Pocket Superyachts Archives

Can yacht masters master yachts?

As I entered the Cannes yacht show last September I caught myself briefly walking around with my eyes and mouth wide open. Not a good look. My jaw had dropped when I saw all the new models that the major catamaran brands, as well as new market players, displayed. The variety is interesting; Lagoon, Sunreef and a few others are building the most spacious crafts they can, while staying within the 24m loadline regulations. Other brands are profiling themselves as fast racer cruisers. But the question I always ask is:”Who is going to crew these yachts?!” In the monohull market, the choice of yachts around 24 meters also has increased. These are perhaps even less forgiving to sail safely while the owners are generally just as much after the same level of hospitality as their catamaran counterparts. Yachtmaster licenses, obtained after presenting a logbook with an adequate amount of miles and sitting an exam following a 2 week course, is a bare minimum requirement to teach yachtsmen about safe navigation. However, it doesn’t prepare crew to run a yacht on a technical level or for providing the highest level of service for private owners and their guests. An incresing […]

Lot’s of activity in the Pocket Superyacht niche.

This month’s Pocket Superyacht Podcast provides an update on how the Covid situation affects yachting operations. The “Pocket Superyacht Podcast” can be found on Spotify, Anchor and Apple Podcasts. Just enter it in search, and it pops up! Activity on the yachts of our clients on both sides of the Atlantic is ramping up. One of the smaller yachts in our fleet, a Wauqiez 58 is preparing to leave the Bahamas and cross the Atlantic. On their way out they might spot the Gunboat 60 “Defiance” which will spend the next 3 months in the Islands. Two +60ft cats, Plan B and Imagine Heaven in the Croatian islands are prepped for a lovely summer with their private owners. For both of them we have added wonderful seasonal crew to assist the permanent captains. The CNB76 Aenea is coming back to Palma from Tenerife. The trip will be part of the handover to Cpt Oliver Brett from Cpt Adam Hauck who is leaving after nearly 3 years on board to start his own business in 3D printing. We wish him the best of luck! All of this, plus 6 other clients are keeping us very busy. A lot of work goes […]

Invisible Crew, Intensive Care

To start the New Year we got some new gear. Our jumpers have a large circular IC logo on the front. One of our captains jokingly asked if that stood for Invisible Crew. I replied that it might as well. I was 9 years old. My father had organised a music festival in the center of Antwerp, Belgium and the new Hilton Hotel that was opening offered the use of their conference rooms and 3 suites in exchange for marketing exposure. It was the first time I ever experienced such a level of luxury and hospitality. That same summer we rented a little sailboat for the first time. The Frisian lakes in the North of Holland, which we were exploring, are connected by rivers and canals. These, especially for a 9 year old kid, are the boring bits. Somehow I decided to make the beds, something I would never ever do at home! In the evenings I would serve the barbecued food around to my parents and siblings. I said I was playing “Hilton Hotel”. I also enjoyed coiling up all the lines and tyding the deck to perfection. I loved caring for the boat and its crew. Funny to think back at that and […]

The future of (Pocket) Superyachts.

On the 15th of October Quaynote organises a conference called “The Future Of Superyachts”. I have been asked to join as one of the speakers. This is great news, not just for my ego, but because the yachting industry is starting to notice the importance of the growing niche of yachts under 100ft or 30m. I have been asked to provide an introduction on Pocket Superyachts: What are Pocket Superyachts exactly? Why do we use this terminology and what defines them in size and value? Why are they a niche of their own? How are they a stepping stone to Superyachting? Crew on Pocket Superyachts: the dynamics, training and certification. And finally; Pocket Superyachts in Palma: How are Pocket Superyachts received in Palma? At first I wasn’t sure whether I would have anything to contribute to this already great event. But during discussions with the organisers it became apparent that in my niche we are confronted with a very different set of challenges than the rest of the industry encounters. It also became apparent how these issues are relevant to the larger yacht sections of the industry and the companies that cater to them. Just one thought there is this: […]

The dark secrets of every Pocket Superyacht captain.

It’s one of the exciting things about yachts; there’s always something new to learn! The current thinking is that it should be a process of trial and error taking years to learn how to run a yacht. However, the current reality is that we are in dire need of young, energetic, personable and… ideally, highly knowledgeable crew to run luxury yachts between 50 and 100ft! Brands like Lagoon are splashing a new luxury catamaran between 50ft and 78ft every 2,5 days(!) and CNB is launching hull number 25 of the 76’ less than 3 years after the first one was christened, Swan is doing as good as ever and Oyster is seemingly back on its feet. The market of Pocket Superyachts is booming and there is not enough time for crew to grow in their role and learn all the different aspects of running a yacht before being expected to be an expert. And it’s not their fault at all! Every Pocket Superyacht captain carries a set of dark secrets with them… This is a problem that the industry has created for itself. The high demand for new blood sucks people into positions, biting off more than they can […]