The sommelier-minded owner has chosen a white for the fish, a Burgundy for the beef, and champagne on arrival. Water for everyone. That is four glasses per cover on a table that is 70 cm wide, at anchor with a light swell forecast for 22:00. Where does each glass go, and what do you do if it starts to move?
Glass types
| Glass | Shape logic | Served |
|---|---|---|
| Water goblet / tumbler | Largest of the wine glasses; robust | Throughout the meal |
| White wine | Smaller bowl, keeps wine cool and focused | Chilled whites, roughly 8–12 °C |
| Red wine | Larger bowl, more air contact | Reds, roughly 14–18 °C |
| Burgundy bowl | Wide bowl for delicate aromatic reds | Pinot Noir and similar |
| Champagne flute / tulip | Narrow, preserves bubbles; tulip gives more aroma | Sparkling, roughly 6–8 °C |
| Coupe | Wide, shallow; loses bubbles fast | Cocktails, retro service |
| Sherry / port / dessert | Small; fortified and sweet wines are poured small | End of meal |
| Highball / rocks / martini | Bar glassware | Cocktails and long drinks |
| Cognac balloon | Warms in the hand | Digestifs |
Placement
- Glasses sit above the tip of the main knife, to the right of the cover.
- Water glass first, closest to the guest, directly above the main knife.
- Remaining glasses run down and to the right in a straight line or a gentle arc, in the order they will be used — so the first wine sits nearest the guest's hand.
- Champagne flute goes to the outside or behind, depending on house standard.
- Standard is water plus one or two wine glasses on most yacht covers. Do not crowd a small table because you can.
Handling and polishing
- Carry glassware on a tray or by the base and stem — never bunched by the rims in a fist.
- Polish over steam with a clean, lint-free glass cloth: hold the base through the cloth, twist the bowl gently. Never grip the bowl and force the stem — stems snap and cut hands.
- Check every glass against a light for lipstick, water spots and chips. A chipped glass is out of service immediately — it is a laceration and an ingestion risk.
- Once polished, glass is never touched above the stem again.
Motion and glassware
Glass is the first thing to go over in a seaway.
- Reduce the number of glasses per cover when it is moving.
- Use non-slip matting under the cloth, and fiddles or racks where the boat has them.
- Underway or in a swell, pour smaller measures and top up more often.
- Consider stemless or short-stem glassware for alfresco and beach service.
Onboard Notes
- Never pick up a used glass by the rim in front of guests. Base or stem, every time.
- Never place a used glass back on a laid table after a top-up — return it to where it was, and if it is smeared, replace it.
- Broken glass near food is a food-safety incident: stop, isolate, remove the food, tell the chef and the chief stew. Never sweep glass toward a guest.
- Salt air, spray and dishwasher rinse aid all leave film. Every glass is polished at the last moment, not the day before.