What do you love about being a superyacht captain?
The mix of people and problem-solving. I’ve got strong heads of department and ask them to run their areas—I’m more like the chair at the top making sure the “directors” can do their bit. That’s the part I enjoy most. Some captains might say it’s the romance of navigation and long passages; on larger boats it’s really running a business. I love the industry and the privilege of the work, but the real joy is leading a team and making everything run smoothly. When it all comes together—exceptional service, seamless operations, and uncompromising safety—the guests think it just happens. They don’t see the scramble behind the scenes, and that’s fine by me. Industry & Operations
How has the superyacht industry changed in the last five years, especially post-COVID?
I joined a new build two weeks before COVID hit—the keel had only been laid—so I dodged some of the worst operational chaos. Industry-wide, expectations shifted. Owners and guests saw yachts as private islands—more privacy, more flexibility. Demand for experiences went up, especially with younger UHNW clients. Charter and brokerage went wild in 2021 and into 2022, especially 70m+, then cooled. The 30–40m market still feels buoyant; lots of sales and captain movement there. Supply chains were a mess—grab what you can, when you can—but they’ve largely settled. We’ve also adapted: order earlier, plan differently. Crew pipelines are full in some regions, but quality is harder to find. The numbers are there; digging for the right people takes more effort.
Looking ahead ten years, what challenges should the industry solve?
1) Attracting and keeping good crew, especially people with transferable skills—think top hotel and restaurant pros moving into service roles. Chefs make that leap more often than service staff; I’d love to see more of the latter. 2) Meeting environmental and regulatory goals without killing efficiency—more rules, higher hoops, but we can’t let service slip. 3) Keeping up with new tech and cybersecurity. Even if you’re not on a cutting-edge new build, you need the awareness and the relationships with suppliers to stay current. Design & Technology
What design/tech trends affect your day-to-day?
Everything’s more technical: hybrid propulsion, advanced AV/IT, energy-efficient systems. Captains and crew need to troubleshoot tech as comfortably as they throw lines or make a coffee. Training is critical. It’s not enough to implement new back-office tools; you need education and simple documentation. We swapped PDFs for short Loom-style videos—crew actually watch those. The Job’s Hardest Part
What’s most challenging about the job, and has that changed?
Crew management—always has been, probably always will be. We’re dealing with people, not systems. Yachting is high-pressure, close-quarters, high expectations. I’m fortunate to have an owner who understands balance: standards stay high, but we keep things realistic and humane. Crew welfare is huge. The seminars and articles are one thing; day-to-day reality on the front line is another. I’ve had to make the “next of kin” phone call for a hospital situation—that brings it home. You’re responsible for every soul onboard—physically and emotionally. The tech can fail and there’s a logical process; with people, there isn’t always a clear fix. That’s the drain and the challenge. New Crew: Trends & Mindset
How are new entrants different today?
More digitally savvy and highly ambitious—but often less patient and less resilient. Many want to move up fast without the years of steady work. We had a green deckhand we invested in—visas, courses, proper leave. After 45 days back onboard he said, “I’m bored,” and left with a week’s notice. It wasn’t personal—just a short-term mindset. That said, we find gems: driven, curious, realistic about the path. We’re also seeing smarter hires with strong off-yacht skills—chartered accountants moving into purser roles, degreed electricians into engineering. I’d love to see the same influx on the service side. Keeping Morale High
How do you handle the pressure-cooker environment?
Clear, open communication. As a junior, I hated not knowing the plan. Now we share the week’s outline (subject to change) so people understand the “why.” Friction? Address it early and privately. We keep the hierarchy as flat as possible—people need to feel heard and treated fairly. We also plan welfare into the schedule. Sometimes the boat needs a big push—fine—but then we trade a recovery day. I sit with heads of department and make sure they protect rest as well as standards.
Strategies for retaining high-quality crew?
Consistency and respect. Treat everyone the same. No favourites, but plenty of chances to grow and train. Cross-exposure helps: I want deck to understand the bridge, junior stews to see what top-end service looks like. Be candid about plans—and honest when they change. Guests’ decisions can blow up a plan overnight; we own that and regroup. Mentoring
What mentoring have you seen or done?
I love mentoring. I’ve kept in touch with people since my first years, and I’ve watched juniors become seniors. On deck it’s easy to build structure with TRBs and the MCA pathway. We guide rather than throw people in the deep end: controlled steps, feedback, responsibility that grows. My goal is to be paid for experience and judgment while the team runs the show. Mental Health & Burnout
Thoughts on mental health and burnout? How do you support crew—and yourself?
