To be in with a chance of winning an all inclusive weeks vacation onboard Motor Yacht AWOL follow the link: raffall.com/8501/enter-raffle-to-win-luxury-super-yacht-vacation-hosted-by-tristan-mortlock
Hello Tristan. I have one question. Does AWOL’s owner follow your Chanel or sometimes Watch your videos and read comments? The owner sounds like a great guy.
Hi Tristan - love your boat and vlogs. Very interested in a dabble in the raffle but given all your guest space on board why is the prize only for 6 people and would the dates for this wonderful week be set or able to be negotiated? I am asking for this because travel to and from several countries will be difficult for some time yet because of the virus. Cheers, Nick.
Honest question, what am I missing?? £15 per ticket 40,000 tickets that’s £600,000 75% towards the charter so £400,000 for a week AWOL is £100k a week iyc.com/charter/awol/. Utopia is 72m for £400k a week. www.fraseryachts.com/en/yacht-for-charter/utopia/
@@martinjohnson4264 What you are missing in all of this is: you pay 100k a week for Awol, that is just the usage of the boat. On top of that 100k, you pay for food, liquor, gas (and the gas for the chase boat if you choose to use it), berth at whatever port, tips to all crew, your airline travel to and fro, expenses for your travel to and fro (add that all up). The winner of the raffle pays NOTHING
Your owner is such a smart man to make you feel the boat is yours so you look after it really well like your own. That’s why he is a successful business man .
It sounds like both you and the owner know a thing or two about team management and motivation. I particularly liked hearing about how the owner makes the crew feel like they own the boat. Great way to align objectives and work effectively as a team!
Not that I have ever owned such a yacht, but this owner sure sounds like a very clever guy. It makes perfect sense to have the crew think of it as their property as well, with the resultant approach to the job. Much respect to him.
I would say it's like military, if an admiral is on a ship, the captain still runs the ship. So basically the owner "wants" things, and the captain decides how to go about solving that.
Yes. but the Captain must have the balls to say what the Admiral wants is unsafe. Some things cannot be done how and when the owner wants. A big responsibility of any owner, perhaps the most important responsibility, is to create an environment on board that is conducive to free interchange of ideas and opinions. I know there are billionaires who achieved success by dominating everyone around them. Personally I could not lead like that or follow someone with that approach. I would do the minimum required to keep my job but no more. In AWOL's case you do not win awards by the crew doing the minimum to get by.
In the Navy we usually say to such individuals who are trying to take control over the ship and tell the CO what to do "please write a note in the ship's log that you're taking the command over the ship, put your rank and signature and carry on")) Normally, after such proposition even the hardest dick keeps his mouth shut and offers no more suggestions)))
@Mike Napokitano you're basically right but it's a much more formal relationship. The authority of the Master is VERY clearly defined in law and much narrower than most people think.
I would have to say when it comes to the operations and the Maritime law, the Captain has ultimate authority. The yacht owner might want to travel to a specific location, but if safety is concerned mainly because of weather, the Captain has the authority to say no. Does the Captain risk being fired, of course- but Maritime law and safety always come first for a captain as his or her license could be in jeopardy.
This reply is the one that best addresses the mater. The Captain is by law responsable for the safety of crew and ship. Thus he has the ultimate word with that regard
This is answer I was looking in a video. Not about relationship with owner, or who decides to increase salary. But owner says turn left, captain turns left and breaks the boat. Who is responsible.
Yes, and no. I'd think the owner would hire someone he trusts the Captain to safely move the boat from point A to point B. Yes, the owner sets a lot things on the yacht. He decides what the purpose of the yacht is going be. Is it primarily charter or primarily a floating home for the owner? The operations of the boat will be different for each. Again, the owner determines what the ownership strategy is. It will be on the captain's shoulders to implement the operations to satisfy the owner's requirements.
I agree. For example, the owner does have the right to remove all the life vests and safety gear from the boat but if he did, the captain would have the authority to refuse to take the boat out or even put it in the water if his license terms forbid it.
Correct. Ultimately the captain is responsible for the vessel so he decides "if" and "when". The owner will not get prosecuted in case something goes wrong. The captain can potentially lose his licenses, i.e. means of income.
This was a great video. As an employer of over 50 people, I really appreciated this! Your owner sounds like a first-class guy and obviously has hired a first-class Captain.
