TECHNICALLY SPEAKING


ONBOARD looks at the latest technical developments and offerings from the world of entertainment, crew comms, VSAT, cyber security plus safety and sonar technology


Fast forward to 2024 and we’re seeing established predictive maintenance tools and portals that make refits and new builds easier to track and control, with seamless reporting and we’ve at last moved away from those dreaded excel spreadsheets we love so much.


Perhaps one of the most critical areas of running a superyacht is the financial arena, and here too, we’ve seen an abundance of tools that streamline expenditure, mitigate FX fluctuation and give all stakeholders a single view of the yacht’s expenditure.


Management software is also a competitive space and we’ve seen companies from other non-marine sectors try and conquer the market, but they stepped back pretty quickly when they actually learned how complicated and niche the superyacht world can be. But a part of me still thinks that unless one is told the product is built specifically for a superyacht, then the take will certainly be more timid. Thankfully, there are some tremendous tools out their to help manage a yacht or fleet of yachts, and the core leaders within this space are constantly delivering new modules thanks to the input from operational crew and the management companies.


The core leaders within this space are constantly delivering new modules and


products thanks to the input


from operational crew and the management companies.


W


ithin this wonderful and yet very niche industry, the element of trust still reigns supreme and it’s sometimes seems that unless a product


is made ‘specifically’ for the superyacht world, then it can be difficult for the company behind that product to gain momentum.


Some six years ago, a friend who was then working in the commercial shipping industry, had a ‘mad’ idea of bringing a predictive maintenance programme into the superyacht world. Of course within the commercial marine business, every lost minute costs money, so why would this appeal to the superyacht industry?


The technology was proven, had been in existence for some time and there were case studies galore. But when this gentleman took his idea to a reputable yacht builder, there was absolutely no appetite for it. Firstly, they couldn’t figure out who would pay for it, certainly not the owner of a new yacht - why would the yacht need maintenance?


The audio visual and guest experience segment is vast but once again we’ve seen players come and go. The worst element here is the prices companies think they can charge for ‘bespoke superyacht’ entertainment systems and for some reason if you move an entertainment system from a multi-million dollar property to a yacht, the price doubles. The owner and guests really just want to watch the ball game, their favourite TV drama or some lousy reality show, the kids need to be wired up and they might even want some mood lighting. That’s probably simplifying it, but that is what is now being delivered - simple to use interfaces and everything in one place to control lights, music, blinds, the cinema, TVs and more, BUT, with the same intuitive tools that the owners might use in their luxury residences.


I will however, finish with the same comment as I made back in 2023 - it comes down to the people you deal with. What ever the product or services, the relationship must be open, honest, value for money and transparent, then we’ll all get what we want.


66 | WINTER 2024 | ONBOARD


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