It’s real, and thankfully more openly discussed. We’ve supported crew through depression and tough personal issues. I’m not clinically trained, but empathy and proactive care matter. Build rest where possible; encourage a rhythm of “get off the boat one day, sleep the next.” Rotate jobs when we can. Our management company provides a confidential hotline, and I make a point of walking the boat, checking in, and noticing small changes. For me: time with family, calls home, getting ashore for a walk or run, reading, a show—anything that breaks the 24/7 “living at the office” feeling. We make birthdays and “special person” check-ins a thing—worded inclusively. Handling Special Requests
How have you handled unexpected guest requests without compromising safety or compliance? Any times you had to say no?
It depends on the owner, but my name’s above the door—compliance is non-negotiable. The key is finding safe, compliant ways to say yes. We constantly rework itineraries, adapt activities, and keep Plans A–G ready. When multiple moving parts collide—tenders, airport runs, watersports, onboard events—manpower and timing can force adjustments. I’ll advise against something on weather or safety grounds, and most owners accept that. Guests remember how you handle situations, not how inconvenient it was for the crew. Like a five-star hotel: you don’t tell guests about the plumbing saga—you hand over the key with a smile. If I truly have to say no, I come with thoughtful alternatives. The New Generation of Owners
Any trends with younger UHNW clients?
They still want the icons—Monaco, Capri, the Greek islands—but also quieter, lesser-known spots. They want experiences and off-the-beaten-track—without giving up connectivity, wellness, and routine. They’ll happily be remote, but they expect to stream their team’s game and hit a proper gym session onboard. No compromise on that. Interview — Part 2 Retaining Crew & Rotation
You mentioned strategies for retaining great crew—consistency, respect, treating everyone the same. What about the wider industry?
Captain, Motor Yacht GO: On our boat we’ve built a structure around that, but industry-wide it’s mixed—professional in some ways, really unprofessional in others. Rotation is the big one. It should be a given, but where does it kick in? A 40m yacht used a few weeks a year is very different from a 70m world-cruiser. Still, I think over 60m it should be mandatory, and generally it is. If we don’t present ourselves as professional—proper contracts, proper leave—we won’t attract high-calibre people. We’ll just attract those chasing a lifestyle.
I saw a LinkedIn post recently: “Didn’t get the A-level results you wanted? Come work on yachts.” That’s terrible PR. This is a 24/7 profession for me and my team. They live it with full professionalism. It shouldn’t be marketed as a fallback for people who don’t know what else to do. On GO, we use a 3:1 scheduled leave system. We don’t call it “rotation” because people online get picky about the term, but it guarantees structured time off. Crew know there’s light at the end of the tunnel—they can book holidays, courses, see partners.
When I started, it was 30 days leave a year, squeezed around crossings and yard periods. Now, with scheduled leave, we keep maintenance up year-round, have a full crew even when the boss isn’t onboard, and actually save money by not needing so many outside contractors. The takeaway: proper leave isn’t just a retention perk—it’s essential. And it links directly to crew welfare and professionalism. Regulations & Sustainability
Regulations seem to be growing. How do you handle the load?
It’s relentless. As chief officer I tracked every regulation; as captain there’s so much else on my plate, I rely heavily on management companies and delegation. Some of it is necessary—we’re big machines with a big footprint. But sometimes we get lumped into rules designed for massive tankers. The paperwork burden can overwhelm common sense. The Large Yacht Code helps—it translates shipping regulations into something practical for us. But still, it’s easy to end up box-ticking instead of focusing on real safety and environmental improvements.
on the environmental side?
It’s painful in transition but will soon be the norm. Yachting is like Formula One for the wider marine industry—we drive innovation. I toured Breakthrough, the first hydrogen yacht. It had flaws, but it proved it can be done. No one can say “impossible” anymore. We need new fuels, smarter energy management, and less waste. Refits are hardest—boats built 15–20 years ago weren’t designed for it. Sometimes you literally have to cut open a hull to replace engines. But wealth drives innovation, and yachts should lead. We’re small floating cities—like modern cities, we can be more efficient and greener.
Do current regulations actually work?
Some do, some don’t. The inconsistency across regions is a killer. Garbage is a classic example. Onboard we’re policed hard, with meticulous logs and multiple bins. Then you get to a port and it all goes in one skip. Italy, for instance, mandates clear bags—more expensive, and then all dumped in one truck anyway. It’s disheartening. The real answer is tackling waste at the source—less packaging, smarter design. Luxury goods especially—make the luxury the product itself, not the packaging. Anchoring regulations are another one.
