You count the safe on the last day of the month. The float should hold EUR 1,157.65 in cash. You count EUR 1,150.65. Seven euros are missing. It is late, you are tired, and nobody would ever notice seven euros. What you do in the next five minutes tells you everything about the kind of professional you are.
Investigating a Discrepancy
Expected cash: float 3,000.00 − receipts 1,842.35 = 1,157.65. Counted: 1,150.65. Shortfall: EUR 7.00.
Work the causes in order of likelihood, not in order of drama:
| Cause | Typical signature | Check |
|---|---|---|
| Arithmetic or keying error | Amount is a transposition (e.g. 7.00, 9.00, 90.00) | Re-add the cash book by hand |
| A receipt not yet entered | Cash gone, paperwork in a pocket | Search pockets, bags, other crew |
| Rounding on a currency exchange | Small, recurring | Re-check the FX slip and effective rate |
| A tip or delivery fee added at the door | Cash paid exceeds receipt face value | Ask the crew member who paid |
| Cash advanced and not logged | A slip was never written | Check the advance slips |
| Misappropriation | Pattern, not a one-off | Escalate; do not investigate alone |
Fix the process, report the number. A discrepancy is reported, never absorbed — do not put your own EUR 7.00 in the tin to make it balance. That is falsifying a record, even when the motive is good.
The Monthly Close
- Cut off spend on the agreed date; late receipts go to next month with a note.
- Count cash with a witness; reconcile every card line; clear or flag every unmatched item.
- Post all coded spend; chase invoices received but unpaid so the accrual is right.
- Produce the monthly report: spend by cost code, budget vs actual, variances explained, discrepancies disclosed, open items listed.
- Send it to the captain and management company on time, every month, without being asked.
Fraud — What It Actually Looks Like
Fraud aboard is rarely dramatic. It looks like:
- Personal items slipped onto a ship's card, "to be repaid".
- Inflated or duplicated receipts, or a receipt re-submitted twice.
- Kickbacks from a supplier — the discount that goes to you rather than to the yacht.
- Skimming small amounts from the float or from guest change.
- Taking from a gratuity pot before it is properly distributed.
- Invoices from a vendor connected to the person approving them.
Why Small Borrowing Ends Careers
The amount is irrelevant; the breach of trust is the whole point. A yacht is a small, gossiping industry with reference checks and long memories. A crew member dismissed for EUR 40 of unauthorised spend is not sacked for the EUR 40 — they are sacked because nobody can now believe any figure they ever wrote.
Onboard Notes
- Good process protects you. A witnessed count and a clean audit trail are what stop an accusation sticking.
- If you suspect a colleague, do not confront them and do not investigate alone. Report to the captain, in writing, with the evidence.
- If you make a mistake, disclose it before it is found. That distinction is the whole difference between an error and a scandal.