Megayacht News Radio

We love fan mail: text us with your feedback and ideasSince yachting is all about enjoying big, beautiful bays and the world's oceans, the health of those waters is of increasing importance to yacht owners and crewmembers.  Scientists and researchers, however, face a big obstacle in learning more about our oceans: access to vessels. Thankfully, owners and crew can welcome scientists onboard and see with their own eyes the difference and the discoveries. Better yet, you can do the same.In this episode of Megayacht News Radio, we introduce you to the team at the International SeaKeepers Society, a non-profit that helps connect scientists in need with superyacht owners and crew wishing to lend a helping hand with scientist-led expeditions and citizen-science initiatives. Thanks for listening! Follow Megayacht News and engage with us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Threads! Email us at info@megayachtnews.com.

We love fan mail: text us with your feedback and ideasYou've likely seen more than a few headlines and stories from traditional news media chronicling sordid details about superyacht owners’ lives, giving the impression that people who buy these yachts are hoarding their wealth, have no empathy for the rest of society, and essentially live like Thurston Howell III from Gilligan’s Island did before he was shipwrecked.While attention-grabbing headlines are effective tools to convey information, there's also way more to the story of superyacht owners than a hackneyed stereotype. The Superyacht Life Foundation wants to ensure the general public understands this. Its mission is to change the conversation around superyachting. Megayacht News Radio's host, Diane M. Byrne, speaks with Dilan Sarac, the marketing manager for the Foundation, and Charlotte Thomas, the editor-in-chief for all of their content, to find out how they're doing this.  Thanks for listening! Follow Megayacht News and engage w

We love fan mail: text us with your feedback and ideasAs a senior charter manager and group director with Ocean Independence. Daphne D’Offay oversees the charter marketing operations for the company’s American-managed fleet.  She has keen insight into how first-time yacht-charter guests are discovering this extraordinary vacation option, and how yacht charter overall has skyrocketed in popularity over the past two years. In this episode of Megayacht News Radio, D'Offay shares:how her own upbringing--aboard a boat!--influenced her careerwhat yacht charter is, and what makes it such an extraordinary vacation optionwhich destinations are perfect for first-time yacht charter guestswhat destinations experienced charterers are beginning to discover, and what the allure isand more. Thanks for listening! Follow Megayacht News and engage with us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Threads! Email us at info@megayachtnews.com.

We love fan mail: text us with your feedback and ideasAs the executive director of the New Zealand Marine Industry Association, Peter Busfield helps promote his country's vast cruising and service offerings to superyacht owners, guests, and crew worldwide. During the pandemic, of course, that became tremendously difficult, since New Zealand kept its international borders shut. With the sea border about to re-open--in August--several superyachts are making plans to return. In this episode of Megayacht News Radio, Peter discusses how New Zealand superyacht marinas and service providers have made several significant improvements, to handle more business. He also shares some of his personal favorite places to enjoy superyacht cruising, which we all should put on our bucket lists.  Thanks for listening! Follow Megayacht News and engage with us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Threads! Email us at info@megayachtnews.com.

We love fan mail: text us with your feedback and ideasIt’s no secret that boating and yachting have been booming due to the pandemic, with people from all walks of life realizing that being out on the water, with just your family, is one of the safest and most relaxing ways to spend time. The upper end of the industry that we cover has certainly been no exception—but some recent news from Fraser Yachts along these lines is remarkable.First, the average age of its customers today is 10 years younger compared to prior to the pandemic—with the youngest clients in their 20s and 30s. Secondly, Fraser saw a 175% increase in sales from 2020 to 2021. These in turn have brought newcomers to yachting, new buying and cruising attitudes, and some pretty interesting business opportunities. So, to talk about them, Mark Duncan, the director of marketing and business development for Fraser Yachts, joins us for a great discussion.From the so-called COVID effect that drove--and continues driving--the boom in buying and charter

We love fan mail: text us with your feedback and ideasNews media and social media around the world have covered the ongoing Russian yacht arrests and detentions related to the invasion of Ukraine. However, a number of media reports and social media posts since March have gotten the facts wrong, which has understandably led to confusion about what has actually occurred. Some of the reports seem to have stemmed from a rush to have an “exclusive,” but much of it stems from the use of one particular word, “seize,” and variations of it. In a nutshell, there’s an impression that all, or nearly all, of the Russian yachts that have been arrested or detained have been confiscated. But that’s not true.In this episode of Megayacht News Radio, we help you better understand what has gone on so far, and what is likely to continue. We start with some background on the American task force that’s enforcing sanctions and taking possession of assets, such as yachts, then explain the difference between a yacht being detained and

We love fan mail: text us with your feedback and ideasDue to growing concerns about mental health among superyacht crew, we have a sobering conversation for this episode. Tim Clarke, the director of Quay Crew, and Charles Watkins, the managing director of and a clinical psychologist with Mental Health Support Solutions, explain how their companies joined forces to conduct a survey of more than 1,000 crewmembers. There are some alarming discoveries—such as nearly half of all crew have considered leaving yachting due to stress, burnout, poor leadership, and other issues. But, there’s also good news, with the overwhelming majority of crew believing it would be helpful to have some type of mental-health training, for themselves and to help their fellow crew. Furthermore, in this episode of Megayacht News Radio, Clarke and Watkins discuss:·         why Quay Crew felt the survey was important in the first place·         how most of the issues come down to poor leadership—with “leadership” being the responsibility o