As a pilot I can tell you that people do insist that we go when we tell them the weather is no good. The same guy firing his yacht captain will do the same to his jet captain.
If I was a yauct or pilot owner I would accept the no part because I don't want nothing to happen to me or or the captain or even the crew members on board like bruh idc if im rich or not safety is far more important than a aluminum body or fiberglass its just not worth it
I personally would consider the captain to be the boss. For the owners, most of the time their yacht is their toy, whilst the captain is entirely responsible for the day to day running of the vessel as well as the safety and wellbeing of everyone on board.
Thanks for this episode - it's the "behind the scenes" bits like this that most of us will never see or know about. It's easy to understand that you are in a complicated industry, but it's another thing to get a peek at some of the reasons why. It seems the greatest asset in your career is this wonderful owner, and you seem to appreciate that. Best wishes that you can all continue in this fashion, and that it remains a win-win-win-win situation for the owner, crew, captain, and guests.
Haven’t watched the full vlog yet but when it comes to the safety of the boat and crew the captain is the boss. When it comes to the expense of the boat the owner is boss
I would bet that the owner is so proud to have you by his side. Tristan, I must say that you are a very professional person and no matter what business it is you are in, the owner will go to sleep at night without any worries knowing that is yacht and/or business is in the best hands that he could ever dreamed off. Fantastic job. You run a tight ship. Cheers
The owner sounds like a very smart man! It's nice to hear how much pride the crew takes - an awesome team is great to be a part of. I completely agree on how important fit is, but I would extend that to almost any team (not just crews). As a long time manager of people, having built and run very successful teams, I don't think most managers/organizations give that aspect of team selection the weight it deserves. I hope I win the raffle and get the chance to see how truly great the team is!
I am a Union Ironworker in the U.S. and worked for a tower crane company erecting and dismantling cranes across the country. The owner put me in charge of what happened in the field and listened to what I needed and did what I said. Owners who listen to their employees make money, those who don't will not be in business for long. He was one of those super rich owners who drove the shittiest car to the job site to see how things were going and stayed in the same hotels he put me in.
Jeff Randall No, they have just been with the owner for many years...they have a very good relationship with the owner. AWOL is up for sale as the owner is looking for a larger explorer-type vessel. He also owns a 77' Lazzara called 'Lizzi' which is also up for sale and that Tristan captained prior to AWOL. AWOL is a pretty expensive boat to maintain on an annual basis...at least US$1.5mm annually...considerably more than a Captain makes annually. You would need at least a $3mm annual income to keep it running every year. Captain Tristan will go with the owner wherever he goes/whatever yacht he ends up with. Shame...I'd hire him in a heartbeat.
Captain while at sea, take off and landing days. In harbor, the owner. Captain in charge of the crew at all times. Never the owner. Crew do not need two bosses.
It's so good to see that the owner allows the crew that sense of "ownership" of the vessel. I worked in power stations for 36 years and went up the ranks until I reached management level. I always encouraged that feeling of ownership for the operators and maintenance people. . When the operator is doing his rounds of the plant at 3 o'clock in the morning, he doesn't walk past a piece of equipment that has an oil leak, and just ignore it because it's small and because he's not interested. . He sees the oil leak and thinks "Why is this equipment leaking oil on MY nice clean and safe concrete floor? "How will this oil leak impact or degrade the performance or life of MY piece of equipment?" He thinks "How much of MY money am I wasting with my oil leak?". . . "How am I harming MY environment with this oil leak?" "How is this oil leak impacting MY safety and the safety of my workmates?"
Tristan: These are the reasons why you hire a Captain. Owner: nope, I just want to go where I like and do it luxury whilst someone else does all the work.
Tristan: I am the boss on board, Head stew on AWOL overhears comment: Later that night........ Who's in charge my darling? LOL ( Disclaimer: in no way am I suggesting that the CREW is in any way unprofessional )
It is the owners who give the order, but it is the captain who must find the best way to carry out his order in a safe way. For the captain can always be replaced´s with a new one
In opinion before watching it depends on the situation, on sea is always the caption but when talking about repairs and more money related stuff I imagine is the owner like deciding on new beds or new sofas I imagine is the owner but on sea deciding which way to go or how to go, or what can we do is certainly the captain. He is the highest authority at the moment on the yacht
I imagine it's a bit like a Board of Directors and CEO/Admin - the owner is responsible for oversight, budget approval, etc. while the Captain handles day to day operations.
