From the Bridge
January 2016 The-Triton.com
Attendees of The Triton’s January From the Bridge luncheon were, from left, Martin Secot of M/Y 4 Tranquility, Chris McKenna of M/Y One More Toy, Andrew Brennan, Paul Preston of M/Y Paradise, Brent Holleman of M/Y Cedar Island, Matthew Inglis of M/Y Ada, Charles DuGas-Standish of M/Y Natita, Scott Gaffga of M/Y Serenity, and Robb Shannon of M/Y My Maggie. PHOTO/LUCY REED
boat to boat,” said a third. “It’s up to me to say ‘no way, I’m gone,’ and lose my job.” “If he won’t give you time off, that’s a good decision, but you had to make it,” the first captain said. “You actually have to make the choice.” “There should be a happy medium” between time off and quitting, one captain said. “Crew need to have a life. It’s good for the crew member, and it’s good for the boat.” These captains talked about how committed to a vessel they can become. “As individual captains, we tend not to take time off; we epitomize workaholics,” one captain said. “Why? Because we don’t plan it.” “I think it’s reputation, too,” another said. “And you like the job.” “When I talk to the owner now, it’s our boat, and he loves that,” said a third. “It’s more than that,” another captain said. “Ten months a year, it’s my home.” One captain just joined a new program where the yacht is owned by several friends, and each one wants to use the boat every month. He’s begun the process of explaining that both the yacht and the crew need down time. “I don’t care if I get fired,” he said. “If I do, it wasn’t meant for me. They need a 24-year-old who wants to be married to the boat.” Several of the captains are married
and starting families. And they’ve gotten to the point where they only want to consider jobs where the owner will understand that. “It’s on my resume: married with kids,” one captain said. “I don’t even want to talk to them if they can’t make room for that.” “I don’t care about the money; I want to be happy,” another said. “Somehow, we have to get our message across,” said a third. “We need brokers to be involved,” a captain said. One captain on a yacht that splits between charter and owner use said the owner’s opinion about crew and time off changed when his charter broker got involved. “The broker told him, ‘keep your crew happy’,” this captain said, noting that he’s had minimal turnover in the past three years, thanks to a nice salary, flights and school covered, and four weeks of vacation a year. The charter season is busy and the crew are happy. “The boss got it,” he said. “Your crew are the most valuable thing on your boat.” Lucy Chabot Reed is editor of The Triton. Comments on this story are welcome at lucy@the-triton.com. Captains who make their living running someone else’s yacht are welcome to join in the conversation. E-mail us for an invitation to our monthly From the Bridge luncheon.
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