What does it really take to lead a superyacht when the pressure is high, the decisions are yours, and everyone onboard is looking to the bridge?

In this episode of On The Bridge, Alicia Store, Chief Operating Officer at dsnm Ltd, speaks with Superyacht Captain Olly Lewis about the realities of command, charter leadership, crew morale, safety, rotation, recruitment, and life at sea.

Olly’s route into yachting was far from ordinary. After training as a ship’s joiner at Pendennis in Falmouth, he helped build the yacht that would later become his first deckhand role, giving him a rare understanding of the vessel from the keel up before his career at sea had even properly begun.

From there, he worked his way through the ranks with focus and discipline, using his leave to train, progress, and keep climbing. He also reflects on the importance of mentorship, particularly the role Captain Bill White played in giving him an opportunity and helping shape the captain he would become.

The conversation explores what makes a strong charter captain, from preparation and guest communication before anyone steps onboard, to building trust with clients, supporting heads of department, and making sure the team behind the operation is properly recognised.

Olly also speaks openly about the harder side of the job, including being away from home, raising a family while working on rotation, and the loneliness that can come with command. For all the privilege and excitement of the role, he makes clear that being captain still comes with pressure, sacrifice, and responsibility.

One of the most gripping parts of the episode is Olly’s account of a Gulf of Aden security incident, where an approaching skiff, armed security, a secured vessel, and a fast-moving situation left him standing alone on the bridge, making decisions under real pressure.

Alicia and Olly also discuss crew morale during intense charter seasons, why captains need to stay grounded, what he looks for when recruiting crew, how additional skills can help people stand out, and why safety must remain the final line when guest requests push against operational limits.

This is a conversation about leadership, responsibility, preparation, calm under pressure, and the human reality behind the title of captain.

Guest:
Captain Olly Lewis
Superyacht Captain

Host:
Alicia Store
Chief Operating Officer, dsnm Ltd

Prefer to read? Head to Yachting News on the website:
https://www.yachtinginternationalradio.com/yachting-news

On The Bridge | dsnm Ltd | Yachting International Radio

Search Yachting Channel on your favourite podcast platform for more conversations from across the global yachting industry.

Seafarer abandonment does not always mean a crew has been physically deserted on a dead ship. Sometimes the vessel is still operating, the crew is still working and cargo is still moving, but wages have stopped, contracts have expired, repatriation is being delayed and basic provisions are beginning to disappear.

Julia Gosling and Adam Parnell are joined by Mohamed Arrachedi, ITF FOC Network Coordinator for the Arab World and Iran at the International Transport Workers’ Federation, for a powerful examination of what abandonment really looks like and why it continues despite protections already contained within the Maritime Labour Convention.

Mohamed works directly with seafarers facing unpaid wages, failed repatriation, unsafe living conditions and abandonment. He explains when a situation legally becomes abandonment, why crews should not wait until conditions become desperate before asking for help, and how failures in enforcement can allow abuse to continue.

The conversation also looks beyond the vessel itself. When a seafarer goes months without wages, the consequences can reach an entire family ashore, particularly when that seafarer is the household’s main source of income.

At its heart, this is a conversation about enforcement, accountability and the human cost of allowing abandonment to become normalised.

Resources referenced in this episode:
Seafarer Abandonment Series: Smart Seafaring. A Safe Return
https://youtu.be/fbg_frnyDy0

ITF Seafarers’ Bulletin 2026
https://www.itfseafarers.org/sites/default/files/node/resources/files/ITF-SB26_Layout_RGB-web-1.pdf

ITF Seafarers
https://www.itfseafarers.org

Prefer to read? Head to Yachting News at Yachting International Radio.
Prefer to watch? Find Sea Views on the Yachting International Radio YouTube channel.

────────────────────────────
SUPPORTED BY
CHIRP Maritime & The Seafarers’ Charity
────────────────────────────

https://www.chirp.co.uk
https://www.theseafarerscharity.org

🎙️ Sea Views | Yachting International Radio

Some lives are measured not only by what was achieved, but by what was passed on.