Congratulations to Tristan and AWOL's owner for building a very special relationship. I'm sure both work very hard on that relationship and reap rewards from it.
Captain Mortlock: Your attitude and philosophy and that of the owner are spot on. Sure wish I was young again... I'd be sitting on the dock waiting to work on AWOL!!
I would assume that it differs from owner to owner but in general I imagine that the owner employs the captain to make all operational decisions, while the owner still has ultimate rule when it comes to where the boat should be and when. That being said, the owner would employ the captain and purser to look after all aspects of the boat, including employing crew.
Captain Edward Smith of the Titanic got a strong recommendation from the owner of the ship to sail at full speed in order to cross the Atlantic in record time. Captain Smith knew better in thick fog with icebergs reported in the area, but took the owner's recommendation as an order. A lifetime of commendable naval and civil maritime service was negated by that one fateful decision to kowtow to the vessel owner who knew nothing of sailing.
Thick fog? Can't really recall that condition the night they hit the iceberg. If that was the case then there is no way any ship would see the Titanic's flares, nor would they have seen a ship in the distance.
Are you sure? I'm pretty sure that was just put in the movie. If I recall correctly Titanic historians do not agree that this happened at all. Neither was Mr Ismay cowardly as shown in the movie. Apparently he worked tirelessly to assist people in to the lifeboats and was put in a lifeboat when there was no one else to take the seat - there were other people on the boat who would have seen if he snuck on to the boat.
There was no fog, it was an unnaturally clear and dead calm night, and the bitter cold haze made visibility very distorted, although the crew might have been unaware of the tricks played by the elements. Titanic was not going at full speed, and for information purposes Captain Smith had been in an earlier accident while captaining a Whit Star ship.
I have only ever done boating privately! So I feel that NO Captain should ever be sacked! when he is looking after your safety! As a family, we got our yachtmaster to the level of offshore! That was in 1978/9 I know a long time ago!! However! We all could make a choice of safety, if needed and that is Why a Captain is hired! That was a delightful vlog and well done to you and the owner! Full credit to him too ;)
The way I see it, the owner says where the boat is going, the captain has control of the ship, but also liability and responsibility, because he and not the owner is then on trial if something happens
Not a ship captain, but the relationship between owner and crew is the same dynamic really. I've been a pilot for 40 years and for the past 22 years I've been at the Airlines. So this is a different situation because I never see the owners, I flew for 14 years at a major carrier in Japan and I never saw anyone from upper management. Before my airline career, I flew corporate for a couple of decades so I am familiar with this chemistry between a very wealthy owner and the pilot. I always started a new job by letting the owner know that the only way that I would advice against doing a flight is when it is plain dangerous to do so. That way when the inevitable "let's go " came, I could always remind him of that conversation we had. One time I told an owner "I realize that you need to be there, but please understand that I don't have to risk my life nor yours to take you there , I rather just quit now" and that took care of it. But it is a very difficult relationship for sure...
Excellent Tristan. As a former owner of businesses (none of which were of a super yacht, but same concept) it's easy for me to understand the relationship between you and the owner, which seems to be the best to be had. Koodos to the owner.
Ross Perot had a number of rules for his managers. Among them were "run this business as though it is your business" and "you won't always be able to make all of your employees happy so do what you can to make those most who are most valuable happy."
I realised a couple of years ago that myself, being an Owner and Operator is extremely rare. Especially at the size of my vessel. So, I'd really like to hear another owner/operator talk with you about experiences.
Depends on the size and what she is! The bigger is hard work from experience as you never get time off her, you live on her 99% of the time or she go beyond repaire depending on what she made of! Many different types of yachts ive had over the years! I started with a rib in my teens and went to 97ft. I love the 147ft but I am sticking with smaller ones now as time is limited. Smaller as in 60ft.
I am also an owner and operator. There is not really any internal conflict because as the Owner I do not want to put myself or family in danger. As Captain I make the decision. I am an Owner Operator of a 17 ft Boston Whaler, with a blistering 115 hp on the stern.
The captain probably. They recruit the crew and make sure the yacht is running properly. The owner only sees the good side of what goes on and is just there to be pleased with the boat and the quality of service.
I would never get on any boat where anyone other than the skipper is in charge! When I’m rich enough to afford a super yacht I’m gonna definitely employ you Tristan 😀
It's smart that the owner makes you identify withe yacht. But, let's face it: it's also a question of trust. So, if he trusts you so deeply, then you must do a darn good job, Tristan & Crew.
