Perhaps one of these images is what comes to mind when you hear the word “superyacht,” a phrase commonly used to describe yachts over 80 feet in length.
Ultra-luxury ships have a reputation for being carefree, but tragic events like Monday’s sinking of the Baysian superyacht off the coast of Sicily are a reminder that yachting is a pastime that comes with its own risks and nuances. It’s unclear what the rules were on the Baysian.
For those interested in chartering a superyacht, captain Kelly Gordon, 42, told Business Insider there are a few important factors to consider before jumping on board.
Gordon fell in love with yachting after his first yacht ride in his mid-20s.
Gordon was determined to reach captain level and quickly rose through the chain of command. She spends most of her time sailing in the Bahamas and the Caribbean, and is currently based in Florida as the captain of her own 108-foot privately owned vessel.
Gordon, who has more than 12,600 followers on Instagram, says there are three things people should keep in mind before chartering a superyacht.
Think of the process of chartering a superyacht as buying a house.
Gordon says one of the most important things when chartering a superyacht is to work with a charter broker.
“A charter manager’s job, first and foremost, is to find a safe boat,” Gordon said, adding that in his experience, “not all programs put safety as highly as they should.”
She also likes to place charter brokers on an equal footing with real estate agents, in that the charter broker is responsible for finding the best option that matches the client’s preferences.
“Find a place that’s really compatible and has a good reputation, and then discuss things like what your budget is, where you want to go, your activity level, what your personality is like,” Gordon said.
Matching clients with crew members who fit their characteristics is a big part of a charter broker’s job, Gordon said.
“If you think about it, you’re living with that crew 24/7,” she says. “If you’re someone who just wants to sit and read a book all day, you’re not going to have a very active crew.”
Finding a competent, safety-first crew
A charter broker can also help match clients with capable crew members who make safety a top priority.
“I don’t know if a lot of people realize how much people’s lives are in our hands when we cast our line and go out to sea,” Gordon said.
One of these is a safety briefing, which Gordon conducts every time he welcomes clients aboard a chartered vessel before the vessel departs.
A thorough safety briefing includes informing clients about the location of safety equipment and life jackets, as well as procedures to follow in the event of a fire, falling overboard or the vessel sinking.
“You should get a safety briefing, and if you don’t get one, you should ask for one,” Gordon said.
She added that procedures may be different on privately owned yachts, where passengers may be more familiar with the vessel.
The Baysian is a private yacht owned by tech tycoon Mike Lynch, and it is not yet known what safety training staff and passengers have received.
Make sure your crew is watching 24/7
“A lot of charterers assume that when they sleep, the crew sleeps,” Gordon said.
But that shouldn’t be the case, she added. “You want someone on board knowing that they’re awake, because if the weather turns or the anchor starts dragging, someone has to get up and get ready to sail and get everyone else dealing with it.”
One of the biggest weather risks is tornadoes, which are extremely difficult to predict and prepare for, both on land and at sea.
“I’m from the Midwest, where tornadoes happen,” Gordon said, “and they’re hard to predict, but if you know one’s coming, it’s going to go wherever it wants to go.”
In most cases, people near the weather event only have a few minutes to prepare, which is even more difficult if it’s in the middle of the night.
Dealing with sudden weather changes can be a challenge, but Gordon recommends researching the area you’ll be sailing in advance, just as you would when visiting a new country.
“It’s no different to going on holiday on land,” she says. “You need to know where you’re going, and you can’t just dump it all on the crew.”
While the investigation doesn’t need to be as extensive as crew members should be, it’s important to “be responsible not only for yourself, but for your family and your guests.”
