Captain, 82-foot motoryacht Lady Zehava

Date interviewed: May 2010

I’ve been told that you have a real knack for numbers.

I am from Gibraltar, from a fishing family. We lived by the sea. My father wanted me to study to not live by the sea, so I am a trained accountant. I cried the day that I told my father I could not be an accountant. I was 21 years old, and I needed to do what I had in my blood. That is a life on the sea.

How did you get into the yacht charter business?

I went to Antibes and hoped to find a job. I did freelance work, day work on boats, and day work in shipyards. I finally got a job as a mate on a boat in Sicily, and then went to work on a 60-meter boat that went around the world. Later I was the captain of a small Sunseeker motoryacht in the South of France, and then finally I came here, to the 25-meter Sunseeker Lady Zehava.

Do you like Lady Zehava compared with the other yachts where you have worked?

I do like this boat. She is strong, and the finish is good quality. You can hit the sea and make your way.

Also, we can do 30 knots, so we are a good boat for going quickly from port to port. Our cruising speed is usually 24 or 25 knots, with a fuel burn of 550 liters per hour. Not every charter yacht can make that claim of speed.

What types of charters do you hope to book?

We want to move, and we want charters of every kind. Families, adults, parties—we do not care. We want them all.

Do you prefer charters where the itinerary is short, or where you move the boat a lot?

My preference is to see many places. Porto Cervo. Corsica. I like to move the boat and show people all of these beautiful places.

Lady Zehava is part of the charter fleet at Fraser Yachts Worldwide. She takes eight guests with three crew at a lowest weekly base rate of €36,000. Any reputable charter broker can help you book a week onboard.—Kim Kavin