We all need a helping hand or two


Safety, compliance, insurance, refit contracts, operational procedures, these are just some of the things the captain and senior crew need assistance with. Captain Michael Howorth looks at the necessary support offered by a yacht management team


A


sk anyone who has done it, and I have, what it is like to command a superyacht, and you will hear the same refrain. The job of a superyacht captain on a busy vessel simply does not allow enough time to cope with all the minutia of a running a safe and successful operation as well as being the yacht’s Master. Captains are at the beck and call of the owner and his guests, twenty four hours a day and during that same time period, Captains act as father figure and mentor to the crew that follow her or him. Ask a captain what he does in his, or her, spare time and the chances are they will just snort and give you that “duh” stare! A good yacht manager working ashore can greatly assist the captain and take away some of the more mundane aspects of vessel operation so that he or she can concentrate on operating the vessel. It is up to the manager to gain the confidence of the captain so that a sound and mutually beneficial working relationship can be formed. But how is that best done?


ON BOARD EXPERIENCE Yacht Captains Nick Sevier and Charlie Bettell formed Expersea Yacht Management in response to the specific needs of a group of superyacht owners who felt their requirements were being overlooked. It is a common view held by many superyacht captains and owners the world over. Using their experience in both the commercial and yachting maritime sectors, the operational


and technical departments at Expersea are managed and staffed by yacht captains and chief engineers. This enables them to provide a level of support to both owners and crews that few can offer. This depth of experience, coupled with a client- focused attitude has proven successful in building long-term relationships with superyacht owners.


Swiss born Daniel Küpfer is the


Managing Director of Ocean Management the yacht management division of Ocean Independence. Having joined the board as a shareholder of the parent company, he is now in charge of all management operations, including the construction, refit and operational management of a fast-growing fleet of large commercial and private yachts. He worked his way up from deckhand to command a superyacht having first served in both naval and commercial vessels. It was while serving in the latter that he gained his Master Mariners Unlimited qualifications allowing him to command any commercial vessel of unlimited tonnage in worldwide trade, he also holds two yacht master


56 | SPRING 2022 | ONBOARD


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