Recorded before his passing, this special episode of Yachting USA preserves the voice, humour and restless imagination of Buddy Haack, a yacht captain, shipyard and owner’s representative, author, mentor and lifelong student of the sea.

Alongside Yachting USA host Rick Thomas and Captain Doug Hoogs, his longtime friend and mentor, Buddy traces the unconventional path that carried him from surfing in Jacksonville to a remarkable career in yachting.

His stories travel from a formative year at sea aboard the schooner Unicorn to earning his captain’s licences, building and commanding high-speed yachts in Italy, bringing M/Y Adler to Havana in 1994 and welcoming Fidel Castro aboard. He reflects on his work with Lürssen, the value of integrity and long-term support, the importance of building yachts in America and the knowledge that must be passed to the next generation.

Even while speaking openly about paralysis, pain and the quality of life he hoped to regain, Buddy’s thoughts repeatedly return to the future: what might still be built, what could still be discovered and what young people entering the industry might one day achieve.

At the time of recording, Buddy was living with rapidly progressing glioblastoma, which affected aspects of his thinking and recollection. This context is shared not to define him by his illness, but to help listeners understand the circumstances in which this deeply personal record was made.

This tribute does not reduce Buddy to a polished memory. It preserves his candour, irreverent humour, extraordinary experiences and enduring sense of possibility because each was part of the man his family, friends and colleagues knew.

“The possibilities are unlimited.”

Featuring:

Buddy Haack
Rick Thomas, Host of Yachting USA
Captain Doug Hoogs, Buddy’s longtime friend, mentor and co-author

Yachting International Radio extends its sincere thanks to Buddy’s wife, Weronika, and his daughters for sharing family photographs and offering thoughtful guidance during the final stages of the production.

Content note: This episode contains candid references to substance use, serious illness, pain, paralysis and end-of-life care.

Read the accompanying editorial:
https://www.yachtinginternationalradio.com/post/the-possibilities-are-unlimited-buddy-haack-and-a-life-shaped-by-the-sea

Watch the full film:
https://youtu.be/k2HNFukeiIY

Yachting USA is a Yachting International Radio production.

With thanks to Engineered Yacht Solutions for supporting this special episode.

Salt, sun, oxidation, hard use and constant pressure to keep everything running. Maintaining a superyacht never stops. But what happens when budgets tighten, crew are stretched and cutting corners starts creating bigger problems than it solves?

In this episode of Yacht Maintenance Unhinged, Tyler Wilson sits down with Sam Powell, Toy Shop Sales Director at National Marine Suppliers, at Superyacht Village in Fort Lauderdale for a candid conversation about yacht maintenance, crew knowledge, budgets, logistics and what it really takes to keep a vessel operational.

After more than a decade with National Marine Suppliers, Sam has worked across almost every corner of yacht support, from deck and engineering supplies to new builds, yacht toys, logistics and emergency problem-solving. That experience has given him a unique view of what happens onboard when maintenance is properly planned, and what happens when it is not.

Tyler and Sam discuss the importance of product knowledge and crew training, including the damage caused by using the wrong chemical on PVC, repeatedly polishing a surface instead of properly maintaining it, incorrectly treating teak or handing an inexperienced crew member a product without explaining how to use it.

Sam also shares the story of accidentally sending a jet ski to the wrong Caribbean island, the extraordinary logistics required to charter a plane and get it to the yacht before charter, and how openly admitting the mistake and presenting solutions ultimately turned a major problem into a stronger relationship with the owner.

Because in yachting, problems are inevitable. What matters is having the knowledge, communication and people around you to solve them.

Yacht Maintenance Unhinged | Yachting International Radio

Hosted by Tyler Wilson
Founder and President, Velluto Products

Guest: Sam Powell
Toy Shop Sales Director, National Marine Suppliers

Sam Powell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-powell-b-sc-hons-mmarcon-29560837
National Marine Suppliers: https://nationalmarine.com

Presented by Velluto Products
High-performance ceramic marine care, freshly blended for yachts, tenders and personal watercraft. Engineered to protect against salt, UV exposure, oxidation and water spotting. Built for life on the water.
https://vellutoproducts.com

Search “Yachting Channel” on your favourite podcast platform for more conversations from across the global yachting industry.

