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April 2014 The Triton hosts The Expo and networks with ISSGMT. See A1 and A8.
C2-3 Yachting loses a chef Dunnette is remembered as smiling and positive. A3
Triton Expo celebrates 10 years
Talk to me Learn to communicate with yacht captains.
A5
Right side up Keep yacht balanced with stability, incline test.
B1
READY TO GO IN PALM BEACH
The Triton turns 10 years old in April, and we’re celebrating with our Triton Expo on April 2. Join us from 5-8 p.m. for our semiannual exhibition of some of the most interesting vendors in the industry, all of whom can help yacht captains and crew excel in their jobs and careers. We’ll also have presentations from a few of our beloved columnists, a resume clinic staffed by captains and placement agents, live music and great food. Plus we’ll have cake to celebrate our birthday.
POLISHED AND PREPARED: Yacht crew like this one on the 164-foot Delta M/Y Arianna opened the 29th annual Palm Beach International Boat Show in March with a smile. See more crew shots on page A12. PHOTO/LUCY REED
See EXPO, page A11
TRITON SURVEY: Cell phone use
Captains: How often do crew
use a phone during work?
Can we lose a yacht? A peek at the myriad tools used to monitor and track. B1
Go sailing, trust captains, to enjoy yachting
We spend a lot of time in our monthly captains luncheons talking about things that impact a captain’s job Hardly at and career. Most of those conversations A dozen times over the past 10 all – 15% – 30% years have looked 3-4 times an at outside things hour – 7% that captains deal with, including crew All the time issues, shipyards – 6% A little bit and contractors, and – 42% From the Bridge relationships with Lucy Chabot Reed owners. This month, as The Triton turns 10 years old, we Crew: How often do you use wanted to turn around and look at how owners impact not captains your phone during work? but yachting in general, so we asked “What one thing do you wish owners A dozen would do to better enjoy their yachting times experience?” – 25% “Use them,” one captain said without Hardly at missing a beat. “We’re here to entertain all – 28% 3-4 times an them. It gets boring cleaning them.” hour – 8% The other captains in the room agreed, and there was silence. Could it All the time A little bit be that easy? – 5% – 34% “And go to different spots, new locations,” another captain finally said. As always, individual comments – Story, C1
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 A14. Our relatively small group of captains this month nevertheless spanned the industry, from one who has been playing with yachts since he was a child, to another who spent a career in commercial before landing on large yachts. One works on smaller old vessels, another on bigger new ones. Between them, they have run across a variety of owners, stuck with some, left others. And they agreed that owners would be happier in yachting if they simply used their yachts more. “I just sat with the boss and planned a year’s itinerary,” one captain said. “I had to do it, for the insurance company. But it helps clarify where we’re going. It puts it in their head. Here’s the float plan, now let’s use it.” A plan, even a rough idea, helps with budgets, too, they agreed. “Tell me where you want to go a year out and I’ll save you $200,000 on dockage,” one captain said. “And fuel,” said another. “Going
across the Atlantic at 12 knots versus 8 knots is huge.” OK, so let’s say all yacht owners used their yachts more. There must be more to it. Even when they do use their yachts, we still do something to mess it up for them. We charge too much, we spend too much, we fail in managing the crew, we tell them one thing when it’s really another (this applies to all of us in yachting, not just captains). What dynamics come into play that owners have control over that would increase enjoyment of their yachts? “Trust us,” a captain said. “It’s what you pay us for. Take input from us.” But they agreed that’s not as simple as it sounds either. “Wealthy people learn that there will always be people who want their wealth,” another captain said. “Trust is always going to be an issue.” Another thing that these captains said would help owners enjoy their yachts more is to stop sweating the small stuff. “There’s a level of obsessive compulsiveness, wanting everything
See BRIDGE, page A14