START YOUR ENGINES
Frances & Michael Howorth talk to Aydin Bishop on board the unique explorer K584 about his life long love for the high seas
What made you join the superyacht industry? I have always loved the sea and boats and there was no doubt that one day I would make my living by working on yachts at sea. I became a cadet and began 3 months of intense training in Siğacik, Turkey. Having qualified I then joined their fleets to further my training, partaking in their practical programme. I realised while I was doing that, I was more inclined towards marine engineering than working on deck so I focused on that.
What was your first superyacht and when and where did you join her? I did some day work in Palma working on superyachts but then I joined this yacht K584 on a full time basis. I joined her in the shipyard and spent the last six months of her build getting to know and understand the vessel.
How long have you been aboard your current yacht? A total of two years now. I joined the vessel in the last six months of the build in the CPN shipyard Ancona Italy. The last eighteen months have been at sea with the boss.
What do you most like about your current job? I really am very lucky. Below decks here in the engine room I run the show. I set up the procedures and I follow them and if I find those procedures do not fit a particular scenario, I am allowed to change them. Unusually on a superyacht the boss is the man who drives the yacht. He is very involved and when he is onboard, he is the captain. During the build I do not think there was a day that he did not visit the yacht in the yard.
If you could recommend a Mediterranean supply service to another engineer what would it be? The Kronos Yacht Agency in Rhodes on the island of Crete have always been very attentive to our needs and generally come up trumps when we need things. They are based in the Mantraki Marina and are made up of a team of agencies who work throughout Greece co-operating to bring
34 | SPRING 2022 | ONBOARD
a professional service for all our cruising needs in Greek waters.
How does working aboard a yacht affect your family life? If anything, it has strengthened it. I am not married so it’s the folks back home that I miss the most. It is very true when they say absence makes the heart grow stronger and I worry sometimes how quickly life is passing by.
If you had a magic wand what would you change in job? Less down time and more time at sea. I know I may be unusual in that, but I want sea time so that I can get my certificates.
What is your most embarrassing superyacht experience to date? I remember so well as a cadet in the first few months of my training, launching a tender as we approached a dry dock. Suddenly the tender began to fill with water and was about to sink when I realised that rather than just believing someone else I should have checked myself that the bung was really in place. Trust me I learned a hard lesson and I now always check this sort of thing myself.
What advice would you give to someone thinking of working as an engineer on a yacht? I would tell them to go for it. Don’t hang back! I had always wondered how these big boats would be different from the smaller ones I first began working on. If I had never tried to get into this type of job, I would never have found what fun it can be and how satisfying a life it is.
What makes you stand out as a superyacht engineer?
I think it is my attitude towards this as a career choice. I am part way through my formal qualifications and just have my orals to sit before I gain my first professional qualification. But rest assured it will not be my last.
What tip for doing your job better are you willing to share? Never leave things to chance. Always have a
procedure and always follow it. Don’t bring an ego with you on to the yacht. Of course, we are only human, and it is in our nature to cover our own arse but the most important thing is to keep yourself, the yacht and everyone on board as safe as you possibly can.
What would you like to do when you cease working on superyachts? Sometime well into the future I would like to return to South Africa, buy a plot of land on the coast and set up a surf school and using eco friendly methods become self sufficient.
QUICK FIRE QUESTIONS
Are you a morning or night time person? Morning
What was the last film you saw in a cinema? Matrix
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? Ecuador
What did you eat for breakfast this morning? Protein shake and a croissant
What are your favourite clothes? Board shorts and slops
Where in the world would you visit if you had the chance? Central America
What sport do you most like to watch? Rugby
What is your nickname? Udders
What is your best childhood memory? Growing up on the beach
What superpower would you like? Mind reading
Do you have any pet peeves? Fools
What’s your most treasured possession? Surfboard and bicycle
Closest you have come to death? Trapped in the backline when surfing
What is your most annoying habit? Tapping my foot
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