Bad owners

In my case the whistle would be moot, considering my hearing

well taking it a different way the owners who destroy beautiful designs with their desire for lengthening and cough...enclosed sun deck and flybridge...thumbs down....or indeed the owners who refit at unknown yards because it is cheapest only to find that the yards are used to the standards of refitting ferrys....er..it is an asset and a quality refit will ADD value and severe ugly changes to the design will DECREASE value.

recently in a meeting with lawyers and surveyors an owner exclaimed that $500,000 (the value for loss of hire) was peanuts could have heard a pin drop after that

As an engineer, I have watched many of Captains deal with loosing battles with owners. I have seen where the owners had created unrealistic situations that nobody could succeed in and watch the Captain try and try to no avail. I have always left the situation becuase I know what is in store and it's not good. The Captain almost always gets fired (every now and then they will find another job before hand). Then they are thrown out in the cold with out notice and just that fast. I will hear about it shortly later and I always wonder why that Captain had done that to himself, trying so hard to make a loosing situation work, sort of like bringing a sword to a gun fight, rather than just admitting that the situation is not working out and moving on in there own time and on there schudule. Then they would had been in control of the situation rather than the situation in control of them.
I usaully figure it's like you can't see the forest becuse of the trees, or is it you can't see the trees becuase of the forest, aw one of them any ways.

i think some owners enjoy making lawsuits and creating problems. Its like playing a big game of chess with people. Very boring for some types to retire from managing a big company, simply relaxing on a yacht is not very interesting. Nice to have some lawsuits to keep them occupied. Anyway good to keep the lawyers and surveyors in business.

I remember talking to a crewmember from ALEXANDER, i asked him what it was like, he said many of the crew had spent most of their career aboard, they know every nut and bolt. That must be nice. sometimes change is good though it can be for the better or worse but interesting to find out. There are many yachts with character and ship like capabilities. Some good owners nice people out there also.

I always have enjoyed the challenge of learning a new boat. Especially the times where I had felt that I'll never get this one all figured out. I have learned, for a larger size yacht, that it takes about 2 months to really get to know the boat and all it's opperating procedures, but then yet you never stop learning all the small quirks and fine details of the vessel.

Interview the owner

As a potential employee of any rank considering a job on a boat, yes... you do want the job, but you also should want your dignity. As you do you best to achive the position under consideration, I think it's also fair to ask a number of questions of the both the owner and current crewmembers. (If you're not allowed to speak with current employees consider this a majorred flag.) This way you'll get a good feel for the attitude and personality of the owner... is he friendly and jovial while still sharp enough to ask you the right questions concerning your skills? Or do you detect a blustery, imperious attitude, traits which could indicate that once at sea this person will turn into an unreasonable tyrant? I'm convinced that if a person is more than say, 21 years old, he or she MUST "listen to your gut." Is there something in the interview that's causing you to just feel that something isn't quite right? If so, it's up to you to decide just how much crap you're willing to accept. Perhaps the draw of the boat makes it all worthwhile, or you're moving up to a more responsible position that will look good on your resume when you apply somewhere else in a year. We all have our limits, but I certainly don't feel that holding a job on some fat cat's big ol' boat should subject someone -- anyone -- to checking their dignity at the shore.

And nope: I'm not hiring. (Yet.)

Happy cruising.

Hi,

I guess I have been lucky in my long and happy career on yachts.

I note with interest Captain Chris's comment that the present situation may cost his friendship with the Owner.

This is one thing I always try to emphasis to people the Owner is the Boss he is not your friend ( in the true sense of the word) and you are not his. It is the blurring of this that causes many problems from what I have seen.

You mentioned, I believe, that your current vessel is for sale. Do you have a good relationship with the listing broker?
Let him know you'd like to stay on. Even if another broker brings a client to the deal, the fact that you know all the nuances of your onboard systems is invaluable for a new owner who might just not be bringing in your replacement.
Even if the new Mr. Owner brings along his new skipper, who's not to say that, during your trial runs & inspections, your professionalism and obvious detailed knowledge of the boat shine through and you eventually end up back onboard with a fat raise?

As a broker, once the deal is all but put together and we're enjoying a libation, I don't mind telling inquiring owners-to-be that I know more good captains than good owners-- and that's a fact.

Hi,

Loren, That's a great piece of advice.

Solution

Hi there, all you disappointed, mistreated, insulted members of the yachties' community!

I have a suggestion: apply for a position on a shadow ship, no owner and no guests!
The trend is catching on, so ....!

This is an interesting topic for those of us peering in from the outside. I was not aware that a captain might stay on with the same yacht after a sale. How common is this?

Just curious,
Kelly Cook

From the Outside!!

I am not a crew member, but would like to ask what is the craziest owner request of a Captine or crew? Also are male owners worse then Ladies?

Its good to hear that others have had encounters with the good bad and ugly owners The owner I a working for now was open for our relationship to become friends but to date I have done my best to maintain a purely profesional relationship and it is working really well. I have made the mistake in the past of crossing this line. I also have become aware that the reason why I put up with bad situations in the past was the because of the love afair that I had with the boat. Still havent figures out how to deal with that one and hopefully wont have to !!

In what I have seen in the larger yacht sector, it seems almost 50-50% the captain stays or goes with a sale of a yacht.

A word of advice Capt Chris.-
Be careful how much info you make available on line, I feel for your situation but I am an aquaintance of your broker and now I know what boat you run. If I was snake I could find out the owner and show him this post and maybe get your job or cause you some trouble. Let me repeat, this is not something that I would do, but as we all know there are others in this industry that are quite low and dirty.
While online I try to let very little be known about me and try to talk in general terms, allthough at least one member knows who I actually am. Not trying to be secrative but we run in a small crowd and word and opinions get around pretty quick
Good luck with your situation and I hope you all the best.
As for bad owner stories-
I was running a large sportfish a few years ago, when while I was at the airport picking up my brother to fish the largest contest on the East Coast, the owner decided to fire me, when I got back to the boat he had taken all the money out of my briefcase and told me to pack my things and get off the boat. Well I did and proceeded to call the police, while the whole time he kept spewing the names of his lawyers and I had to hold my brother back from ripping his head off (he is twice my size). Well the last thing he wanted was to cause a stir so when the cops showed up he played nice and payed my way back and a hotel for the night. In the end the money issue was settled. When word got out to the fishing crowd I was friendly with, some anonymous calls were made to Nat. Marine Fisheries about a foreign flagged boat fishing in restricted fishery (tuna) and catching fish, they boarded the boat at the tournament and ran him thru the ringer in front of the whole crowd. I wish I could have been there but the reports I got back were great.
After 15 years in the business that was the one bad owner that I have had and by far the worst situation that I have been thru.
If I see you around I will say Hi.