Capt. David Linebaugh m/y Symphony II
January 2008 update: David is now the captain onboard the 146-foot motoryacht Balaju, which is also part of the fleet at International Yacht Collection.
Date interviewed: December 2006
How did you realize you wanted to become a captain?
I was a commercial captain for 12 years running oil supply boats and tankers. One day I picked up a copy of Showboats magazine, and I realized that these other boats existed.
That same day, I called my boss and gave my notice. It was in 1990. I told him I was going yachting.
What training did you undergo to become a captain?
I already had my 500-ton license, and I was really surprised that the jobs on charter boats were given more based on resume than technical job qualifications. I came on as a mate, since it’s resume-driven and I wasn’t known as a captain.
Within about four months, the captain of my 124-foot motoryacht left to go around the world, and I took over. He really taught me a lot about chartering.
What yachts did you work on before joining Symphony II?
I was onboard the 130-foot motoryacht Hakim for a few years, That's the only boat I've ever been on that I think had the same name as its owner.
i also was onboard the 115-foot motoryacht Lady Hawk for seven years, and I did a few months on the 172-foot motoryacht Big Eagle.
When did you join your current yacht?
One year ago, in 2006. I did about two years on private boats and decided they didn’t have enough energy, enough activity. I really like chartering. It’s just a lot more of what I got into yachting for. The private boats were just too dull. My wife and I—she’s my chief stew—we just prefer the chartering.
What do you think makes Symphony II's crew special?
The owner has taken a lot of trouble to fine-tune a lot of the details on the boat. She’s a production boat, so you would think she wouldn’t be any different from the others like her, but he’s really maximized the way the boat is used, every little thing.
Our owner is very detail-oriented. He’s made his mark on the boat. She’s a little nicer and neater than any other 112-foot Westport. Plus, the crew and I just enjoy it, so that helps, too.
How do you determine what itinerary you will set for a given charter?
A number of different ways. The broker is always our first point of contact, and some brokers want to stay in the loop while others will put me in direct contact with the client. So we take the lead from the broker.
I’ll often offer up a general description of the areas we’re going to be chartering in, of the high points of nearby areas, and then let the guest respond with what interests them. We fine-tune it, but we always leave it open so they can change the itinerary after they get onboard. That’s because of weather, or maybe they just like someplace when they get there and they want to stay.
How flexible are you about changing the itinerary on a day-to-day basis?
There’s no reason at all that we can’t change the itinerary in the middle of the charter.
What are some of your favorite cruising destinations, and why?
My favorites in the Caribbean are the Virgin Islands and St. Barth's. I really like Saba, St. Kitts and Nevis, because they’re a little bit off the traveled path. For a nature island, I think Dominica has fabulous hiking, hot springs, and the only native Caribbean people who are still left.
You need a certain kind of people to go to those places, but I think they’re dramatic.
What features onboard Symphony II do you particularly enjoy sharing with guests?
The water toys, for sure. The Wave Runners, the small tender, the big tender. We also have a lot of beach equipment, so we can do a full-on beach barbecue with crystal, just like you’re on the boat except you have sand under your feet.
When we tell people it’s a beach party, they worry about sand in their hot dog, and we give them surf and turf. It really surprises them, a nice surprise toward the end of the charter. Especially in the Virgin Islands, there are a lot of great beaches where we can do that.
Describe a typical guest’s day onboard Symphony II.
We go with the flow. A lot of times people don’t want to be up early in the morning, and we can do our couple of hours of running anytime during the day. Maybe we get someplace by lunch, or leave after lunch for a quick move in the afternoon. The only thing that forces me to do anything is if we’re going into a marina by a certain time, to hold our space at the dock.
What kind of charter guests are your favorites?
We pretty much like them all. We are very kid-friendly, and we enjoy the heck out of having kids on the boat because they enjoy it more than anybody. If they’re having fun, the parents are having fun because they get a vacation from their own vacation.
We’ve also done charters for couples, business partners and friends, that sort of thing.
What else should CharterWave readers know about you, your crew and your yacht?
There’s probably a million things, but I can’t think of them off the top of my head. I can say that I do have the easiest job on the boat. Without my crew, I wouldn’t be much of anything. You make sure to put that in the article, for sure. They’re the greatest crew out there.
Symphony II is part of the fleet at International Yacht Collection. Her weekly rate is available by contacting any reputable charter broker.
You can also learn more about Symphony II by reading our exclusive First Impression editorial review.
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