The "owner" decides WHERE to go, the "captain" decides HOW you get there. Kinda like a marriage: the wife decides what you want, and the man figures how to get it.
Tristan, when I was a captain of a fishing trawler I had a understanding with the owner, (although he did'nt took it very well in the beginning), that as long as the boat is moored in port, he got full authority on the boat, and he got "a say", But as soon as we pulled in the last mooring line from the bollard, he got no say and then I'm in charge. He can phone or try to radio me, but I will not listen for the obvious reasons you mentioned in this vlog. I also got fired because I assisted another trawler that was in trouble in very very rough seas untill the Sea Rescue arrived. His reason was that I put the crew and his boat in danger. Well, needless to say after taking him to court, he had to pay my salary for 3 years.
I had a bad experience as a Captain for a holiday cruise. The owner took the wheel and changed course and put us broadside to the swell. The yacht pitched over in the swell about 45 degrees and water entered the engine room through the vents and shorted out power and killed one of the engines. Long story short passengers were tossed a bit I got everyone lifejackets because idotstick was now driving, I checked the bilge pumps etc. and we were able to get the boat back to a close by port. There were no injuries or loss of life. Here's the thing: As the Captain I would have been responsible if someone got injured or killed. After this incident I became very wary about who I worked for and subsequently was not hired for passages where I made it clear that I was in charge not the owner. Happy to hear you have a proper relationship with your owner.
I always think it's hilarious to hear what other crews/owners get into arguments with. The biggest arguments we get into with our captain/crew is when my dad and I (both huge history nerds) want to go to a place that is ugly and boring but a massive battle happened (or something similar) 500 years ago (my sisters and mom usually join in with the complaints as well). I think it truly baffles our crew that we could spend hours looking into open water and reading books while swapping quotes. I think most of the people that charter the boat go for the instagram spots. It makes us happy though.
I know of a crash at Aspen, Co airport of a Gulfstream when the owner insisted they land there. The pilot disagreed but the owner insisted and they crashed. The story I got from a Vietnam veteran was that a lot of first lieutenants died as a result of not listening to their 1st Sargent The Sargent has 20 years of experience and the Lieutenant just has book knowledge of war.
The Captain at all times 'cause if ever the sh*t hit the fan, the Captain would answer for it. The owner just gives the captain his list of wants.. the Captain tells him if he can do it or not.
Tristan, I think the word yo were looking for at about 12 minutes when explaining how you felt the boat was yours ( and the crews) was 'empowerment' lovely thing to be given and a great thing to give, meaning both people have absolute confidence in each other👍👍
When I checked onboard my last ship, the USS Truman, I literally ran into the Captain as we both rounded a blind corner in a p-way. This was right outside my division office. I apologized to him and he was cool about it. Asked me how I was doing and how long I have been onboard stuff like that. When he found out I had only been there a few days he asked how I liked the ship. We were in the yards in dry dock at the time and the ship was tore up pretty bad from all the work being done. I said I didn’t like my ship being all messed up like it is, I can’t wait till she is whole again. He replied with “Your Ship?” I said yes sir, my ship. He said he liked that, and to carry on. My LPO told me that I was out of line telling the Captain it was my ship… it was HIS ship. I told my LPO that the ship is ours, all of ours and if we don’t treat her as such she won’t be a good ship.
Captain is in charge of the safety of the vessel and the passengers/crew. This must be in the employment contract. But there is a fine line between safety and comfort! There is also a fine line between crew competence and owner’s expectations. I would guess a Force 7 is not going to jeopardise safety of the vessel like AWOL but it would make the passengers nauseous!
Wow your boss sounds like one cool dude. When you told us a while ago of the fire aboard, and the first thing the owner wanted to know. Was all the crew safe. Respect. There is nothing more important than the welfare of all aboard. As to who's in charge, when it comes to money decisions the owner is ultimately in charge. But once on board any ship, liner or yacht there should only ever be one person in charge. THE CAPTAIN. If the owner does not trust the captains judgment on something so important as the safety of all the guests, crew and vessel. He should put a for sale sign on his yacht, and stay on dry land. Thank you for making such an interesting vlog keep up the great work and stay safe. Regards Austin.
