Charter Broker, Ocean Independence

Date interviewed: April 2010

How did you get started as a charter broker?

I’m ex-crew. I started working on yachts in 1989, on what at that time was the largest yacht in Antibes. I was a deckhand. I worked on a number of boats after that until 1992, when I met Nick Dean, who was the manager of the boat I was aboard. The boat was in refit in Southampton, and I got on very well with Nick, and we stayed in touch. I was crewing in the summers and studying for a maritime degree in the winters.

When I came ashore in 1998, I met up with Nick and got a job with Yachting Partners International, where I did yacht charter,yacht management, yacht sales, and crew placement. Now, I do retail brokering and charter management for Ocean Independence. I decided to specialize in charter because it provided the most variety and relevance to my previous experience.

What kinds of boats do you book?

Crewed yachts only, no bareboats, power and sail, worldwide.

What are some of the best charter destinations you’ve visited?

The San Blas Islands was an amazing trip I did on the 153-foot motoryacht Flinders. We boarded in Panama and went down to the islands, and everything was ultra-modern, state-of-the-art with the boat, but the islanders literally lived off coconut trees. It was paradise and welcoming at the same time. It’s so different from all the places I’ve been in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. It was my most memorable charter experience.

Turkey and Greece would be my second-favorite areas. The Greeks really have stepped up the quality of their boats and crew training in recent years. They’ve done enormously well. They have listened and learned from the successful yachts in the Western Mediterranean.

Describe your ideal charter client.

Families, without a shadow of a doubt.

What I love is taking clients who have never chartered before and leading them through the whole process, with sensible expectations. They are relying upon me as the charter professional to give them the right advice, and when they take my advice and come back and want to book again because it’s the best vacation they’ve ever had, that for me is just fantastic.

Describe your nightmare charter client.

People who have utterly ridiculous expectations, people who refuse to understand the constraints of weather, people who cannot understand that the crew work 24 hours a day and put unreasonable demands on them. Unrealistic expectations, sadly, tend to create serious problems.

Describe a previous booking where you worked “above and beyond” for a client.

There’s one charter I did for a longtime repeat client, a major wedding anniversary. They chartered a very large vessel and had 30 of their closest friends aboard for a long weekend in the South of France. The captain and I organized a program of events every day, with a different theme every day for every location where the boat went.

One night, we did a Caribbean beach theme. Another night, we did a James Bond party with a casino on the boat. The final night, I organized a fireworks display that required special permissions. And beyond all of that, what went really well was that, with the charterer’s authority, I had a photographer dressed in a crew uniform who worked like a paparazzi photographer. He shot lots of long lenses and photographs through trees and things like that. He produced a fake OK!-style magazine at the end of the charter. Everybody absolutely loved it.

What charter clients need to understand is that this particular charter would not have worked if I hadn’t had the relationship that I did with the yacht’s captain. It emphasizes the point that the right broker must work with the right crew and captain. I received a long letter from the client and his wife saying it was the best time they’d ever had. I knew I’d done my job properly.

What makes you different from other charter brokers?

First, I would say that whenever I speak to a new charter client, I put myself in their shoes. What would I want? What would I expect? I think that’s something that’s often forgotten with a lot of charter brokers. Every charter that I do, no matter the size of the boat, is the same amount of effort for me. From acorns to big oaks grow. I believe that, and I treat all clients accordingly.

I also use all of my collective experience. I used to be yacht crew. I know how hard a crew can be pushed, and I know the constraints of what is achievable versus unachievable. I can converse with the captain and the crew in ways that not all other brokers can. It’s amazing, the different reaction a captain gives you when he realizes that you do actually know what you’re talking about.

Overall, my job comes down to experience, managing expectations, and doing whatever I can to assist the crew. To exceed the charterer’s expectations, it is essential for close and detailed collaboration between the broker, captain and crew. I always try and stay one step ahead of the charterer in regards to organization.

What else should CharterWave readers know about you?

As a company, Ocean Independence wants to be slightly different than our competition. We have multiple language speakers, 20 languages in total, and we have multiple cultures within the company. I believe we have more than 70 people now representing 18 different nationalities. We have joint partners who run the company. There is always a team aspect, and we operate very much as a team. We always have backup. We have combined experience and combined benefits.

How can CharterWave readers contact you?

My e-mail address is This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . My office number in the United Kingdom is +44 1273 831010, and my cell phone is +44 7881805517.