Inside the Secret World of Superyachts with Ellen Butler (Super Yachts)

Ellen Butler’s story begins on the Coromandel Peninsula, where a childhood filled with surf lifesaving, sport, and community shaped the social, confident foundation she would later take into the world of superyachts.

In this episode, Ellen traces her winding path from “top end of average” student to flight-attendant hopeful, to au pair in Sydney and France, and finally to a 90-metre Russian-owned superyacht that would launch a seven-and-a-half-year global career. She explains the realities behind the glossy Instagram version of yachting: intense service standards, 12–14 hour days, owners who may never speak to you, the pressure of living at work, and the moments of magic that still take your breath away. Along the way, she breaks down pay, training, safety, seasickness, and why personality - not just qualifications - opens doors.

Now back home, Ellen teaches at the New Zealand Superyacht Academy and co-runs Coromandel Weddings, translating seven-star service into unforgettable events. Her biggest message for young people? You don’t need to have life figured out at eighteen. Yachting can be a six-month adventure or a full career - what matters is going in prepared, aware, and confident in your own skills. This conversation is an honest, warm, and rare window into an industry many Kiwi teens dream about but few truly understand.

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