What do you love about being a superyacht captain?
The diversity of the job. You wear so many hats to keep an operation running—accountant, therapist, weather-watcher—so you’re never doing just one thing; you’re doing hundreds.
How has the superyacht industry changed over the last five years, post‑COVID?
It’s become more transient. Ten or fifteen years ago, people did this as a career. Now many come for a year or two to have fun and then move on. We’ve had several ‘flushes’ in yachting—’92, 2000, 2008—and we’re in another now, where people who don’t really belong are being pushed out or have had enough.
What are the three big challenges the industry needs to solve in the next 10 years?
First, crew—there’s a shortage of commitment and integrity in doing the right thing. Second, management companies—there’s good and bad, but not much consistency, and it comes down to who’s being hired. Third, regulation—we’ve gone from captains taking care of themselves to needing an expert for everything. Many captains are afraid to stick their toes out because if something goes wrong, they get slapped.
What design and technology trends have most affected day‑to‑day operations?
Design is a constant battle between reality and whim. I’ve built Feadships 25 years ago; it hasn’t changed—someone wants a glass handle with a tiny wire in a moving ceiling. Common sense should prevail. Technology is a different story. I installed the first Lloyd’s‑approved digital touchscreen bridge on a yacht—biggest mistake I ever made. There’s too much computer. Twenty years ago, no one had IT techs onboard; now you need them just to keep the boat running. Systems—lighting, AV, bridge—have become more intricate and tied together, which they often shouldn’t be. I’ve seen new launches pulling back from over‑integration, but owners still push for the latest and greatest even when it’s not in their best interest.
What are the most challenging elements of your job? Has this changed recently?
Crew is number one. Owners are also becoming more unrealistic—physics still applies. If the boat does 12 knots, it does 12 knots. You can’t do the Med this month and the Seychelles next month at that speed. There’s a new trend of owners who struggle with reality around time and distance.
How do today’s new crew compare to previous years—skills, mindset, outlook?
Most aren’t thinking beyond tomorrow. Twenty years ago a deckhand would say, “I want to be bosun in two years.” I don’t hear that now. You have to sit them down to see if they want to progress or just hang out. Longevity is a serious problem—and management contributes. I’ve been told three times that if your résumé doesn’t have lots of jobs, you don’t have enough experience. That’s backwards. I’ve stayed 10–20 years with bosses—unheard of now—and some still say that’s not enough because I haven’t worked for ‘enough people.’
How do you handle the pressure onboard—crew relationships, morale, conflicts?
One day at a time. If I’ve got a crew that meshes, I plan things for them—days out together, or split activities—to break up the monotony. The pressure cooker never really goes away. Bigger boats may have HR; under 20 crew you don’t. Different sizes mean different environments.
What strategies help you retain high‑quality crew?
Get the owners on board. I show them the cost of turnover—lost efficiency, training days, the whole number. It’s big. Then build incentives the crew actually value: vacation time, a 13th‑month bonus, whatever fits that team. I’ve brought in cover so a great crew member could go home for three months for family reasons and then return. It’s not worth losing good people over solvable issues.
Any successful mentoring experiences you’ve been part of or witnessed?
Years ago you saw results. Lately, it’s harder to know—people move on quickly. We took an 18‑year‑old deckhand through the whole boat; he left yachting and did very well using what he learned onboard. In the last five years, I haven’t seen many visible outcomes—it’s trickier with today’s churn.
Thoughts on mental health and burnout? How do you support crew and yourself?
We’re all a bit nuts—keep everyone on the same ‘nut level’ and it’s easier. Be aware of your crew. I spotted a stew who was clearly struggling on day one—we got her home to rehab and proper care. If you’ve done this long enough, you can see burnout, fatigue, unhappiness. I’m not a psychologist, but if someone’s always down, something’s going on—you have to act.
How do you handle special or unexpected guest requests without compromising safety?
