There is nothing more alluring and beautiful than a voyage in a luxury yacht, but only if all the myriad details and complications of ownership are carefully managed. And that starts on terra firma.

A successful voyage is the end product of a long process that takes command of the logistics, route planning, port co-ordination and customs clearance, availability of spare parts, compliance, maintenance and much else. And few owners have the time or knowledge to handle all this – most take to sea to escape their worries rather than increase them.

The business of managing a crewed luxury yacht is for specialists. Only a handful of yacht management companies can keep up with the many, constantly changing variables of a luxury voyage with friends. As the director of Southern Right Yachting, Stuart Ribton, can vouch, it is a full-time job even for professionals. An ocean-going engineer with over 30 years at sea, he has done it all.

In that time he has run the complexities of dry docking, supervised all the maintenance procedures that make a boat seaworthy, conducted multiple surveys, acted as technical superintendent for new builds, and undertaken compliance processes on a wide variety of vessels. And that is just the start of the all-round capabilities of Southern Right Yachting.

“Our job is to take the worry out of these voyages,” Ribton explains. Established 10 years ago in Switzerland, Southern Right Yachting has expanded steadily, notably in the Netherlands and Britain. Headquartered in Amsterdam, with easy access to Schiphol Airport, Ribton’s company sits right in the hub of one of Europe’s foremost luxury-yacht environments. “This is the gateway to all European shipyards, suppliers and contractors,” he explains. “Here is the start of every safe passage.”

Versatility of expertise
In his years in the business Ribton has learned that every luxury boat is different, bringing its own headaches, and that versatility of expertise is essential. “I have found that the joy of the voyage begins with the experience, knowledge and connections that make it possible,” he says. “There are so many issues involved. How big is the boat? Where will it be sailed? Who will sail it? When it is not in use, where will it be docked and who will maintain it? And, above all, who will crew it?”

Nothing will define your enjoyment at sea more than the quality of your crew

As he explains, there are a lot of people on a yacht – owners, guests and crew – all living and, in the crew’s case, working in close proximity. While the owner chooses the guests, it is the yacht manager that, together with the captain, will select the crew. “Nothing will define your enjoyment at sea more than the quality of your crew,” Ribton says. His years at sea have shown him the importance of a harmonious environment – and that begins with a dedicated and capable crew. While the owner and guests revel in their time afloat, the crew takes charge of navigation, catering, onboard maintenance, engineering and everything else besides that guarantees a safe and pleasurable passage.

And, like much else in the voyage, that level of dedication starts on land, for instance in payroll management, compliance with maritime regulations, and support for training programmes among other duties. “Southern Right Yachting ensures that your crew are right up with the latest and best in industry standards,” he says.

In just one example of how the industry is constantly changing, he cites how the Cayman Islands Shipping Registry has drawn up new regulations designed to achieve better conditions for crews.

Ribton strongly approves of these measures: “This represents a significant step towards ensuring transparency and accountability within the maritime industry. Ensuring all crew are working under contract, and are protected promotes fairness, and professionalism across the industry. Ultimately this is of benefit to ship owners and crewmembers. I hope other flag states will follow suit.”

And as Ribton has found from his own experience, no crew understands the whole sailing experience better than people who come from a yachting background. Although there are many tasks before the vessel leaves its moorings, it is when they are afloat that ex-yachties really come into their own, citing their familiarity with propulsion, navigation, electrical, and mechanical systems among numerous others.

“Ultimately, it is all about maintaining a safe and secure environment on board,” Ribton emphasises. “That is where the joy of the voyage begins.”