Catering for 140 at Sea – Insights from a Chief Steward

OffshoreCrew recently visited the offshore service vessel Skandi Africa, a 160-metre vessel awarded Ship of the Year 2015 by the Nordic shipping magazine Skipsrevyen. Employees from the Kristiansand office were invited onboard for a guided tour hosted by Captain Ketil Morgan Karlsen, providing insight into daily operations on a modern offshore vessel.

A key part of the visit was meeting Espen André Rasmussen, Chief Steward onboard Skandi Africa. Rasmussen has served on the vessel for four years and has more than 15 years of experience within the DOF fleet. With accommodation for up to 140 people and international operations, catering is a critical support function that requires structure, experience, and flexibility.

Rasmussen leads a catering team of fourteen, including four chefs, and works closely with apprentices. He highlights both competence development and recruitment as important focus areas:

“Having apprentices onboard is a real asset. They show strong motivation to learn and are an important part of building future competence in the field. There has been a significant competence boost in offshore catering in recent years, and most new entrants today have formal education from catering colleges.”

Operating globally presents substantial logistical challenges. The catering department aims to maintain provisions for up to six months at any given time, despite major variations in availability, pricing, and infrastructure across regions. Careful planning is required to manage storage limitations and ensure consistent quality.

In addition, the catering operation must be adapted to a changing crew composition as the vessel operates in different parts of the world. Cultural preferences and religious requirements are taken into account to ensure that meals support a good working environment onboard.

“When we operate internationally, access to raw materials can vary significantly, and we also have to adapt the food to different cultures and religious considerations,” Rasmussen explains.

During the visit, we also met young engineers Remi Ekerhovd and Vegard Langeland, who shared their perspectives on why they chose a career at sea and what motivates them in their roles onboard Skandi Africa. You can read more about their journey and experiences in a separate article here.

OffshoreCrew would like to thank the crew of Skandi Africa—and in particular Espen André Rasmussen and Captain Ketil Morgan Karlsen—for sharing their experience and providing valuable insight into life and work onboard a large offshore vessel.

Published 9.02.2026

This article has been edited with the assistance of AI and finalized, reviewed, and approved by human editors.