ONBOARD Magazine spring 2024

YACHT MANAGEMENT
TEAM SUPPORT
Yacht management and yard periods aside,there’s also the crew
wellbeing to consider and these bases are also covered by the
companies. JMS has male and female mental health officers
and helplines from independent organisations who the crew can
confidentially contact. Larger yachts have mental health officers
appointed onboard. JMS also encourages crew to take courses.
Dean & Waters promote a proactive and healthy working environment
to maximise guest enjoyment, encourage crew longevity and
retained knowledge in all departments. Through its network of
suppliers, its crew management programme, CREWPAL, has
been developed to promote crew wellbeing, to help maintain long
standing and valued crew members and attract a high calibre
of future candidates.
“We leave no stone unturned in ensuring crew welfare,” says Walia
at Ocean Drive, “Offering comprehensive health insurance, and
invaluable access to essential mental health support services.
Through meticulously planned training and drills programmes,
we empower our crew with the necessary skills and knowledge
fostering their continuous development and growth.” Ocean Drive
also ensures that crew have adequate rest periods, crew sorties,
inviting all members to engage in various activities together,
strengthening bonds, team spirits and fostering a sense of
community.
GAME END?
So what now lies ahead for the superyacht industry and the
men and women that manage it? Will it and they survive the
bloom of an eco-warrior generation that could turn its back on
the turbo fuelled super yachts? Jansen admits the industry is
changing all the time and yacht managers need to stay ahead of
the curve. LaMotte predicts tighter environmental regulations
which will require mechanical modifications to yacht systems or
special exemptions from the Flag and Class societies. This will
fall on the yacht manager to organize and help prevent an owner
incurring fiscal penalties.
ARROW MONACO
Over the past 25 years Arrow Monaco has built a reputation
of dependability and excellence in yacht management. While
continuously supporting a fleet spanning every ocean, Arrow’s
offering is unique within the superyacht industry – as a fully
independent yacht and project management company, whose
roots are solidly in the practical skills needed for day-to-day
yacht operations at sea and onshore. To meet and exceed the
industry’s ever-increasing demands, the company also offers a
comprehensive suite of services for new build and refit project
management, a plethora of different surveys and state-of-theart
3D-scanning technology – all refined specifically for the
superyacht sector;
For further details visit www.arrowyacht.com
There will certainly be an increased focus on sustainability
initiatives, practices, and environmental regulations says Walia.
She also predicts greater digitalisation of the industry leading to
more efficient operations and amenities. Evolving luxury demands,
impacting owners and managers through high operational costs,
compliance demands, and the need for ongoing innovation are
also in the mix.
Andreason says, “I think the advent of newer, younger, technically
savvy sustainability-conscious yacht owners has to be addressed
very urgently. As Henk de Vries said at METS a couple of years
ago, we need to adapt or die. I think that is 100% true of
everything we do. If we are not conscious of minimising the
impact of yachts so that more environmentally savvy owners
can still enjoy yachts, we have to be aware of the sustainability
element, the impact that anything that uses a large amount
of natural resources will have on the planet generally. If we can
repurpose things, can we modernise the propulsion systems,
can we think ahead to what yachts need for a longer life cycle?”
There are a lot of big questions overhanging the industry out
there, dangling like Damocles’ sword. Fingers crossed the rope
doesn’t snap and the answers for the future are found before
the sword drops.
146 | SPRING 2024 | ONBOARD