How long did you work in yachting? Can you tell me about your yachting career – highlights, low points?

I worked in interior design for many years and then in 2000, I decided to change my career path completely. I trained and became a qualified PADI diving instructor as this was my one-way ticket out of Holland as I was young (and foolish) and wanted to travel the world!  My diving took me to the Maldives and later to Egypt.

2003 brought with it, my first real experience of living and working on a boat. I successfully ran a diving safari boat in the most southern atoll just north of the Equator in the Maldives. I did this for one year and did four to five dives a day with clients.

Around September 2004, I moved to Phuket in Thailand, where I worked as an underwater cameraman for diving tourism until the devastating tsunami struck on boxing day! I must lead a charmed life, as the night before, I had a serious motorbike accident which meant I did not go to work that fateful day!

The dive centre and everything on the beach completely disappeared! The earthquake registered 9.4 on the Richter scale. Luckily, I was in hospital otherwise I would have been on that beach!

After the Tsunami, I got repatriated back to Holland. I was flown back in a military plane, on a stretcher. After 10 months rehabilitation in Holland, I decided to travel again but this time to the Caribbean man…

I set up a business in Trinidad & Tobago, doing underwater filming for a promotional video for their tourist board. I also worked on a German documentary about diving and the marine life in Tobago focusing on Hammerhead sharks.

After 2 years, in 2007 I got itchy feet again and moved to St. Maarten where

my real connection with the “Superyacht” industry began.

I kept working in underwater filming, but I branched out to private diving courses for yacht crew. Underwater filming was slow, so I did some promotional videos for yachts and ended up obtaining my Yacht Master Offshore ticket so I could start to work with yacht deliveries and charters.

After 5 years living on St. Maarten, I moved back to Europe and sought opportunities in Malta where I continued to do multiple yacht deliveries. I also started working charters as well as a transatlantic crossing to Brazil.

Whilst in Malta, I got asked to join a shoot for UK TV, Channel 5 featuring U-boat Worx who build submarines for Superyachts. In Malta I also got involved with 4G data services which would come to help me later on in my career!

In 2015 I moved to Mallorca and continued the services with 4G for yachts as Malta was too small. I also worked as a free-lance charter skipper for Sunsail and other charter companies.

How did you know it was time for you to make the move to land?

After many deliveries, I decided one of my key strengths is working on my own initiative and not necessarily as part of a team/crew! It was also time for me to have a home and put down some roots for the future! I decided on Mallorca because of the international community, Spanish culture and laid- back lifestyle! Plus, I love the wine!

What was the most difficult thing about the transition?

Now I have to drive and search for parking! (In St. Maarten, I owned a car but didn’t use it for over a year as I went everywhere with my tender!) No in all seriousness, everyone will miss the money and the “Superyacht” lifestyle and the way everything is provided for you! You don’t have to shop, your meals are cooked, your laundry is done and there is no cleaning involved in your day to day life! This changes rapidly when you come on shore!

I also really miss the sea! There is nothing better than “Vitamin Sea!”

What was the best thing about it?

I don’t work for a yacht “owner” anymore and enjoy my personal time spent on my finca, the land, the pool and the garden! I love being able to host BBQ’s and get togethers’ with my friends! I also enjoy the freedom to work from home and on reflection, I much prefer being shore based although I still treasure the yachting memories!

What do you miss most about yachting?

Wearing no shoes and always in shorts! Being at sea is always special, I love sailing and the marine life! I still dive but for my own pleasure!

What do you do now?

Since 2017, I am the face of  RoamingExpert in Palma de Mallorca. I work as a Communications Consultant to supply their range of mobile roaming solutions.

RoamingExpert offers a range of affordable and flexible data only tariffs and crew plans, ideal for the yachting industry. My position as Communications Consultant is perfect for me as I still get to work within the industry, but in a land-based role.

I am based in Palma but sell RoamingExpert’s range of tariffs across all of Spain and Malta. Before the COVID-19 lockdown, I travelled to different marinas, yacht shows & events, to promote RoamingExpert’s services using my industry knowledge and contacts. Hopefully in 2021 lockdown will have eased and I will be able to begin to travel again. 

Do you have any advice for fellow yachties about going land-based?

Working on yachts gives you a great income, so save some! As when you finally make the move to land, life is very different, and you have to work harder to cover all your expenses and live the same lifestyle! 