Alene Keenan

Alene Keenan has been a megayacht stew for more than 20 years. She teaches at MPT in Ft. Lauderdale and offers interior crew training through her company, Yacht Stew Solutions (www.yachtstewsolutions.com). Download her book, The Yacht Service Bible: The Service Manual for Every Yacht, on her site or amazon.com.

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About Alene Keenan

Alene Keenan is a veteran chief stew, interior training instructor/consultant, and author of The Yacht Guru’s Bible: The Service Manual for Every Yacht.

Stew Cues: Handling costly, fragile crystal can be terrifying

Stew Cues: by Alene Keenan I recently helped outfit a yacht with glassware. The owners found a beautiful set of antique cobalt blue Baccarat glasses. Service for 12 included 84…

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Stew Cues: Serving cigars takes some know-how

Stew Cues: by Alene Keenan As a nonsmoker, cigar service onboard seemed intimidating to me at first. I’ve found crumbly, dried up cigars in some humidors, while other boats have…

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Write to Be Heard: Troubling rape verdict raises awareness

By Alene Keenan I would like to comment regarding last month’s article about the rape lawsuit on M/Y Endless Summer. I think that most people have great compassion for the…

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Stew Cues: Wood finishes need special care

Stew Cues: by Alene Keenan Wooden boats have been around for thousands of years, and the characteristics of traditional woods have stood the test of time. Teak, oak, cherry, walnut,…

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R-E-S-P-E-C-T: No crew can succeed without it

Stew Cues: by Alene Keenan Yachting is a microcosm of society with an interesting twist. Catering to some of the richest and most powerful people in the world, crew are…

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Stew Cues: Whiskey has style, and exciting heritage to match

Stew Cues: by Alene Keenan Basic knowledge of spirit classifications is important for drink service. When a guest orders a whiskey drink, we need to establish whether they want an…

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Stew Cues: Proper care of leather shoes, bags pays off with longer wear

Stew Cues: by Alene Keenan The cool spell we’ve been having makes me nostalgic for fall clothing and boots, and the smell of leather polish. I love that smell. I collected…

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Stew Cues: A primer on pairing wines with food

Stew Cues: by Alene Keenan Wine knowledge is important to stews, and so is wine and food pairing. The goal of a successful pairing is to ensure that the flavors…

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Stew Cues: Lists save time, track progress and clarify tasks

By Alene Keenan I love lists. I grew up with eight brothers and sisters. There was lots of activity at my house, and I liked things tidy. I organized cleaning…

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Stew Cues: Rosé revolution shatters wine’s sweet summer rap

Stew Cues: by Alene Keenan Standing in line at the supermarket the other day, I overheard a conversation about rosé wine. I had to bite my tongue to keep from…

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