We love fan mail: text us with your feedback and ideasPersonal submarines have become more popular aboard megayachts--but they're also more than just toys. They open up a world of possibilities to owners, guests, and crew, letting them see life beneath the ocean's surface that otherwise they'd never discover, and in turn better appreciate this big blue marble we all call home. Patrick Lahey of Triton Submarines is well versed in how to make these possibilities a reality. In this episode of Megayacht News Radio, we discuss how Triton Submarines has designed and engineered dozens of manned submersibles for superyacht owners around the world, plus how he has taken part in historic and truly extraordinary expeditions to the deepest depths of the oceans.  Thanks for listening! Follow Megayacht News and engage with us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Threads! Email us at info@megayachtnews.com.

We love fan mail: text us with your feedback and ideasChristine “Bugsy” Drake is a superyacht stew who thousands of television fans are familiar with thanks to the Bravo series Below Deck Mediterranean. More importantly, Bugsy is a seasoned yachtie and a newly published book author. She wowed television viewers with her extraordinary creativity the way that she’s been wowing yacht owners and guests since joining the yachting industry—and she shares her favorite decorative and theme tips, plus a lot more, in her book The Art of Tablescaping; Deck Out Your Table With the Queen of Theme. In this Megayacht News Radio podcast, Bugsy shares what it’s like to work onboard superyachts, what the so-called Below Deck effect is on the industry, and of course what inspired her book. In fact, she asserts that anyone, regardless of budget, can re-create the amazing tablescapes and theme parties she reveals. Thanks for listening! Follow Megayacht News and engage with us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Threads! Email us

We love fan mail: text us with your feedback and ideasGeoff Moore, the managing director of West Nautical, accomplishes a lot with a small team in terms of superyacht management, sales, and charter. What's particularly notable, though, West Nautical is making a concerted effort to educate buyers, owners, and charterers. In fact, the staff regularly posts original articles on the company website, guiding clients through their options and inspiring them with creative suggestions on what to do while cruising on vacation, rather than posting generic itineraries or a litany of sales they just completed. The reason is simple: Geoff believes education is the single most important thing he, his team, and the yachting industry overall needs to do to do right by customers, especially newcomers to the yachting lifestyle.In this Megayacht News Radio podcast, Geoff shares his views on a few things, including:why time is more important to owners than anything elsewhy West Nautical has tools like a fuel calculator on i

We love fan mail: text us with your feedback and ideasMark Pascoe and Dean Stoneman run the British superyacht tender builder Falcon Tenders. While Falcon is a new name in the sector, Mark and Dean are anything but new to the world of highly detailed, high-performing craft. In fact, they're pairing their collective experience to bring something new to the superyacht tender sector: a small, family-style operation that can rival larger companies with its skilled craftspeople capable of delivering fully custom designs.In this Megayacht News Radio podcast, you'll learn how Falcon Tenders is blazing a new trail. It's doing so through partnerships with top-tier stylists like Tim Heywood, Michael Leach, and Patrick Banfield, as well as some lesser-known but equally gifted designers like David Weiss. It's further doing so by incorporating more sustainable materials like reclaimed teak and more sustainable systems like hybrid propulsion.  Thanks for listening! Follow Megayacht News and engage with

We love fan mail: text us with your feedback and ideasAmanda Armstrong and Neil Hornsby are two longtime charter brokers who actually consider themselves more like charter designers. The founders of Yomira, which translates to “your ocean” in Sanskrit, are not your customary charter professionals, and neither is their firm. Armstrong and Hornsby realized the longtime “yacht first” ideology in yacht charter just wasn’t right for the changes naturally occurring among clientele. Therefore, they’re making charter experiences less complex, more transparent, and more interactive. In this Megayacht News Radio podcast with the duo, you’ll learn:·         how they’re helping clients uncover what they truly want to do even when they can’t or don’t know how to express it·         why now, even in the midst of a pandemic, is the right time for Yomira to emerge·         how the onshore experience is becoming even more important during a superyacht charter, and how Yomira has a “little black book” of connections from Frenc

We love fan mail: text us with your feedback and ideasFort Lauderdale and Bermuda are each renown for their beautiful waters. While Fort Lauderdale additionally holds the title of Yachting Capital of The World,  Bermuda has caught on with superyacht owners and guests in more recent year. The two destinations are pairing their nautical strengths for an unprecedented tourism campaign, called Go Where the Yachts Go. Stacy Ritter of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau and Douglas Trueblood of the Bermuda Tourism Authority explain what it's all about, and how you can take advantage of it.Thanks for listening! Follow Megayacht News and engage with us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Threads! Email us at info@megayachtnews.com.