In the South of France, bans protect seagrass meadows, which is right. But the rules can feel knee-jerk. Sardinia has a better approach: paid mooring buoys that protect the seabed and raise funds for conservation. That’s smart regulation—protect nature and create revenue for more protection.
If you had a magic wand for sustainability?
First: consistency. Same rules, enforced fairly everywhere. Second: practical solutions, like the mooring buoy model. Third: incentivise greener choices rather than just fines. Hybrid and hydrogen are promising, battery storage is coming along. We’re not solving it in 20 years, but we can shift from “95% diesel, 5% hybrid” to something much closer to 50/50. Technology & Connectivity
How has technology changed your role?
I sometimes feel like an IT manager. Even with an ETO onboard, 90% of my job touches technology—AV/IT, hybrid systems, automation, guest connectivity. Owners expect everything to “just work,” but these are custom-built systems. Nothing is plug-and-play. We’ve had to embrace tech while staying ahead. Guests compare notes—“my friend’s yacht has this, why don’t we?” That drives us. But it also makes us guinea pigs. Starlink, for example, has been a game-changer, but outages still happen. Owners get used to flawless service, so any glitch feels catastrophic.
The upside: connectivity has changed how yachts are used. Owners in their 30s and 40s can now run companies from onboard. Ten years ago, they’d charter because it wasn’t practical to work. Today, we’ve got full offices with Bloomberg and conference screens. They can surf in the morning and join a board meeting in the afternoon. Yachts are now mobile HQs. The downside: redundancy is essential. If Starlink drops, the boss won’t hotspot from his phone—we need backup systems.
Cybersecurity?
One of the biggest risks. We carry as much sensitive data as a corporate office. Training crew is step one—dodgy emails, Wi-Fi sharing, phishing attempts. We’ve seen contractors lose huge sums from Trojan viruses sitting on their systems for months. It’s not just financial. A hacked itinerary or car booking can become a security risk. I’ve worked for owners whose families were targeted before. It’s real. And then there’s spoofing AIS locations—safety of the yacht itself. We train constantly, monitor systems, and update protocols. But the threat evolves faster than defences. Autonomy & Remote Systems
Could autonomous systems change your role?
I hope so. Not replace us—but assist. Owners still want human judgement and service. But for things like Atlantic crossings? Bring it on. Four hours on, eight off, in rough weather, while also managing payroll and HR—that’s brutal. Autonomy could free us for higher-value tasks. It’ll take time, like self-driving cars. There will be pushback, but fewer human errors means fewer accidents. You’ll still need engineers onboard—no remote fix for a failed engine—but autonomy can make us safer and more efficient. Public Perception
What about misinformation and negative public perception?
That’s a sore spot. Too often the focus is on excess—champagne, parties—without context. People don’t see the jobs created shoreside, the innovation in sustainability, the scale of the payrolls. One big yacht supports dozens of crew and contractors. What really grates is the way new crew are recruited: “didn’t do well in school? Come work on yachts, party and travel.” That damages the industry. This is a professional career, not a gap year. I grew up in hospitality—nobody advertises hotels as “a place to party if you failed your exams.” Events are improving—people like Abby have introduced training and education alongside the social side. But too much of the public image still leans on “Below Deck.”
the online groups?
They can be fantastic. Closed professional groups, captain WhatsApps—game-changing for advice, crew leads, local knowledge. But open anonymous groups? Dangerous. I had a disgruntled ex-crew member post lies about the boat. No accountability. As I say, there are always three sides to the story. These forums need more verification, but when used right, they’re a lifeline.
Overall perception—fair or unfair?
Generally negative, especially in cultures that dislike overt wealth. Brits are classic—if you succeed, they sneer. Other countries celebrate it. Unfortunately, one bad headline can undo all the positive stories about jobs, sustainability, or aid work yachts quietly support. We should own the narrative: careers, training, innovation, sustainability. Less glamour, more substance. Magic Wand
If you could change one thing about the industry?
Focus on crew welfare. Rotation should be a given. Crew spaces are still sardine cans, even on large yachts. We run with 21 crew where we should have 28–30. Every yacht is under-crewed because designers prioritise guest space. More crew means more rest, less burnout, safer operations, and better service. Recruitment costs drop, retention improves. Owners would benefit, even if they don’t see it straight away. So yes—professionalise the industry, focus on crew lifestyle, and the rest will follow.
Brilliant. That wraps it. Thanks for your time.
Always a pleasure—happy to rant anytime.
I’ll need a headshot for the piece.
I’ll dig one out. Unlike some LinkedIn photos, it might even look like me.
Under-promise, over-deliver.
Exactly. Speak soon.