YACHTIE YARNS 4

The qualities of a good Captain

Being a good Captain is not just about knowledge of navigation, safety and seamanship, oceanography, meteorology, ships operating systems and engine rooms. Many of the Captains I have worked with are very proficient in these and other technical skills, but lack the interest and ability to establish and maintain interpersonal relationships, direct and train crew, and develop and build efficient teams. Good captains are fair and realistic when scheduling employee work hours, watches and other duties, and especially crew downtime. Many of the Captains described in my previous article "Captains: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly: Part 1"(the "bad and the ugly") were solitary, self-involved, often inaccessible to the crew, unconcerned with team building and relationships, or intervening with the employers to make sure the hard working crew got adequate down time to recharge enough for the long hours and continuous heavy workload.

I can happily say that I have probably encountered almost as many nice, professional Captains who recognized that the crew are their valuable "team" (Together Everyone Accomplishes More) and treated them with the appropriate guidance and appreciation that earned them respect, loyalty and a good job performance. Most of these Captains would also be available, and able, to perform any of the tasks on the boat when needed, especially in an emergency.

South of the Border

One of the sweetest Captains I worked with was an elderly Mexican whose boss was one of the biggest real estate developers in Mexico. Captain Gustavo was close to 80 years old and spoke only broken English. I was walking the docks at Bahia Mar Marina in Fort Lauderdale with my resume, attempting to land another freelance gig, when I stopped at Gustavo's yacht and he invited me up for an impromptu interview. Gustavo explained that the owners were arriving in a week with their family and kids and wanted to cruise around the East Coast of Florida. Gustavo had not been here before, knew nobody, did not speak English well, and did not know where to hire a crew.

I volunteered my help. I made some calls and was able to help him to interview and put a crew together, for which he was extremely grateful. Captain Gustavo was a man with a genuinely good heart and commanded respect just by being a really nice human being. Unlike a lot of Captains, Gustavo was not demanding, and even felt awkward about being cooked for and having his dishes and laundry washed. Gustavo's ego was not evident, and he went about his work with quiet determination and humility.

A hands on Captain, Gustavo would often come into the galley and enjoyed sharing with me how to create his version of some of the Mexican dishes his mother had made for him when he was a child. These dishes were not only authentic, but delicious. I still use Gustavo's pico de gallo recipe today and I get great compliments on it. Unfortunately, the stewardess we had hired, (I will call her Shiela) turned out to be somewhat of a psychopath and started causing Gustavo and myself some real problems. Shiela had dumped her child with her parents in Australia and taken off to pursue a yachting career. Sheila was aggressive and power hungry and started deliberately sabotaging me by restricting my access to the owners and giving me false information about their food requirements. This freelance stewardess was trying to secure a permanent position with the owners and, although I was not, she must have felt threatened by me, because I had given her no reason to act that way towards me - in fact I was the one who got her the job!

Captain Gustavo stepped in and made sure I got the right information without stirring the pot and making Shiela's behavior even worse. Gustavo was totally accessible to the crew and was always ready to listen to any concerns and questions we might have, and he never made us feel inferior. Gustavo set a good example to us all and was able, even at his age, to do all and any of the tasks on the boat which is one of the main reasons the owners loved him. This good Captain frequently helped the crew, giving guidance and encouragement. At the end of the trip. Gustavo took the crew to a nice restaurant in Fort Lauderdale for dinner to thank us for our good work. Shiela, the troubled stewardess, proceeded to get drunk and started insulting all of us, which was very embarrassing for Gustavo, who handled and diffused this situation with diplomacy and grace. Afterwards, Gustavo and I kept in touch periodically by phone, but we lost touch some time ago. I often wonder how he is and whether he has happily retired yet. If you read this Gustavo, I enjoyed working with you, muchas gracias!

The Fisherman

Captain Roy was another very professional, hands-on, captain with whom it was my pleasure to work. Roy not only resumed full responsibility for the boat, drove it, washed it, and maintained it, but he did the engineering as well. Roy had originally been a fishing boat Captain and then moved on to a series of large yachts, so that the 97ft. private yacht we were working on together was small by his standards. Roy was used to dealing with up to 12 or more crew and all the challenges that entails.

On the "Sentimental Journey" a 20 year old Vripak built in Holland, there was just the 83 year old owner Glenn, his son Mitch and Roy and myself. Roy and I were hired to take the yacht from California to Hawaii, which turned out to be a fourteen day trip at sea without any sight of land. During this time we were all like family. Everyone ate together and the owner and his son Mitch insisted on helping out with setting table, washing dishes etc. Mitch, a brilliant young astro-physicist, was being trained by the Captain to fill the role of first mate just for this trip and he helped out in most aspects, including in the engine room. Mitch created a wonderful website for the trip, which was his father's special "sentimental journey", his swan song, retracing the route he took when he was an officer in the army during WW11. Pearl Harbor was the first stop. Roy and I spent many evenings on watch together just chatting and enjoying mutual respect and friendship.

Roy also taught me the basics of deep sea fishing, and with his help I pulled in a 42lb blue fin tuna, which we enjoyed for days! I would be happy to work with Roy again any time, and I wish I had good fortune to work with more Captains like him and Gustavo.

The Other Professionals

Then there are David and Charlie - both west coast captains - with whom it was my privilege to work as a freelance chef, on a 157ft yacht in Mexico. Both these Captains are very nice people as well as being recognized as top professionals in the yachting industry. Both Charlie and David treated their crew with a fairness and appreciation that elicited good job performance and respect. These captains genuinely care about the well being of their crew, have good communication skills, and made sure we all had enough time off when the owner was not on board. The owner, who has three other yachts and a couple of planes, is a real estate developer who builds exclusive resorts.

During the three weeks I was on the yacht I had several paid days off and a weekend at the owner's resort in my own private villa, complete with a lobster dinner and two massages, all courtesy of the owner! All I had to do was tip the staff. This kind of appreciation is rare, and before I left I wrote the owner a very grateful thank you letter. Later on, while I was working on a yacht in Seattle, that same 157 ft. yacht moored behind us for a week. and the permanent chef, my friend Toni, Captain Charlie and myself spent some fun evenings eating out together. Both David and Charlie have given me great references, which mean a lot coming from two of the most respected and well-known captains in the industry.

Coming up in the next article - some of the rest of the crew!