We love fan mail: text us with your feedback and ideasThe pandemic saw a marked increase in yacht buying and yacht chartering activities around the world. Similarly, it proved to yachting industry representatives that the way business has been done for years may not be the best path forward. In fact, Tom Mukamal, the CEO of IGY Marinas, is among those who believe re-imaging experiences is important. Mukamal and his team therefore have joined forces with the International Yacht Brokers Association to create the inaugural Caribbean Yacht Show this December. IGY Marinas’ Yacht Haven Grande in St. Thomas will host the event. Although it’s a trade show focused on charter, it will have an impact on the consumer superyacht experience, as he reveals in this Megayacht News Radio podcast episode.Thanks for listening! Follow Megayacht News and engage with us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Threads! Email us at info@megayachtnews.com.

We love fan mail: text us with your feedback and ideasFor nearly 20 years, Bob Denison has been at the helm of Denison Yacht Sales, a.k.a. Denison Yachting. Since then, he has distinguished the firm by embracing video and other web-related best practices in ways others have not.In some ways, yachting was his destiny, considering his grandparents established the well-known Broward Marine in the late 1940s in Florida. His parents established Denison Marine years later. Bob Denison himself even worked on the shipyard floor in his youth. Experiences outside of yachting, however, had just as much of an influence on him, as you’ll learn in this episode of the Megayacht News Radio podcast. Thanks for listening! Follow Megayacht News and engage with us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Threads! Email us at info@megayachtnews.com.

We love fan mail: text us with your feedback and ideasHoward T. Scott is a proud yacht owner and a newly published author. He treasures abundant time aboard an 80-foot Burger, named Capricho, which he bought seven years ago and essentially lives aboard. As an author, Howard just published his first novel, Rascal on the Run, a legal thriller set in Athens, Georgia. In this episode of Megayacht News Radio, Howard shares his longtime love of yachting and cruising with us, including what convinced him to buy this Burger and turn it into his floating home. He also shares how Capricho actually led to a plot twist in Rascal on the Run--and how Rascal on the Run came about, following a chance meeting with a Hollywood producer.Thanks for listening! Follow Megayacht News and engage with us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Threads! Email us at info@megayachtnews.com.

We love fan mail: text us with your feedback and ideasFor the past five decades, the non-profit AMIkids has empowered 135,000+ kids across the United States by helping steer them toward a positive future. Megayacht owners and yacht brokers regularly lend their support to the organization through the AMIkids Yacht Donation Program. While the donation provides you with an alternative to selling your yacht, the benefits go far deeper. In this episode of Megayacht News Radio, AMIkids' Dudley Savage discusses how these donated yachts help the kids he and his team serve, how thousands of yacht owners have participated so far, and most important, how you can help out yourself.Thanks for listening! Follow Megayacht News and engage with us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Threads! Email us at info@megayachtnews.com.

We love fan mail: text us with your feedback and ideas In our recent monthly newsletter, our editor Diane M. Byrne shared her early experiences of sexism in the yachting industry. Furthermore, she shared how MegayachtNews.com has become a Supporting Organization of She of the Sea, a two-year-old initiative to promote diversity and inclusion across yachting. Clearly, both struck nerves, as more than 2,000 people have read it as of this writing. Because She of the Sea has gained global support from both inside and outside of yachting, we’re pleased to feature this interview with Jenny Matthews, its founder.Matthews and her business partner, Natasha Ambrose, are each yachties who noticed a decided lack of women on deck. They created She of the Sea to ensure professionals and owners benefit from a high-performing, competency-focused industry, regardless of gender.In this Megayacht News Radio interview, you’ll hear Matthews explain:what convinced her to shine a spotlight on the need for diversityhow She of the Sea

We love fan mail: text us with your feedback and ideasIn yachting, regulations come from a variety of sources. One of them is the International Maritime Organization (also known as the IMO), a specialized agency of the United Nations. The IMO has a particular focus on improving the safety and security of international shipping and preventing pollution from vessels of all kinds. To that latter point, the IMO has a set of emissions standards, commonly referred to as the Tier III standards, which will begin applying to a significant number of megayachts starting January 1, 2021. While there's been a lot of talk about Tier III over the past few years within yachting, unfortunately few owners and their advisors understand what it means. So, consider today's podcast an Education 101 session. Chris Swanhart of DLBA Naval Architects is our guest, explaining:what the new regulation requires, and for what sizes of yachts, in layman's termshow the regulation impacts both new builds and refitswhat equipmen

We love fan mail: text us with your feedback and ideasJaclyn Sienna India believes that luxury is personal. That's why for nearly two decades, she herself has been vetting some of the most extraordinary travel experiences around the world. As the founder of Sienna Charles, she combines her passions for travel and luxury with understanding the wants and needs of discerning individuals. Whether it's luxury yacht charter, grand estates, off-the-beaten-path travel, wellness retreats, or other experiences, Sienna Charles combines this first-hand knowledge with a veritable little black book of contacts who make it all possible, and perfectly tailored to your tastes.In this episode of Megayacht News Radio, Jaclyn reveals how the definition of luxury is taking on new meanings in this ever-changing world, and how she believes that no adventure is ever beyond the imagination.Thanks for listening! Follow Megayacht News and engage with us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Threads! Email us at info@megayachtn