There was a time when I shared the view that yacht management reduces the ability of good yacht captains to deliver their service to yacht owners. Now with more experience and maturity, I see the view that management is not essential was wrong. Captains should not work in isolation.
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With 20 years' experience as a chef on board superyachts, English-born Luke Owen has seen it all. From his all-time heroes to the ingredients he can't live without, we talk to the Sole Chef about his experiences in the kitchen and...
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The story concludes with more than a sting... Captain Horatio Hardy is on a mission to find his lost triplet nieces whose parents have been kidnapped by marauding pirates in the Gulf of Socotra. His search leads him to the Cote d'...
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Superyacht captain William Gilbert has long maintained a parallel career as a maritime author. Sarah Robinson meets a writer who delves into his Merchant Navy past and yachting present to create memoirs and novels with the ring of...
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Fishermen Alf and his son have gone to sea for the day, expected home by 16:00. But they aren’t. Three days of angst-ridden searching reveals nothing, until ominously evidential flotsam washes ashore. There is no sign of either Be...
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As a ship’s master accrues wisdom and experience at sea, sliding down the proverbial banister of life, there are few rigid questions and even fewer rigid answers. It’s arguably more art than science, for captaincy is surely as muc...
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It has become so common for shipmasters to be arrested as criminals following an incident that this is starting to deter seafarers from rising through the ranks. Andrew Linington reports from a Nautilus industry symposium set up t...
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What do you tell the judge when it all goes pear-shaped? In the unfortunate event that an accident happens onboard your yacht, as captain or head of department you'll have to demonstrate a good safety culture and responsible recor...
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From humble beginnings in Oxley Creek to the inside track of Formula One and the America's Cup, Captain Glen McDonnell has seen it all. His first job was on 50 foot steel-hull motorsailer but a love of adventure and serendipity al...
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Cameron Lee's game-changing EfficientSea App embodies the dictum that necessity is the mother of all invention. An experienced superyacht captain with over 85,000 sea miles under his belt, Lee was fed up with juggling paperwork an...
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Retired mariner, Horatio Hardy, is on a mission to find his itinerant nieces whose parents have been kidnapped off north-east Africa. The story continues as H is employed as Mate of M/Y Caviare, under the command of Captain ‘Skip...
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Chief officer Arvid Ljungberg and his team mate Markus Jokinen recently completed their first Cape Epic, a gruelling eight-day mountain bike stage race which takes place in the Western Cape, South Africa. Coined as one of the toug...
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Welcome to the working life of a superyacht captain, a leadership role unlike any other. With anywhere between five and 50 employees and a legion of suppliers and contractors, running a superyacht is like being the CEO of a large,...
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Kevin Paul is the captain of sailing superyacht MOONBIRD. We were fortunate enough to meet up with him in Port Hercule during the Monaco Yacht Show in September to discuss racing, sailing through hurricanes and how he finds his id...
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Captain Ken Kreisler is a veteran marine journalist and has been part of the boating industry for over 25 years. Based in the US, Ken contributes features and a monthly 'Stateside Update' for OnboardOnline and is currently working...
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That Yacht Masters routinely refer to their 3000 tonne vessels as ‘boats’ is not unique – Admiral Lord Mountbatten habitually called aircraft carriers ‘boats’ but not without a hint of irony, not least because he knew the differe...
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Like any captain with 20 years of yachting under his belt, Paul Bickley has seen enormous change in the yachting industry since the start of his career.
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Curious thing, fate; what is ‘meant to be will be’ pondered H; I don’t believe in fate, but even if I did what could I do about it? Such thoughts were forged from a lucky opportunity presented to Claude, a consequence of which led...
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A reasonable amount of information and discussion is beginning to emerge in the yachting media concerning the development of an unlimited yacht specific Masters certificate of competency.
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As yachts get ever larger and regulations increase, the role of a superyacht Captain, Officer, or HOD can seem less about the vessel and crew and more about admin and paperwork. These things are important, but don't let them rob y...
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What can yachties teach crusty old Master Mariners? What can yachting learn from the wider shipping industry? Captain Horatio Hardy and Yachtmaster Skippy Brewster embark on a journey of discovery, from which both emerge wiser me...
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You don’t have to spend very long talking to Paul Bickley, captain of motor yacht Latitude, to grasp the fact that onboard mentoring and training, crew development and team spirit are where it’s at.
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The Med season has ended and it’s time to deliver your boat. These days in yachting that could be absolutely anywhere! Owners are keener than ever to head off the beaten path and explore new cruising grounds while the standard sea...
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As a member of the British Army's elite Parachute Regiment, Mark O’Connell followed an unusual and rather eventful path into yachting.
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If every article on Leadership in the Maritime world was represented by a toothpick, most of us would agree that we would require the services of a chain saw for a very long day to cut through all the dead wood out there.
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Walking along the Esplanade du Bastion St Jaume as some of the Med’s finest examples of classic yachts nestle cheek by jowl at the Antibes Yacht Show, one of those that immediately catches the eye is S/Y Eilean.
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Like so many in yachting, Nolan Ross ran away from a desk job. 15 years later, he is captain of 55m motoryacht Serenity J.
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Racing sails aren't cheap, only lasting three years at peak performance. So what happens to them after they're replaced? A new industry is reconditioning sailing history for a new life.
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Following a recent fatal jetski accident in Porquerolles near St Tropez, French authorities are cracking down on tender and jetski operation in the South of France.
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As the Mediterranean yachting season hits its peak, Captain Rod Hatch alerts us to some regulatory inspections, visa issues and possible dangers that yachts should be aware of.
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