What does marine innovation look like before it becomes the technology everyone is talking about?

As the countdown to FLIBS 2026 begins, The Blue Economy looks back at three companies selected as nominees for the 2025 Marine Research Hub Innovation & Sustainability Awards, revisiting the ideas, technologies and people that caught the attention of the awards programme one year ago.

Host Katherine O’Fallon, Executive Director of the Marine Research Hub, returns to conversations recorded at the 2025 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show with iHoy Captain, Remigo and Vessev.

Osman Onur Cagiran of iHoy Captain introduces a new-generation marine autopilot designed around rapid installation, smartphone control, integrated navigation and route following.
Learn more:
https://ihoycaptain.com/

Peter Brechter, CEO of Remigo North America, discusses the thinking behind Remigo’s lightweight, self-contained electric outboard, including its integrated battery system, aluminium-led construction and approach to making electric propulsion simpler for boaters.
Learn more:
https://remigo.us/

Josh Trout of Vessev explores electric hydrofoiling, reduced drag, lower energy requirements, carbon-fibre construction, low-wake operation, battery development and the opportunity to create vessels that can continue evolving as technology improves.
Learn more:
https://www.vessev.com/

These are three very different businesses, but together they demonstrate exactly what the Marine Research Hub Innovation & Sustainability Awards were created to recognise: practical ideas and forward-thinking technologies capable of moving the marine industry towards a more innovative and sustainable future.

The 4th Annual Marine Research Hub Innovation & Sustainability Awards return at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in 2026, recognising companies and organisations developing solutions across marine sustainability, environmental conservation, renewable energy, eco-conscious products, social impact and other areas of the Blue Economy.

FLIBS 2026 takes place October 28 to November 1 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Marine Research Hub:
https://marineresearchhub.org/

Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show:
https://www.flibs.com/

WITH THANKS TO THE AWARDS PARTNERS & SUPPORTERS

The Marine Research Hub Innovation & Sustainability Awards are made possible through the organisations that have supported and championed the programme.
Allini Water Filters
alliniwaterfilters.com
DeAngelo Marine Exhaust
deangelomarine.com
Total Marine Solutions
www.tms-fla.com
Informa Markets
informamarkets.com
Marine Industries Association of South Florida
miasf.org

This is the first of two special throwback episodes revisiting the 2025 nominees as we build towards FLIBS 2026 and this year’s Innovation & Sustainability Awards.

Host:
Katherine O’Fallon
Executive Director, Marine Research Hub

The Blue Economy | Yachting International Radio

Does yachting have industry standards, or does it have industry minimums?

In this episode of The Crew Car, Captain James Battey sits down with Kirsty Porritt for a conversation about crew employment, MLC compliance, management responsibility and the gap that can exist between regulatory requirements and the operational reality onboard.

Kirsty brings experience across superyacht client and operations management, business development, crew employment, crew HR, MLC and compliance, offering a perspective that sits between owners, management companies, captains and crew.

The conversation looks at whether the Maritime Labour Convention adequately reflects the realities of modern yachting, particularly when the operational demands of a private 24-metre yacht can be completely different from those of a commercially operated 100-metre vessel.

They discuss Seafarer Employment Agreements, delayed wages, crew retention, hours of rest, management company accountability and why protecting crew and protecting owners should not be treated as opposing objectives.

They also examine the difference between minimum safe manning and the actual number of people required to deliver guest service, water sports, overnight passages and demanding charter programmes safely.

Kirsty questions whether yachting can realistically have one universal industry standard when every yacht, owner and programme is different, suggesting that good practice may be the more important benchmark.

James takes that argument further: too often, what the industry calls a standard is actually only the minimum.

Because ultimately, happy crew, happy boat, happy owner.