I’ve said no many times—but not like Captain Bligh. Explain why something won’t work, or offer a non‑offensive alternative that achieves the real goal. If someone’s trying to ‘show off,’ find another safe way to do it. Ninety‑nine percent of yachting is accommodating the outcome people want, even if it’s not exactly how they imagined. A couple of times there was no safe outcome—I put someone on the dock. Both owners thanked me.
Any trends in how newer ultra‑high‑net‑worth owners are superyachting?
Twenty‑five years ago owners were more relaxed and personal—you weren’t family, but you were close. Now there’s less loyalty and interaction; everything feels more dispensable, especially with the newly rich. Experienced wealth behaves differently. Today you’re hired to see if they’ll trust you, not because they already do.
What are your thoughts on the mounting regulatory load, and how do you manage it?
It’s good and bad. Two decades ago you might spend one day a month on regs; now it’s four or five. Class and flag stamps don’t guarantee safety—their resources are stretched and they won’t be on top of you until there’s an accident. Perfect paperwork doesn’t equal a good captain, and some who bend the rules still have the common sense to operate safely. The bigger issue is training: certificates don’t replace five years of doing the job. Insurers want cover; after accidents they want an out. Regulations are good to keep people aligned—but bad when people rely on the stamp instead of judgement.
Will environmental regulations affect the future of yachting? Are current rules effective and consistently enforced?
Common sense should lead, with or without MARPOL. We always knew not to dump sewage in a harbour. Regulations will affect yachts—do they need to? Not if operators use common sense—but over‑regulation is real. Rules slow problems down but don’t stop them—some people will do whatever they want. I’ve seen boats bypass sewage plants straight overboard and still pass class and flag. Experienced captains know right from wrong without waiting for a rule.
What changes would you introduce to make superyachting more environmentally friendly or ‘sustainable’?
None—I think it’s already over‑regulated.
How has increasing technology (navigation, hybrid propulsion, etc.) changed your role?
You either get smarter or sit in the corner. I’ve learned most systems for self‑preservation. I don’t rely on ‘the IT guy.’ I want to know how a system works, where the overrides and bypasses are. If the owner’s yelling about the TV, I want to know which wire to move. We’re not NASA, but we need a basic understanding of every critical system.
Is cybersecurity a concern onboard? How do you protect yacht and guest data?
It worries me more than owners. They wouldn’t accept an open network at the office, but at sea they think it’s fine. I regularly cut the system to clear connections and background apps. I won’t connect bridge systems to open internet. Updates via thumb drives, or a brief secure plug‑in with a tech, then unplug. No one is 100% safe—but we reduce exposure.
Will autonomous systems or remote monitoring change captaining?
If we can cross oceans from the living room after I retire, I’ll be annoyed. Realistically, full autonomy is a long way off in yachting. You might see limited self‑monitoring at anchor, but costs keep it minimal for now—like ‘green’ power that runs a few hours without gensets.
Do you have concerns about misinformation online about superyachts?
You can’t stop stupid. I explain that yachting spreads wealth. In the South Pacific we might support a village for a year with one month’s spend. The industry feeds thousands across ports—people don’t see that.
Overall, is public perception of superyachts positive or negative—and is that fair?
It’s usually negative. A $20M boat makes no sense to someone in a $40K house. The only way I soften it is by showing how many people we support; without the boat, those jobs don’t exist.
What do you think about the growing number of superyacht groups and forums online?
I avoid most—they put a target on your back. I might read one or two, but I never post. I’ve spent my career under the radar and intend to stay there.
Magic wand: if you could change one thing about the modern yachting industry, what would it be and why?
Make it more appealing as a career so we keep good people. The ‘one year and gone’ mindset hurts the industry. Bigger new builds don’t necessarily help—on very large boats, crew become numbers and don’t get broad experience. The 40–50m path—deckhand to bosun to chief officer, third stew to chief stew—builds real mariners. We need to bring that back.