Captain - when vessel is under any marine jurisdiction (Law of The Sea) at sea and when docked. When I did naval training they taught us the commanding officer 'has the ship'. Even if the Admiral of The Fleet comes on board for a visit the commanding officer ( C.O. - Captain) is still in charge and the Admiral must follow the orders of the C.O. The exception is in the event the Admiral due to special circumstances must take direct command and there is a formal legal handover process and the Admiral becomes C.O. On a number of occasions I saw naval officers on board of higher rank than the C.O. but they always followed the strict protocol that the C.O. was in command of the ship and asked permission of the C.O. to do whatever it was they came on board to do.
there's a difference between Owner and an operator. It is for the captain to make sure of the safely of the people on board and the yacht. So, The owner can request but it is upto the captain to make sure that the request does not endanger the crew or the yacht.
I was a yacht captain and my owner ordered me into a hurricane or loose my job. I went as far as I thought safe then went to a marina that was in the path. The surge almost destroyed the marina but we survived. The owner said he was so worried about us I quit and left the yacht where it was. So the owner has control.
They really deserved to be reassured, trusted in their ability of manage the boat themselves and sent into the hurricane without you. Hopefully they could have leaved the dock withouth your help
If I were King of the forest, which probably may be a good thing I'm not, the owner of the vessel would have the final say in pretty much everything with one critical exception. Anything to do with the vessel underway or scheduling to go underway that poses, in the Captain''s professional opinion, undue risk of damage, injury, or loss of life, the captain should always be the final word. They are the one who has to get the vessel safely to its final point. A best friend drove work boats out in the Gulf of Mexico for about 12 years, and it was always his call as Captain whether they left the dock or not in the end. Lucky thing for it as well, because some of the less reputable operators would have sent him out in the middle of a massive typhoon if they thought they can get away with it!
I was an airline Captain for many years. In aviation the Captain has the ultimate responsibility for the safety of the aircraft, crew, and passengers. The airline managers want a certain level of performance and the Captain will come as close to meeting those expectations as possible but without sacrificing the margin of safety. The Captain is the one in charge.
Easy answer. This is leadership 101. The owner is a position of accountability. The owner is concerned with overall cost / return on investment, health of the brand, and hiring of the captain. The owner then delegates responsibility to the captain. The captain is the leader and owns all decisions that are made operationally on a day to day basis. The captain hires the crew. The captain does not own the responsibility to determine who the passengers are, what they pay, etc. The captain is also expected to generally follow the wishes of the owner, especially with respect to course / itinerary and timing. The owner delegates to the captain and the captain delegates to the crew.
Owner. Always. The Captain is hired help. The Captain over sees the crew and does all the set up for traveling. The owner sits back and over-rides the captain anytime they want because it's their money that pays the bills and it's the owner's boat.
Pos 02:20: I think it depends. Of course the owner decides about the "basic" decisions: Where do we go? Who is guest on board? When do they depart? But the captain is in responsibility and in charge for the security of the passengers, the crew and the other boats and people around him. Plus, the owner has not the competence to decide like in navigation or emergency situation. The captain of a yacht is like a pilot, they have the competence and responsibility.
Hey Tris Tristan when you said comment below at the beginning of the video who you thought was in charge I put a comment but hearing watching to the end of the video did hearing what you the way you put it that it was both the captain and the owner you're looking out for the betterment of the of the yacht in the crew and so on I have to say I liked your answer better than when I put their butt goodonya always informative videos always enjoyed it God bless talk to you again
I don’t give a damn how many billions on dollars an owner has, when you’re at sea, the Captain calls the shots. If you’re in the air, the pilot calls the shots.
Wow, nice teeth, man. Bet they cost a fortune. I’m naive, huh? Well, as of right now, general consensus with up votes is 76 for me, 1 (probably you) for you. Granted, you only posted 8 hours ago. We’ll see if you make some headway.
If I were a superyacht owner, the Captain would be in charge of all boat related affairs. My authority would be just to decide destinations within the constraints of weather and such. My only authority over the captain is that in theory, I could fire him. Other than that, he's the boss on board.
My favorite video from your channel. I’ve often wondered several things about this industry and have had some of those questions answered throughout watching the videos. One thing I have not learned was, where does a future super-yacht owner find a crew and what is the process of vetting them?
I would say Captain. He has the knowledge and experience - plus I would imagine responsibility in law as master of the vessel. What else are you paying him for? You're paying for his skills, experience and knowledge - you'd do well to listen when he speaks!!
