Running A Charter Yacht - Will Someone Please Now Show Me The Right Way To Do It?

Being on a motor yacht has been more – and also less – than I thought it would be. I guess I expected something totally different from crewing; and what I got was, well… “interesting” to say the least.

During my time onboard we went through three engineers, three stewardesses, two deckhands, two generator tensioner wheels, three generator impellers, one main engine coolant pump, three tow lines, one dock line, two ruptures on inflatable tenders, a black water pump, a grey water pump, a custom mirror in a stateroom, four a/c units, an oven, three waverunner batteries and one relay switch, a garbage compactor, a swim ladder, a tender throttle control, etc… and the list goes on.

I’ve seen a chef get too drunk to cook for guests (more than once). I’ve seen an engineer forget to start the water makers and swear we went through 1,200 gallons of water in three hours while the guests complained they couldn’t shower or flush toilets. I’ve seen a stewardess open the crew hatch to smoke, ash on the deck and leave her butts on the deck.

I learned that other yacht owners and captains don’t like it when you dock in St Barth at 3am without prior notice of late/early arrival.

I learned that apparently it’s okay to enter and exit ports and stay a couple of days without checking into or out of customs (who knew?). And I learned that when you work on a boat apparently it’s okay to go two months without being paid.

I learned that Someone should have done something Anyone could have done and No one ends up doing it – and the captain gets pissed at Everyone.

I learned that if you're dating a crewmate it's okay to overdrink, oversleep and skip shifts as long as you have someone to blame for your work not being done. I learned that the boat develops a personality based upon the crew – and with two couples and one single guy that personality tends to be an attitude of, “the boat is here for our pleasure, not the pleasure of the owner or guests.”

I've seen drunk guests drive tenders. I've seen drunk crew drive tenders. I've seen crew go out drinking with guests, get drunk and not work the next day because they're too hungover.

I’ve seen a yacht slip anchor without the captain on board and almost hit a 70’ Sunreef because the chef didn’t know how to 1) start the mains; 2) activate the helm station controls; 3) operate the windlass from the bridge… and the captain put her in charge in spite of this. (The engineer and I saved the day, thankfully.)

I learned apparently it's okay to extinguish cigarettes on fiberglass, pump out bilges at the dock, throw garbage overboard, etc… I learned that you don't need fire drills, safety briefings or man overboard drills; and apparently no one needs to know the location of the flare kit the EPIRB or life jackets.

But the most important thing I learned in the past few months is this: If I owned a yacht that was in a charter fleet without effective and active management I would be scared stiff at the prospect of handing over the keys without me, the owner, being onboard. The things I’ve seen have given me tremendous insight into running and chartering a yacht – and have instilled in me a certain amount of trepidation when dealing with owners regarding insurance-related matters.

I’m not saying all boats are like this or even close to being like this; but if it’s happening on one boat then to whatever varying degree I’m sure it’s happening on others as well. Regardless, I’ve seen so many situations that would cause owners and insurers alike to shudder with fear at the possible outcome that it would make your head spin.

And in all of this people still say, “Insurance is too expensive.” Based upon what I’ve seen on one boat I say insurance is cheap as chips!

What people fail to understand is that yachts are driven by human beings – human beings with flaws. And as a result, these flaws are ever present onboard and can (and do) creep into the operation of the vessel. It is precisely these flaws that insurers guarantee (within reason) at the owner’s potential financial peril.

(Note: I would encourage everyone to open up an insurance policy and read the “Warranty of Seaworthiness” that all owners agree to in order to insure a yacht.)

So the next time you hear of an owner complaining about the cost of yacht insurance, feel free to pass this along and perhaps he/she will gain a greater understanding of exactly what could be happening on their multi-million dollar asset while they’re not around; and maybe they will understand the inherent vice present when human beings are hired to look after such expensive and luxurious “toys” unsupervised.

Perhaps it will make owners think twice about their hiring practices and vessel management. Because if ever there was a case to be made for boats needing active oversight from a management company, I think I’ve come real close to making it. Yacht managers and charter managers, I tip my hat to you all because after what I’ve seen it’s nothing less than a miracle that you all are not locked up in Trembling Pines Rest Home being fed applesauce with a plastic spoon in a rubber room.

In the mean time, rest assured that CYA/Comprehensive Yacht Assurance will continue to actively review risks and counsel owners, managers and brokers alike regarding a vessel’s coverage because like I’ve said before: CYA does not insure yachts – CYA insures the assets that purchase, maintain and run the yachts. Because if there is one point upon which owners and insurers alike will agree, it’s this: it’s all about the money – who guarantees it and who puts it at risk.

At CYA we do it right – without cutting corners – which means we may not always be the least expensive; but at the end of a long day my head hits the pillow and gets a good night’s sleep knowing that CYA clients are well looked after; and the owner’s assets and interests are covered.