Capt. Brian Luke

Brian Luke is chief operations officer for International Crew Training in Ft. Lauderdale. He is an airline captain and holds a USCG 1600/3000-ton master’s ticket. ICT trains crew for entry-level through 3000 ITC Master licenses, engineering and interior operations. Comments on this column are welcome at [email protected].

Author Archives

Safety culture onboard starts with yacht leadership

Safety and training are key elements of any well-managed vessel and crew. Developing a safety culture onboard any yacht takes practice and time. But how do you define and measure…

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Success means not settling for minimum course requirements

Every year many young men and women like you arrive in Ft. Lauderdale with hopes of becoming a crewmember onboard a superyacht. The industry is very attractive to those on…

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Education, training, service are the foundation of every seafarer

The road to success in the superyacht industry is not always an easy one to navigate. Becoming an officer with navigational and management responsibilities is both challenging and rewarding. To…

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STCW code will enter full force soon, are you prepared?

As we quickly approach January 1, 2017, the Manila Amendments to the STCW Code will enter into full force by year’s end.  When it comes to licensing and certification, understanding…

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Route allows crew to swap certifications

This year’s annual Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Instructor/Examiner conference, just held at Alexandra House in Swindon, UK from Jan. 29-31, ushers in a new era for deck crew desiring to…

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Climbing the ladder and flying through the ranks

What a great time to be in the yachting industry! Never before have there been this many megayachts plying the waterways of the world. As a result, there is a…

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Training, certifications help bridge qualification gap for yacht crew

Nearly 10,000 yachts over 24m actively ply the world’s waterways. With such a large number, you would think it relatively simple to land a crew position on board a megayacht.…

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On Course: Complacency, overworking can lead to neglect of career management

I am sitting among more than 100 megayachts at the 2015 Antigua Yacht Show as I write this. A light breeze, 70-degree temperatures and blue skies remind me why so…

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Seagoing time and service not enough to fill education gaps

Working through the ranks as a crew member in the yachting industry is no easy feat. To do so successfully requires both seagoing service and education. Every country that issues…

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Choosing a school just as important as choosing a course

On Sept. 24, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) celebrated World Maritime Day. The theme this year was Maritime Education and Training in recognition of the importance of education and training…

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