going to sail around the islands and our sights were set on Vis, Brač, Hvar, and others. Was it warm enough to pack a bathing suit? Check.

This is why you yield to the Croatian wind, it makes trees literally grow parallel to the earth. All photos ©2021, Cyndie Burkhardt.

The ideal remote work

I was a little concerned about getting behind on work because I wanted to relax on the trip without being tethered to a device. I found out there was reliable Wi-Fi onboard and I could login anytime and check my business. Thankfully, that turned out to be true and I never had an issue getting online when I needed to follow-up on a project or check-in for a Zoom meeting. Once I tested the connectivity I relaxed—I’d be able to work and play this week. My vacation wasn’t a digital nomad charter, but it was a good opportunity to see how hard or easy it would be to work when sailing.

Morning view from my cabin, somewhere in the Adriatic Sea. All photos ©2021, Cyndie Burkhardt.

Our yacht was a Lagoon 40 and with the four of us plus the skipper and his wife the space was comfortable enough, although I’ll never get used to cooking in such a compact kitchen. Good thing I have experience with a shoe-box size NYC apartment, it was practically the same thing, although the yacht had much more room to move about than my place back home.

Born on the water

Our skipper, Danijel Razi, was game to hit the islands we mentioned but he hesitated a few times when we asked about the itinerary. Vis today? Maybe later, he replied. I noticed that he kept looking up at this little pointer thing on top of the main sail (a wind vane). He watched the weather and the wind and every nautical detail with his eyes and his instincts, but he didn’t really watch the fancy equipment. His main concern was the viability of the trip and safety. I was curious, what did this guy know and how did he know it?

An homage to the Beatles and Yellow Submarine; public art on Šolta. All photos ©2021, Cyndie Burkhardt.

It turns out Danijel was born in Viganj, a very windy village on Pelješac that’s a popular sailing destination. Viganj is part of Orebić county, a former maritime center known historically for traditional sailing and navigating, where all the men go out to sea. These guys have lived on the water for centuries before marine electronic systems were invented—working on commercial boats, trading goods, and traveling the world. Danijel comes from a long line of sailors, including his grandfather and earlier generations, and he inherited their skills and their lifestyle. Sailing is in his blood and he clearly loves it.

A typical bay and a small village could be any Croatian island; where there’s water there are boats. All photos ©2021, Cyndie Burkhardt.

Fun fact

Viganj is the second most famous windsurfing location in Croatia, after Bol.

The sound of full sails blowing in the wind and the feeling of gliding across the water makes you want to sit quietly and fully experience it. All photos ©2021, Cyndie Burkhardt.

Sailing to the island destinations we hoped for, including some bays for swimming, was amazing and there was only one day when the Bura wind adjusted our plans. Skipper Danijel followed nature’s direction and everything worked out. I got in my first swim of the season, which was a tad bit cool but so refreshing.

We’re here and we know

If I do this again, and I hope I do, I learned that a little research can help you get the trip you expect and avoid getting hit with unexpected costs and disappointment.

Danijel preparing to tie up at a mooring buoy. All photos ©2021, Cyndie Burkhardt.

So who are the best skippers and hosts? Without a local presence, charter companies are missing things that people would appreciate knowing. Booking a boat is not like a hotel room—there are lots of details to know about each yacht, itinerary, and destination. Danijel and his crew are based in Croatia. For more info on things you need to check, go here.

A beach near the Franciscan Monastery and Church of St. Mary of Grace, Hvar. All photos ©2021, Cyndie Burkhardt.

When to go

As far as I’m concerned, any day on the water is a great day. For digital nomads who are in Croatia year-round, I suggest that you consider traveling before and after peak season—April to June and September to November. Prices are lower, destinations are less crowded, you can see the islands better, and service is more attentive with fewer tourists. If you can only go during the summer, just do it!

A quiet street in Vis. All photos ©2021, Cyndie Burkhardt.

For thrill-seekers who want something a little different, regattas in Croatia are underrated. It’s possible to join one just to sit on a boat as a counterbalance when a team needs extra weight. How cool is that? Danijel collaborates with some of the teams and I’m already on his list to be notified when my bum is needed, haha. You can be too, contact him by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Danijel confirming our mooring buoy. All photos ©2021, Cyndie Burkhardt.

Learn more about Danijel’s yacht charters and catamarans, including trips to Greece.

Story and photographs ©2021, Cyndie Burkhardt. https://photo-diaries.com

Learn more at TCN’s Digital Nomads channel.

TCN now has a new resource in Total Croatia Sailing Page. Get answers and information about Croatia’s favorite pastime on the water.