YACHT


MANAGEMENT THE LOVE HATE RELATIONSHIP


The day to day operational and safety activities of any superyacht cruising our oceans across the world demand professional assistance and support from experts in their fields. This shore side support allows the captains and crew to do what they do best and deliver an unforgettable experience to the owners and charter guests Words: Frances and Michael Howorth


“


I love having a yacht manager take care of my more mundane duties running this yacht,” said the captain, gesturing across the wide expanse of bow on board his 84 metre superyacht. “But I really hate it when they interfere with my relationship with the owner!” He had, in just 30 words, completely captured and defined the love / hate relationship that most captains have with their yacht management teams.


Good yacht managers working ashore can greatly assist the captain by taking away some of the more humdrum aspects of vessel operation. By doing so, they allow the captain to concentrate on operating the vessel. When sailing with the boss on board or charter guests demanding attention, captains are at their beck and call 24 hours a day. During that same time, captains must act as father figure and mentor to the crew and, at the same time, ensure that the yacht is navigating safely. Little wonder that he needs all the professional help he can get.


Paul Cook, now the Chief Operating Officer within the Hill Robinson Group, was in his past a superyacht captain. He says, “A yacht manager and captain should be part of a close-knit team whose primary aim is to support the owner. With increased demands and a growing list of regulations and requirements, a yacht management client service team can really support the captain and crew with the day-to-day back office operations and overall management of a busy yacht. At Hill Robinson, we very much tailor our client service teams to meet the varying requirements of the client and believe a close working relationship is paramount to allow us to support the captain so he can better look after the owner. Relieve some of the burdensome administration and management drudgery to release the captain to focus more time on owner specific requirements.”


Many professional captains have realised that there is a gap in the market and have stepped ashore to become yacht managers.


148 | SPRING 2023 | ONBOARD


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160  |  Page 161  |  Page 162  |  Page 163  |  Page 164  |  Page 165  |  Page 166  |  Page 167  |  Page 168  |  Page 169  |  Page 170  |  Page 171  |  Page 172  |  Page 173  |  Page 174  |  Page 175  |  Page 176  |  Page 177  |  Page 178  |  Page 179  |  Page 180  |  Page 181  |  Page 182  |  Page 183  |  Page 184