Darren Hunt is 53 years old and originally from Leicester but has lived on and off Mallorca since 2000. He has two wonderful grown-up children, Corinda and Danny, who currently live in the UK. He has been in yachting for 35 years, having fallen in love with sailing at an early age when his grandfather used to take him sailing when visiting his grandparents in Falmouth.
Darren’s family always wanted to live by the sea, so eventually, they moved to Gorleston on Sea, Norfolk. He joined the Sea Cadets at the age of 12, with a dream of joining the Royal Navy when he left school.
Darren says, “After leaving school, I was accepted at the Nautical College in Lowestoft where I trained for 2 years. For the next 6 years, I worked on board supply ships, cargo vessels and oil rig standby vessels. Throughout my 35-year yachting career, I worked my way up from Deckhand to Bosun, Officer of the Watch to Chief Officer and eventually to achieve my goal as Captain. The rest, as they say, is history!”
10 happy years on first yacht!
Darren was working on board an ocean-going tug in Den Helder, Holland, which was tied up alongside a beautiful old Feadship that had all British crew. He got talking to them and thought “that beats working in the North Sea”. So, whilst on leave, he spent the next few weeks trawling the local newsagents for yachting magazines. Darren tells me, “I spotted a crew agent’s advert and sent them my CV. Six months later, out of the blue, I got a reply. I went for the interview and landed a job on the world-famous yacht, Midnight Saga! I spent ten very happy years on board, travelling the world with a great crew and owner. Most of us have remained in touch all these years later.”
Great memories and experiences
If you ask any ‘yachtie’ about their highlights, their answer will always be the same; “The travel and the people.” Darren was lucky enough to be employed on board a yacht that did a 5-year around-the-world trip. He explains, “We covered pretty much everywhere but the Pacific Islands. My favourite destinations were Alaska, Canada, South East Asia and Chile. My favourite personal experiences were just as diverse – diving with Manta Rays in the Maldives and exploring fantastic cities such as New York, St Petersburg and Ho Chi Min, to name just a few, But let’s not forget lying on exotic beaches drinking Pina Coladas and having a laugh with a great crew, who have now become lifelong friends! Most of whom I’m happy to say have decided to call Mallorca their home.”
When he was working on Midnight Saga, they used to host an array of amazing guests such as, “Legends like the late Robin Williams and Eric Idol (and yes, both were as funny in real life as they were on the screen). We also had a multitude of 1990s Hollywood stars, TV stars and the odd supermodel!” Darren remembers.
Disasters and Disappointments
Darren experienced his share of rough times and tells me, “The lowest point for me (and all the crew on board) was almost making it to Antarctica. Whilst crossing the Drakes Strait, we encountered some seriously bad weather. So bad, it was decided we had to turn the yacht around just 150 nautical miles from the Antarctic Peninsula. Everybody cried tears of frustration as this was going to be the highlight of our global cruise! So near, but so far…I never got the chance to go back. So this destination remains firmly on my bucket list!”
He also had a pretty hair-raising experience when trying to navigate a 50-metre yacht through hundreds of small fishing boats off the coast of Vietnam. “Those of you familiar with this area know the men sit floating in small woven baskets that are carried by the fishing boats and are virtually impossible to see by sight or by radar. I’m happy to say we managed to sail through them without incident!” Darren explains.
Transitioning to Terra Firma
Like many, Darren eventually started to feel he was missing out on other aspects of life. Yes, he had travelled the globe and had the most amazing experiences, but he’d also missed out on so many important events. Darren recalls, “We used to spend 10 months a year at sea and although my yachting years are still some of the best years of my life, I just got tired. I also felt the dynamics between the crew, owners and guests started to change. It started to feel more like a job than the ‘lifestyle’ I had previously been so lucky to have! The yacht was your home and pretty much your whole life, and back when I started, they were like floating works of art that we took great pride in and learned all the skills to keep them looking pristine.”
Landing the perfect combination
The yacht refit and winter shipyard period was a time Darren also really enjoyed, so when he was approached to become a Project & Operations Manager by a very successful management company here in Mallorca, it seemed like a natural progression. “The role definitely put my life skills to good use because, as an ex-crew member, I know how to run a boat! After gaining valuable experience working for one of the industry’s most reputable companies, my business partners and I now have a wonderful opportunity to set up our own Yacht Management company and are currently in the process of opening an office in STP Shipyard. Watch this space for 7P’s Yacht Management,” Darren excitedly tells me.
Back in the Day
For Darren, the crossings are the thing he misses the most. He recalls how special it was “…back in the day before 24hr satellite comms. I miss not having internet and phone access for 3–4 weeks! We were completely incommunicado from modern life! We got to read books (we couldn’t stream movies), watch DVD box sets, play cards and board games in the crew mess, and used to fish off the foredeck when lying at anchor. The ’Ode to Neptune’ (halfway) parties were pretty epic too!”
There are other things Darren misses about being at sea, “In the middle of the summer, when it’s roasting hot in Mallorca, I still really miss being out on the water! Also, the all-expenses-paid travelling! But spending more time with my kids, partner, family, and friends -and sleeping in my own bed- more than compensates.”
It’s all in the Planning
When Darren transitioned to land, he prepared well but still learned a few things. “I would advise people to be prepared financially because it’s a lot more expensive ashore than you might think. Also, have a plan and remember your 7Ps: Proper Prior Planning Prevents P*ss Poor Performance!” He also recommends having a budget and re-educating yourself for life ashore otherwise, you will keep returning to on-board life.
Darren’s final words are: “Initially, I went into yachting for the lifestyle – not as a career move. I wish I knew back then what I know now – hindsight is a wonderful thing. But all in all, I have no regrets – I got to see the sea and travel the world! All my boxes were ticked!”
