I had the pleasure of sitting down with Debela Savimaki, whose life story reads like an adventure novel. Debela was born in Ethiopia but was adopted at the age of four because sadly, both his parents died of tuberculosis. His brother and sister were also adopted by the same family. They were incredibly fortunate to be able to stay together. Despite such tragic circumstances, their young lives were about to change forever as Australia was soon to become their new home.
Debela threw himself into sports with the enthusiasm of a puppy chasing a ball. He quickly reached national level in track and field for the 100, 200 and 400 meters, with some of his records still standing today. However, despite his love of athletics his heart truly belonged to the sea, as shortly after arriving in Australia, he started surf lifesaving to learn swimming. This seemingly innocuous start led to his love of surfing, the board and the open ocean, and has opened countless doors in many different spheres and, most importantly, has resulted in led to lifelong friendships. When he looks back on those early days he remembers fondly that, “the Sunshine Coast became my playground, and I couldn’t have imagined a better place to call home. It was like winning the childhood lottery!”
Now 25, Debela is working as a Deckhand and although his yachting journey is only just beginning, he is delighted to share with us the highs and lows, what it means to be a part of this wonderful industry and to offer advice for anyone wanting to follow in his footsteps.
Before we dive in, I want to know a little of Debela’s work background before yachting. “Before finding my calling in yachting, I explored a variety of jobs. I dabbled in construction as a chippy, but that only lasted a few months. Then I tried my hand at painting, which turned out to be as exciting as literally watching paint dry! After that, I worked in retail for about two and a half years, hoping it would help me transition into real estate. However, the job I enjoyed the most was as a Dogman/Rigger, guiding cranes on construction sites. It was an overwhelming experience at first, seeing the size of the cranes and the construction sites. There is a lot of pressure on you. You can’t rig anything wrong as you can kill people, not to mention wipe out an entire site! It took me months to get used to it, but I finally settled down with Universal Cranes and began to get my bearings. It was tiring but incredibly rewarding. With a great team by my side, I grew more confident in my abilities, plus, I got to wear a hard hat…and as the saying goes, tradies get the ladies!”
Debela’s yachting career all began in the Caribbean, specifically the yachting hub we all know and love, Antigua. The years 2022-23 had been particularly challenging for him along with many others, so he arrived feeling under a lot of pressure. But quick as ever to find his feet he began his first job on ‘Sea Owl’ and then later on ‘Odessa 2’. But he is eager to tell me that it was crew on Sea Owl, who taught him a lot about hard work and gave him valuable advice.
However, Debela explains that, “it was on Odessa 2 where everything changed for me. My yachting epiphany so to speak! My crew was incredibly supportive, making me feel like part of the family. They supported me throughout the season, watching me grow and became my first real yachting family!”
Apparently choosing a favourite boat was like choosing a favourite child for Debela (not that he has any just yet). But Odessa 2, Obsidian, Adix and Rhea are all top contenders.
“Odessa 2 showed me how good life can be with the right crew. Obsidian was the first boat I worked on that made me feel like a real deckhand. The crew was awesome too and we spent a lot of our free time hanging out at the beach and exploring the island. Adix is a beautiful three-mast schooner and was a real learning-experience for me. And then Rhea gave me my first charter and Atlantic crossing from Antigua to Horta, then onto La Linea. The boat then had a week-long charter cruise between Spain and Morocco. Shortly after, we travelled to Palermo. I learned so much about sailing and the working life on a boat. I also loved interacting with the guests on board. I will be forever grateful for that trip!”
Crew do get lots of perks working in yachting and I’m interested to know what he likes best about this job. “Yes, working on board has many perks. The food is incredible, thanks to the chefs who could probably win ‘MasterChef’ blindfolded! The friendships I have are priceless, forged in the shared struggle of finding work and surviving on board. We all miss the friends we have back home so it’s always good to see the ones before us succeed. It’s what makes yachting so amazing and rewarding! …and travelling the world…” he laughs, it’s like living in a National Geographic documentary, minus the voice-over!”
To keep sane on long trips, Debela discovered that eating good meals together sets the right morale for the crew. A delicious lunch and dinner always works wonders. But it’s not singularly about the crew obviously, spoiling the owners and guests can involve taking them off the boat to explore their current location with a few surprises along the way, and this also adds to boat harmony. “It’s all about creating Instagram-worthy moments that they will treasure forever!”
The downsides? Debela is not alone in realizing that there are drawbacks. “Not having working air conditioning was torture. Smelly toilets and broken doors are also a nightmare, but what really grinds my gears is when crew members don’t clean up after themselves or constantly complain without offering any solutions.” He rolls his eyes, “It’s like, “Do you want some cheese with that whine!?”
As for favourite yachting destinations, Debela admits he is still very green to the industry, but Horta and Morocco are currently at the top of his list. However, he does not intend for it to stop there as Debela’s bucket list includes the small goal of exploring the entire world!
I ask if he could share with us any funny or embarrassing moments he’s experienced on board. “One of the funniest moments was during a night watch on Rhea. Instead of rolling up the flag on the pole, I wrapped it around my arm while tying the rope. A sudden gust of wind blew it into the harbour! The captain was cool, although he did have a good laugh at my expense. Lesson learned: always think twice before doing something silly!”
I’m eager to know what Debela is most proud of so far. “I’m proud of the friends I’ve made in this industry and completing my first Atlantic crossing.”
I’m also keen to know, if he could travel back in time and give his younger self some valuable advice, what would it be? “Trust yourself and your judgements. Always back yourself, even when no one else does. People will support you if you’re giving it your all, even if you feel you’re failing, people have your back.”
For anyone considering a career in yachting, Debela offers the following advice. “First of all, if you think it’s like an episode of Below Deck…it’s not! This industry requires a lot of sacrifice. If you’re family oriented, then you may suffer mentally. Network like your life depends on it! This industry rewards those who put themselves out there! This can come in the form of dock walking or talking to as many people at crew bars as possible. You really need to step well-beyond your comfort zone to be on the radar. Make sure you have all the necessary visas, and always have enough money to survive in pricey places like the South of France and the Caribbean.”
Debela makes another good point. “Always save as much money as you can so that you can quickly implement a plan C when you’re still rolling with plan B! I can’t emphasise this enough, you can never be too prepared! Do your homework. It’s also very important to keep your mental health in check. This job can be stressful, so when you do get time off, go and explore the places you are lucky enough to find yourselves in. Find the time to realign. Whatever you do, be safe, have fun and enjoy the journey, it’s one hell of a ride!”
And finally, what does the future hold for Debela? “My main goal for the future is to secure my first full-time gig, continue earning my tickets and certifications and enjoy my life as much as possible!”
This is just the beginning of Debela’s epic yachting adventure and we wish him the best of luck for his future!
Thank you for reading!
