Slow progress
Sea & H
Three months in, the S/Y Legacy seems many more months from freedom. A9
Nearly burned vessel taken for a few runs. B1 Vol. 4, No. 10
The Kakki M!
Decades-old memories stirred by fire photo. A28
www.the-triton.com
Clearing in island-style: bring manners, baked goods With St. Maarten being the latest hotbed of immigration hassles (and no, there is still no official suspension of the visa requirement for South Africans), we decided to ask captains on the island for the charter show about their immigration experiences in the From the Bridge Caribbean. As always, Lucy Chabot Reed individual comments are not attributed to any one person in particular so as to encourage frank and open discussion. The attending captains are identified in a photograph on page A21. In August, St. Maarten began enforcing its visa requirements for citizens from a slew of countries considered suspect (for whatever reason), including South Africa. Until then, a seaman’s book was all that was required. Marine industry leaders have been meeting with government officials for an exemption for yacht crew this season, but as of press time, no official exemption had been announced. Despite assurances from the marine industry that immigration officials would admit any crew arriving for the charter show, two captains reported that their entries were delayed. One captain had to fly his South African crew member back to Miami to obtain the visa. Another captain who had visas for his South African crew member was questioned about his Peruvian crew members, but finally permitted entry on the condition they depart the island immediately after the show. Other captains took the precaution of obtaining the visas for their South African crew, just in case. Turns out to have been the better tack. “I took them to Miami,” a captain said. “It took two hours and cost $50 each. It was no problem. We always go out of our way to have the correct paperwork.” While he agreed that the majority
See BRIDGE, page A20
ST. MAARTEN FLAIR
January 2008
$1,000 a foot
Survey reveals that the most-experienced captains do get paid more, but only a little. By Lucy Chabot Reed
The MYBA St. Maarten Charter Show didn’t hold many surprises this year, but crew were at their best – and then some. Marcel Leger of M/Y Milk and Honey, above, takes the stage on M/Y Harmony during the yacht hop. (The entire Milk and Honey crew was decked out in feathers, makeup and courage to steal the show.) At right, Chef Rhonda Smith,Capt.Roy Hodges,and deckhand Kathrin Eugen of M/Y Atlantica mix up Shag Rugs, their signature drink in honor of the softest carpet you have ever felt on a megayacht. For more, see the Editor’s Notebook, page PHOTOS/LUCY REED A10.
In crunching the data from our salary survey of last month, we found some interesting things that support what we thought we knew, and some troubling data that disappoints. Because the data we have from 76 captains is the most complete, we focused our analysis on that position. First, the good news: The more experience a captain has, the more money he/she earns per foot, regardless of the length of the vessel. The average captain in our survey had a career of just more than 16 years and earned $962 a foot. Ten captains in our survey had at least 10 years on the same vessel and 20 years in yachting. They earned the most per foot: $1,013.50. Bad news: That high end isn’t that much higher than what the average newer captain earns, about $900 a foot. What does that mean? It could mean that – just considering salary alone – there isn’t much room for salary growth in yachting unless a captain moves up
See SURVEY, page A16
Captain’s pay Average salary: $113,407 Range: $48,000-$240,000 Median: $103,000 Most common salary: (4 each) $72,000, $80,000 and $100,000
Vessel size Average LOA: 117.9 feet Range: 50 to 240 feet Median: 112 feet Most common: (5) 130 feet
Average salary by LOA $961.90