Author: natalie_ic

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Has social media taken over from the crew agent?

Guest blog post by Danielle Berclouw When I left my Amsterdam flat to head out to sunny Mallorca in order to ‘seek my fortune on a super yacht’ all those 14(!) years ago I was armed with my Nokia phone the size and weight of a brick and a floppy disk(!) in case I’d need to print out some more CV’s.. In Palma I’d check my email in a smelly internet cafe and make my calls from a phone booth hoping whichever Captain I was speaking to would run out of questions before I’d run out of clinking coins.. Linked-in was little known, Facebook still far off from being invented and Tweeting still something only little birds did.. Now, of course I have a sleek and shiny MacBook air which weighs less than my phone did then, a teeny, tiny USB stick, an iPhone that can tell me where I am, what the weather’s like in ‘Wagga Wagga’ and what the meaning of the word ‘williwaw’ is. Photo Credit: User:Jjborcean Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported I’m Wassaping, Skyping, Tweeting, Texting, Foursquaring and Facebooking all at the same time! I’m mostly on Facebook which is also how I often find […]

Why Pocket Superyachts are highly important for the whole industry.

My visit to the 2017 Cannes Boatshow can be categorised as a success. I considered myself very lucky that my hairdresser had availability when I walked in without appointment the day before flying to the Côte d’Azur. Because, madre mía, the waterfront avenue Le Croisette is a very Dolce Vita affair! Looking at all the people in the ridiculously long entrance queue (due to a poorly organised security check) one could assume that the show was welcoming a serious clientele. On day 4 of the show, the head of sales of a very successful Pocket Superyacht brand whispered to me in French that they sold 2 yachts on the show. I spoke to a lot of sales representatives and brokers. They all had one or three prospects in the pipeline. And most importantly, they seemed relieved to learn about Invisible Crew’s services! Really, relieved! One of them looked like he had been waiting for me his whole life! That made me chuckle. But they are absolutely right to be concerned. Established brands seem to be selling with relative ease. New brands in the 50ft to 80ft range are popping up left, right and center. And existing brands that used to […]

Rock Star Yacht Crew!

I’ve said it literally to some of the crew I have worked with; “You’re a rock star!” And it’s true. Crew are just like rock stars. They have to make sure everything looks glamorous. They have to perform a great show and make sure the show goes, on at all times. But rockstars need good management. The role of the management is to find them gigs, make sure the venues are up to standard, the promotor / client is a reliable person to work with,… basically making sure that all elements are in place for the Rock Stars to perform at their best. The manager also makes sure that signed contracts are in place and clear to all parties. The (road)manager will make sure that, even in the middle of the show, the Rock Stars are handed the props they need to make the show an unforgettable success. The big applaus comes from the audience, not so much from the manager but the Rock Star knows why the manager is there. Directly and indirectly, the manager makes the Rock Star’s life easier. He also encourages the Stars to do better, to work on certain points and helps them to remain inspired. In the lime light (translate […]

What is Invisible Crew up to this summer?

Writing for The Islander Magazine is not only great exposure, the actual writing is a good moment to reflect on how things are going with Invisible Crew. My lean little company is gaining momentum largely thanks to the great crew that I work with, the partnering companies with which we are creating ever closer bonds and a few individuals in my close circle. However, at this time of the year I probably wouldn’t take an hour to have get an overview of all the things that are going on. They tend to just flash through my mind like a train passing by at full speed. The 85ft Royal Huisman Ebb Tide is nearly ready for the season while going through its first crew change in four years, the time that it has been under Invisible Crew’s management. Fons is handing over the helm, or better, the control over the engine room, to his fellow countryman Hans who will keep the yacht running smoothly with his Dutch craftsmanship. We hope to do more work with Fons in the future and we welcome Hans! The CNB76 Aenea is keeping us busy booking berths in highly coveted marinas at busy times of the […]

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The rules are very black and white and grey on Pocket Superyachts

One of the reasons why Invisible Crew is specialised and passionate about the Pocket Superyacht niche is its personal nature. The confined space of a yacht smaller than 100ft dictates that the contact between crew and owner is more amicable and less formal than on larger yachts. One would think that such interpersonal dynamics make the job easier but it’s quite the opposite. Over the years I have witnessed how these dynamics result in blurred lines. The lines can’t be any more blurred than when alcohol comes into play. Sometimes playing hard is actually working hard. Without a fault, any owner I have worked for has invited me to join his family or guests when they went out for dinner and the occasional party that follows. I’m not complaining when I say that I have been forced to join in with the excesses numerous times. I would almost say it is part of the job. However, what’s also part of the job, is getting up in the morning before everyone else. One owner I worked for took us (a crew of 4) on a bender one evening. The next morning, as a logical result, we weren’t as fresh as usual. […]