Any of you who’ve lost faith in government’s ability to get things done, hold onto your hats: The Australian government has made good on a promise to straighten out the quagmire of regulations governing visas for crewmembers entering the country.As I explained to you in January, the Labor Party, which won election in November 2007,…
If you’re a regular reader of this blog and/or my articles for Power & Motoryacht, then you’ve seen the following statement before: Crew can make or break the ownership experience. Without a qualified crew, and without those crewmembers feeling their efforts are appreciated, the yacht, with all her high-tech engineering and beautiful woodwork, isn’t leaving…
If it’s been said once, it’s been said a thousand times, by yacht builders, brokers, and even me: A yacht is only as good as her crew. As much as a skilled crew is worth its weight in gold, however, few, if any, firms take the time to educate these mostly young men and women…
Back in August I told you about the new initiative the International SeaKeepers Society was launching to expand its ocean-monitoring mission by including yacht captains and crew. After all, they’re arguably more in tune with what’s going on with the water than the megayacht owners who founded the organization and continue to support it. Well,…
Pity the poor Talitha G crew. They’re used to the warm temperatures and sunny skies of the Caribbean this time of year, working a busy charter schedule, but instead, they’re shivering on land as their floating home is being torn to pieces in Germany.Talitha G, launched in 1930 and in the hands of the famed…
In previous posts I’ve talked about how megayacht captains and crew deserve our respect and admiration for the jobs they do. While it’s a rare occurrence, sometimes they end up putting their own lives at risk. In so many ways they are the unsung heroes of the marine industry, which is why the International Superyacht…
The folks over at Yotcru are a pretty funny lot. That may sound strange if you’re familiar with their Web site, which does an excellent job of keeping crew updated about what’s going on in the megayacht industry, provides forums for them to exchange ideas, and has job listings, among other things. But despite all…
The winner of the Megayacht News photo contest for December is (drum roll, please) Capt. Ted Sputh, who has commanded several yachts during his 32-year yacht career. Some of you may know his son, Capt. Carl Sputh, who runs the lovely charter yacht Starfire. In fact, Starfire is the focus of the winning entry, which…
Usually when someone tells you the “engines are in pieces,” it’s time to panic. But not when the engines in question are part of a laundry list of items being refurbished for the next several months.That’s what I learned reading the blog written by the crew aboard the classic megayacht Talitha G. She’s in Hamburg…
When I kicked off the first Megayacht News photo contest last month, little did I know how tough it would be to choose the winner. Some of you sent some truly outstanding shots! But after careful deliberation, I’m pleased to announce that the October Photo of the Month victor is Ramsey Haig. Haig’s a former…
