April 26, 2011
A few thoughts from captains and crew about yacht toys, owners and guests:
Besides the maintenance issues, the safety of the guests and the crew while using these "toys" needs to be paramount. Far too many accidents, injuries and deaths have occurred over the years as a result of improper use, lack of training, and tolerance of alcohol and/or drug use associated with the use of these items.
Any "toy" that has maintenance requirements needs to be added to the Engineering Planned Maintenance program. I have found this is the only way to keep the equipment operating safely and reliably.
Decadence. He who dies with the most toys wins.
In an industry where we cater to owners’ and guests’ every need, having an opinion on what should be (or should not be) on board is irrelevant. We are employed to professionally operate and maintain an owner’s lifestyle. It would be comparable to you employing a housekeeper and that person telling you what you should have in your home or how you should decorate it. We should thank the owners who afford us this luxurious lifestyle and not complain about our job complexities.
PWCs = yacht lice
Toys are a part of this game, but some boats overdo it. Our owner's pretty good about it, but some guests will have us launch toys on a whim and then not use them.
For me, it's the toys that make yachting great. My philosophy of the ideal yachting experience is the elimination of limitations. The better your tools (toys), the better prepared you are to participate in what makes yachting fun. Yep, they're a pain in the butt to maintain and deal with, but I think well worth the effort.
Toys, toys, toys. More is better. Have two of everything. Guests and owners need to be entertained.
Education, education, education, and control the beverage flow.
Love those slides. How are the insurance companies doing with them?
Here are a few toys yacht crew say they wish they didn’t have on board:Inflatable slide. Very heavy and labor intensive to set up, especially if the charter is frequently moving.
Sailboat, because it’s a pain in the a--.
Kayaks. Everybody thinks they're going to be great until they find out that it takes effort to make them go. We get them all down and they get used for 30 minutes, then it's back to motorized toys.
Seabobs, heavy and usually require a crew member just to play spotter as the guests speed around just under the water’s surface.
Anything that doesn't have a proper home. We have too much gear that does not have a home.I hate towing the tender and dealing with it in and out of ports.
Tender. It’s too much of a hassle to tow. In rough water it slows us down and sometimes gets damage.
To read the full results from this month’s survey, click here.
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