From the Bridge

AT TRITON, WE THINK THAT OPENLY DISCUSSING CONCERNS AND CHALLENGES IN THE INDUSTRY IS THE FIRST STEP IN ADDRESSING THEM AND MOVING TOWARD SOLUTIONS. WE APPRECIATE THE CAPTAINS WHO PARTICIPATE IN OUR “FROM THE BRIDGE” ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN US FOR ONE, PLEASE CONTACT TRITON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF SUSAN JOBE AT SUSAN@TRITONNEWS.COM.
From the Bridge: Captains Talk About Refit Challenges

From the Bridge: Captains Talk About Refit Challenges

Refits have always been problematic, but the fallout from COVID has only made them more complicated than ever.  ...
From the Bridge: Captains consider future of yachting

From the Bridge: Captains consider future of yachting

What will it be like to command a yacht 50 years from now? This month, Triton gathered with a small group of captains to talk about the future of yachting. If they time-traveled in their sleep and woke up...
From the Bridge: Yacht owner trip cancellations mean work, not rest

From the Bridge: Yacht owner trip cancellations mean work, not rest

From the Bridge: by Dorie Cox Each month a group of yacht captains gathers with The Triton for a private conversation about an industry issue. They speak freely on concerns and complaints – although that does not mean they always have...
From the Bridge: Crew dream of moving up, captains long to move down

From the Bridge: Crew dream of moving up, captains long to move down

From the Bridge: by Dorie Cox A group of yacht captains with experience at the helm of yachts from 100 feet to more than 250 feet gathered to address a common assumption: Captains and crew want to work on larger...
From the Bridge: Yacht captains cautious to comment on bad behavior

From the Bridge: Yacht captains cautious to comment on bad behavior

From the Bridge: by Dorie Cox A yacht engineer wrote in to The Triton that he had been watching boats speed through the harbor in St. Barts. He wanted so badly to shout at them to slow down, but he...
From the Bridge: Yacht destination dreams go unfulfilled

From the Bridge: Yacht destination dreams go unfulfilled

Most of the time, captains take the yacht where the owner says: on standard holiday trips, charters and a couple of boat shows. But where would captains visit if it were their choice?  The Triton gathers a different group of...
From the Bridge: Captains’ legacies continue to be created

From the Bridge: Captains’ legacies continue to be created

From the Bridge: by Dorie Cox Among the hundreds of people on the docks at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show last month, a veteran yacht captain heard someone call out his name. “I've been wanting to see you...
From the Bridge: Yachts mix it up with cash, cards, wires, apps

From the Bridge: Yachts mix it up with cash, cards, wires, apps

From the Bridge: by Dorie Cox It’s the same on every boat: Money makes the yacht go ’round. Yet, surprisingly, the way money is handled varies a lot in the yachting industry. “From the veggie-stand ladies to the...
From the Bridge: Captains assume vaping covered under smoking rules

From the Bridge: Captains assume vaping covered under smoking rules

From the Bridge: by Dorie Cox With a puff, the ramifications of vaping, or using electronic cigarettes, wafted into the yacht industry. A late-night alarm on board shocked a captain recently during a trip with the yacht owner – the...
From the Bridge: Know-it-alls? Maybe, but captains ask when answers elude

From the Bridge: Know-it-alls? Maybe, but captains ask when answers elude

From the Bridge: by Dorie Cox Individual comments are not attributed to encourage candid discussion; attending captains are identified in the accompanying photograph. What do yacht captains do when they don’t know something? Some might argue that they act...
From the Bridge: Duty calls; workload cuts into vacations

From the Bridge: Duty calls; workload cuts into vacations

From the Bridge: by Dorie Cox Yacht captains are in control on board; they set and enforce the rules. So when regulations and contracts stipulate vacations, why don’t they take them? The answers from this month’s Triton From...
From the Bridge: Fun according to yacht captains

From the Bridge: Fun according to yacht captains

From the Bridge: by Dorie Cox From compliance and crashes to crew concerns, yacht captains often find themselves in serious conversations about yachting. For more than 15 years, The Triton’s From the Bridge discussion group has gathered captains to...
From the Bridge: Cushy job on a frivolous toy? Yachting really is work

From the Bridge: Cushy job on a frivolous toy? Yachting really is work

By Dorie Cox More than six years ago, a Bravo reality TV series debuted about yachts and the lives of the captains and crew at work on board. Some 85 episodes later, “Below Deck” is often cited as an example...
From the Bridge: Captains want, use estimates to vet, find vendors

From the Bridge: Captains want, use estimates to vet, find vendors

From the Bridge: by Lucy Chabot Reed Planning for a shipyard visit and refit project often starts months in advance with a little piece of paper called an estimate, the initial interaction with a vendor or yard that could lead...
From the Bridge: Lower salary often beats experience when hiring captains

From the Bridge: Lower salary often beats experience when hiring captains

With resume in hand, a discouraged yacht captain recently visited The Triton office in Fort Lauderdale. He said he could not find a job and asked if others said the same. Pointing to his experience and licenses, he wondered why...
From the Bridge: Satellite technology a make-or-break issue

From the Bridge: Satellite technology a make-or-break issue

From the Bridge: by Dorie Cox Satellite domes and antennae top most large yachts, and satellite-enabled devices are everywhere on board. Announcements of the “world’s fastest, lightest, ultra-compact, secure” satellite systems frequently pop up in the news...
From the Bridge: Captains navigate complex equation for crew wages

From the Bridge: Captains navigate complex equation for crew wages

From the Bridge: by Dorie Cox Yacht captains are familiar with the rates for maintenance, repairs, dockage, insurance and other yacht bills. Budgets are a large part of what they manage on a regular basis. One part of that equation...
From the Bridge: Do not mess with yacht crew meals

From the Bridge: Do not mess with yacht crew meals

Attendees of The Triton’s From the Bridge discussion for this issue are, back row from left, Capt. Chris Boland of M/Y Angela Dawn, Capt. Robb Shannon of M/Y My Maggie, and Capt. Chris Wills of M/Y...
From the Bridge: Captains want insurance to protect owner, crew

From the Bridge: Captains want insurance to protect owner, crew

From the Bridge: by Dorie Cox From broken bones to the flu, yacht crew are subject to a variety of injuries and illnesses that require medical treatment. In a brief survey of captains and crew on the docks during this...