Carl
Brandes is a professional yachtmaster, skipper of the 110ft luxury
super motor yacht Masteka. I visited him at Masteka's berth in Pittwater.
Carl has been captain of the Masteka for about 3 years. Masteka
is not a marina boat. She has just returned from a 3 month voyage
to New Caledonia and Vanuatu (the above photo was taken in Port
Vila, Vanuatu). Sophie Thé, shown with Carl in the photograph,
is full time crew. Masteka
gleams. The varnish, stainless, and fiberglass reflect the care
that Carl, Sophie and the owner lavish on the vessel.
Q.
Carl, this is the height of luxury. Do you live aboard?
A.
Yes, we're kept pretty busy and it hardly makes sense
to have a place ashore.
Q.
That must help financially.
A.
It sure does. One of the many benefits of the job.
Q.
So how did you get started as a professional yachtmaster?
A.
Originally I was working as an electroplater in west
Sydney. But I had a passion for boats. I loved being
around them. So I quit my job and began looking for work
at the Akuna Bay Marina. At first I did boat cleaning
work on the larger motor yachts. After awhile I began
taking the boats around for fuel, then acting as a substitute
captain or crew member whenever an owner needed additional
help.
Q.
Did
you get any formal training?
A.
Yes, I knew that in the long run, if I was to be successful,
I'd need to have certification. I took training courses
for my Coxswain ticket and then began working on my Master
5 ticket. This included courses in safety, fire fighting,
emergency first aid, navigation, and so on. I built up
my hours by working on boats as crew whenever I could.
Sometimes I acted as first mate, sometimes serving cocktails
at the bar. the hours built up pretty quickly
.
Q.
Lots of people take training like that, but don't wind
up as captain on a boat like this. How did that happen?
A.
I had a group of boats at Akuna Bay that I looked after
both as a boat detailer and as captain. I was really
dedicated to the boats and to the owners and gained a
pretty good reputation.
It's so important to go
that extra mile. If a boat was going out I'd show up
very early, even the day before, and open her up to air
it out. I'd clean up the boat, check the engines, fuel,
safety systems, first aid kit, make sure the bar was
stocked and food stored. When everyone showed up the
boat was ready. After we got back to the dock and the
people
were gone , I shut
down all the systems, cleaned everything, and locked
up. The owners appreciated the extra service and attention
to detail. Word gets around and I was kept busy.
One
day I acted as a temporary skipper for Gunter, the owner
of Masteka, and a couple of years later he called me
and asked if I would like to become his full time skipper.
At first I declined because I was pretty dedicated to
my flock of boats. I liked the guys at Akuna Bay and
liked what I was doing there. But Gunter persisted and
finally I said yes. It was the smartest decision of my
life. I never imagined what this would be like.
Q.
What is it like? It must depend on the owner.
Sophie,
passing by with a basket of laundry stopped and said,
"If you don't get along with the owner it is impossible,
you can't do it. You are living with the owner, his family
and friends for long periods."
Carl
said, "We are very lucky. It's as if we are all
family aboard. It's not a stiff snap your fingers kind
of environment. Gunter and his family and friends are
actively exploring the seas with Masteka and they spend
a lot of time aboard. It's great. As Sophie says, it
would be impossible if you didn't get along with the
owner.
 Q.
Do you know many other yachtmasters of super yachts?
A.
Yes. I enjoy talking with the other captains. It's a
very small community and generally a really good group.
To do this kind of work they have to be a good group.
Q.
In what way? What is the key to being "good"
in the super yacht, yachtmaster crew and captain profession?
A.
Going the extra mile. Doing more than is expected of
you. Being sincerely dedicated to the boat and the owner.
I
thanked Carl and Sophie for passing on their insights
to others who aspire to similar positions as Yachtmaster
on super yachts.
As I motored back to the Superyacht Crew Academy in the next bay I reflected
that although he doesn't say so, Carl's attitude and
personality are critical to his success; fueling his
ability to go that extra mile. He's nice.
In addition to being knowledgeable in all possible operating
systems of the boat - from diesel repair to computer
systems, Carl does whatever needs doing without hesitation.
Cleaning the marine toilet or working the 110 footer
into a tight anchorage in Vanuatu are both part of the
job. Carl likes his job and it shows.
If you want to work as a professional
crew or captain on super yachts,
Extend
your Yachtmaster Offshore credentials for international
voyages with the Master of Yachts 200 tons (Ocean) Course.
For more information CLICK
HERE
If you are just starting out, consider the Fastrak option CLICK HERE
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