THE TIDES THEY ARE A-CHANGING

Editor Jack Hogan marks his last edition with a plea to tap the underutilised knowledge reservoir.

This edition marks the culmination of my time as editor at The Superyacht Group. Over the past five years, I've witnessed first-hand the evolution of an industry in flux. Beneath the surface of record-breaking deliveries lies a landscape shaped by shifting public perception, technological revolutions and changing regulatory forces. These are pivotal times as the superyacht sector defines its future.

Despite all the fascinating events that have unfolded over the past five years, the parting message that I feel is the most prescient is the value of onboard knowledge and the people who hold it. When I sat at sea approaching my 30s, I felt that I had missed my chance to succeed in a ‘normal’ career. In a world where corporate titles dazzle and impenetrable hierarchies loom large, it’s hard to see a way in.

While my friends on land were being promoted to positions with titles like ‘Executive Vice President of Regional Business Development’ or some similar business-speak word salad, they seemed to be both very important and entrenched in impenetrable corporate structures. All the while, I was pushing a chamois and trying to stop the boss’ kids from crashing jet skis into each other.

I felt siloed in the golden prison, looking out on a bucolic sunset wondering if my chance to succeed in another life was disappearing with it. If you are reading this wondering the same, let me stress that you are far more valuable than you realise. Equally, if you are an employer shoreside, I implore you to look to this under-utilised reservoir of skill and knowledge.

There are thousands of smart and motivated yacht crew out there who are either looking to get out or have already left a life at sea, and the tragic truth is that the vast majority of their knowledge and insights are lost with them.

The sum total of my self-analysed abilities, I thought, were to – at most – try my hand at being a junior charter broker or yacht manager. The narrowness of my focus, I am sure, was due to these being the shoreside people I had the most exposure to. Trust me when I say that project management in a corporate setting pales in comparison to a well-executed charter guest BBQ on a tidal beach at sunset, and managing the expectations of people with power and influence is a skill you already have in spades.

This is a fantastic and frustrating industry to work in. Operational experience is foundational to almost all aspects of the shoreside sector. Some of the simplest insights I have passed on have had the biggest impact on my team and the direction of our projects. Piecing together how this experience translates into tangible outcomes for a company will require more creative approaches from employers.

The industry will need to bridge the gap between shoreside machinations and on-board reality if it is to continue to thrive. With rotation rates on the rise, there is even more chance for more engagement shoreside. Officers, engineers and interior crew who are looking to transition shoreside have up to six months a year available. So, use them!

Martin Redmayne and The Superyacht Group gave me the chance to discover what I could do, and I am sincerely grateful to the team for taking a risk on a fresh-off-the-boat officer who didn’t know that an ‘account manager’ didn’t, in fact, work in the finance department. This role gave me the chance to bridge the gap for myself and, hopefully, connect and communicate some diverse and intriguing idiosyncrasies that make this industry so endlessly fascinating. In doing so I know that I brought value to the wider industry and, more importantly, to myself. JH