Capt. Brett Major
motoryacht Lady Zelda

How did you realize you wanted to become a captain?
My father was a fisherman where I grew up in New Zealand, on the North Island. From five years of age, I knew I was going to sea. I fished all through high school. I used to turn up late to school because I was out pulling nets.
     After school I fished for three years and then got a contract to go play rugby in Italy. I spent a few years there—I speak Italian fluently—and I discovered yachting during the summer of my first year. A family asked me to drive their little Riva powerboat around the island of Sardinia. And I thought, “Well, this is money for jam. And I don’t smell of fish.”

What training did you undergo to become a captain?
I fished for a few more years in New Zealand while I worked on getting my license. I turned up in Antibes in 1999 with my fresh license in hand, thinking I was going to take the yachting industry by the scruff of the neck. But they weren’t impressed. I needed a British license to be a captain there.
     So I got a job on a 108-foot motoryacht as mate/engineer. I stayed for eight months, then went to Fort Lauderdale to get the proper licenses.

What yachts did you work on before joining your current yacht?
I did some fill in and day jobs in Fort Lauduerdale, then got aboard a 120-foot charter motoryacht called Picante in 2000. I enjoyed it. Yes, that boat sunk—but I was nowhere near it when it happened. I was no longer onboard, barely even in the same hemisphere.
     I liked it while it was going strong, meeting the people, telling stories, introducing charter guests to things they haven’t seen before. I took to it.
     My first captain’s job was onboard a 98-foot sportfishing motoryacht in Antibes. The boss didn’t like to fish, but we fished a lot as crew.
     Then I went to the 115-foot charter motoryacht Oceana II, in 2004, and I stayed for nine months. That’s when the owner of the old Picante called and told me he was buying another boat and wanted me to come aboard as captain. He’s a fisherman and a diver—all the things I love—so in January 2005 I joined him here as captain onboard Lady Zelda.

Did Lady Zelda start chartering immediately?
No. I picked the boat up in San Diego, California, when the owner bought it. We did Alaska, and I’ll tell you, the Inside Passage was some of the best cruising I’ve done in the world. We also did Mexico and Costa Rica, then a second season in Alaska. We did Galapagos, the Cocos Islands, all over that area.
    Then in August 2006, the boat went into the yard for a full refit. She was there until February 2007 getting new paint, teak decks, headliners, wall paneling, carpeting, a Jacuzzi—everything you can think of. She’s an entirely new boat.
     We left the refit yard in Seattle on February 28, 2007, in the snow and drove straight for the Panama Canal, fishing the whole way. We crossed the Atlantic and did nine charters this past summer in Croatia for 11 weeks’ total time.
     We were the last boat to leave Croatia, and we know it really well. One of our charter clients was a lady of Croatian descent who showed us all the insider restaurants and such outside the tourist areas. We know the local agents, too, so we can get good tables at the hot spots, good marina bookings—everything for a great charter.
     We’re going back for summer 2008, and we’re going to do Turkey, too, for the repeat clients who want to join us in a new destination.

How do you determine what itinerary you will set for a charter?
I send an idea to the client through the charter broker, and if the client is not happy, we’ll change it up.
     The guests, I find, like to know what they’re going to see and do. They’re not set in stone—it’s easy to change up in Croatia—so guests can change their minds. But they do like to have an idea.

What are some of your favorite cruising destinations, and why?
Alaska and Croatia are number one and number two. The Inside Passage—the wildlife, the scenery—it really is spectacular.
     Croatia is high on my list because you’re not doing the same old stuff. The people are friendly, and it’s a nice place to cruise. I think it’s going to get commercial soon, but now it’s nice.
     And the Cocos Islands. For people who like to dive, it’s spectacular. It’s like Jurassic Park. We have a dive master onboard, and we’re hoping to allow certified divers to go from the boat. Right now, we arrange rendezvous diving.

What features onboard Lady Zelda do you particularly enjoy sharing with guests?
We have great outdoor areas. People aren’t on top of each other.
     And every night at cocktail hour, we do a slide show of the guests from that day, and they just love it. Guests just absolutely rave about the photos. They leave here with four or five discs full of memories.

Describe a typical guest’s day onboard Lady Zelda.
The early birds, they tend to go swimming or do water sports. Then, if we’re in Croatia, we have great guides for history and culture who will lead the guests on private tours. That’s usually mid-morning or late afternoon, in between water sports and meals.
      We typically cruise after lunch, and in Croatia, the distances are small—maybe three hours a day, max. So it’s good to do that after lunch while people take a nap or enjoy the scenery.
 
What kind of charter guests are your favorites?
I love people who want to fish or dive. Anybody active in water sports will be happy onboard Lady Zelda.
     We get a lot of families with kids, and we like to wear the kids out. The crew are all good at playing with kids. They get a present every night with their bed turndown, hopefully something educational, like a coloring book of totem poles when we’re cruising in Alaska. Our boss has young grandkids, so we have everything that kids want. We have Superman sheets, Sponge Bob Square Pants, whatever they like.

What else should CharterWave readers know about you and Lady Zelda?
We have a floating golf tee, and for guests who like to golf, we set up “best drive” competitions. We feel like we’re the entertainment officers—dinner themes, tons of water toys, birthday parties, things like that. We’re great at things like that.

Lady Zelda is part of the fleet at Fraser Yachts Worldwide. Her lowest weekly base rate is $85,000 for 10 guests with seven crew, or about $10,625 per person with typical 25-percent expenses factored into the base rate. Contact any reputable charter broker to book.