GUEST:
Kirsty Porritt
Superyacht Client & Operations Executive | Business Development | Crew Employment | Crew HR | MLC & Compliance

HOST:
Captain James Battey
Founder | Yacht Workers Council
https://yachtworkerscouncil.com/

📖 Prefer to read?
Head to Yachting News on our website:
https://www.yachtinginternationalradio.com/yachting-news

📺 Prefer to watch?
Find the full episode on YIR YouTube.

🎙️ The Crew Car | Yachting International Radio

“SARS is like Liam Neeson, but about your money.”

In Part Two of this South African yacht crew tax conversation, Rich AF host Charl Minnaar is joined again by Jamie Hadley-Grave CA(SA), founder of Hadley-Grave Accounting & Tax, to go beyond the basics and into the tax questions that start to matter once yacht crew build careers, assets and lives outside South Africa.

What actually happens when you cease South African tax residency? Can you keep property or investments back home? Does income become invisible to SARS because it is paid into an offshore account? What happens when you return to South Africa after years overseas? And what do you do if you have spent years putting your tax obligations off?

Charl and Jamie revisit the seafarer and foreign employment exemptions before digging into the evidence SARS may require, the physical presence test, ceasing tax residency, deemed disposal and capital gains tax, double taxation agreements, offshore income, voluntary disclosure and outstanding returns.

They also look at one of the biggest questions for yacht crew using their overseas earnings to build long-term wealth: whether a South African non-resident can continue buying property and earning rental income in South Africa, and how bond interest and other property expenses affect the tax calculation.

It is practical, very South African and built around the questions yacht crew are actually asking once “I work overseas” stops being a simple answer to anything involving tax.

Host: Charl Minnaar | The Yachting Investor

Guest: Jamie Hadley-Grave CA(SA) | Hadley-Grave Accounting & Tax

Jamie Hadley-Grave:
hadleygraveaccountingtax.co.za
Instagram: @jamiehadleygrave

Rich AF | Yachting International Radio

This episode is provided for general information only and should not be taken as tax, accounting, financial, investment or legal advice. Individual circumstances differ, and listeners should consult an appropriately qualified tax professional before making decisions about their tax position.

What does it really take to help deliver one of the most ambitious sailing yacht projects ever built?

In this episode of On The Bridge, Alicia Store, Chief Operating Officer at dsnm Ltd, speaks with Derek Munro of Divergent Yachting, Project Manager and Owner’s Representative for sailing yacht Black Pearl.

Black Pearl is one of the most recognisable sailing yachts in the world, but behind her profile is a much deeper story of vision, engineering, experimentation, secrecy, pressure and persistence.

Derek shares how he became involved in the project, why the yacht evolved from an original 95-metre concept into the 105-metre Black Pearl known today, and what it was like working on a build where so much had never been done before.

The conversation explores the DynaRig system, the shift from hydraulic to electric power, the extraordinary performance of Black Pearl’s regeneration system, and the research that went into solar, battery storage and future technology.

Alicia and Derek also discuss the sustainability thinking behind the yacht, including reduced fuel use, technical water treatment, heat recovery, double insulation, double-glazed windows, reduced HVAC demand and the onboard culture that grew around the owner’s vision.

There is also rare insight into the owner himself: his engineering mind, his relentless eye for detail, his personal involvement in the design and build, and the way his vision shaped everything from major systems to the smallest interior and exterior decisions.

This is a conversation about yacht building at the highest level, but it is also about people. The owner who wanted to push boundaries. The shipyard that had to make the impossible possible. The engineers, designers and crew who carried the vision forward. And the project manager trying to hold all of those moving parts together.

Black Pearl is not just famous because she is seen.

She is significant because of what happened behind the project.

Guest:
Derek Munro
Director, Divergent Yachting
Project Manager and Owner’s Representative, Sailing Yacht Black Pearl

Host:
Alicia Store
Chief Operating Officer, dsnm Ltd

Prefer to read? Head to Yachting News on the website:
https://www.yachtinginternationalradio.com/yachting-news

On The Bridge | dsnm Ltd | Yachting International Radio

Search Yachting Channel on your favourite podcast platform for more conversations from across the global yachting industry.