Ouch! 132' Broward Motoryacht Serque on the Rocks...

Lewmar C.Q.R. I don't know the rated holding power off the top of my head.

And I don't like that reality, while fully recognizing it is often as you describe. There is something I find so inherently wrong with under staffing for the jobs required and in 16+ hours day after day. It's wrong in this industry or any other. Of course that explains why some boats have constant turnover of entire crews. There are some great yacht owners out there who are a pleasure to work for. But way too much of the industry is as you describe and crews deserve better. They deserve to be treated with dignity and respect and to have reasonable expectations on the job.

It would be most interesting to find out the circumstances of this beaching, but doubt we ever will. That boat should have had a crew of at least six if not seven. I have no idea what it actually had.

With all due respect, I don't use those words to be politically correct. I do use them because they're among my core beliefs and values. Similarly, while I respect your view and your right to it, my beliefs on staffing and treatment of crew are no different than mine in any other business.

As to "happy" that's for each individual. Whether those in this industry are happier or less happy than others, I can't say with any certainty. I can say there are many leaving or changing their positions because the expectations and lifestyle are something they no longer choose.

For a 70' boat, I don't find a problem with a crew of two. As to a 130' boat, ours has space for 6 or 7 depending on sharing. But we also allow senior crew to use a stateroom. In fact, right now we have crew in two staterooms. On the other hand, we aren't chartering and don't have 12 guests aboard. Right now it's two owners who also captain, one guest working on her license, and 7 crew members. So our situation is very different from the charter for a week packed full. We previously chartered quite a bit but still never put those type demands on crew.

We recognize however that we're very unique in that we do know how to go to the galley and get a snack or get a drink, we even know how to cook as I grilled the steaks last night for the 10 of us. Ok, guess we're the scourge and evil of yachting trying to ruin it all, but our crew likes us...

You guys are not the norm or even close.
That being said, would like to sail with you: I'll have my steak medium rare, baked potato, and my salad sprinkled with lobster tails and champagne on the side.

Never claimed to be normal but we do have fun...out of the box? Oh we threw the box away. March to a different drummer? We run, don't march and trumpet, not drum.

I believe the staffing is regulated on a charter boat isn't it? The hours are just a reality of this business, but there's a big caveat. It's what we choose to do. I often work 15 / 20 hour days for 2 or 3 weeks, but then I take a few weeks off. It's not hard to throw an extra hour or two on the day to stand watch. That's not breaking rocks with a sledge. It's also why they hire young and strong instead of old and tired though. These days I'm fading by day 10.

"Whether those in this industry are happier or less happy than others, I can't say with any certainty. I can say there are many leaving or changing their positions because the expectations and lifestyle are something they no longer choose."

I think it might not be understood by all, but working boats isn't just a job. It's something you need to do. The guys working the Bearing Sea crab boats don't earn a ton of money annually. They just earn it all in a short time at a totally nuts pace. They need to work that pace and that place. But yes it takes its toll. You see plenty of 60 year old lawyers and doctors, but not many 60 year old deckhands. I'm getting out because my body won't take what I've done to it any more, and I don't like where the business has gone. Not fun anymore. Between the lack of security, the liability, the responsibility, the regulations; I don't recommend people enter this business. Much easier to make your living on land. Yet some people are just drawn to it.

Well, the Maritime Labour Convention establishes rules for commercial boats (only adopted by some flag states at this point) which I see no excuse for all boats not following. Hopefully the convention will be further adopted by more countries. Here is what the relevant section says:

Rest hours: rest hours should be implemented in national legislation. The maximum hours of work in that legislation should not exceed 14 hours in any 24-hour period and 72 hours in any seven-day period, or: at least ten hours of rest in any 24-hour period and 77 hours (rest) in any seven-day period. Furthermore the daily hours of rest may not be divided into more than two periods and, at least six hours of rest should be given consecutively in one of those two periods.

I can't accept any excuse for having fewer rest hours than outlined there. It's time to humanize this industry.

If that's what it says I'm sure it's what's followed by most, but that's for the pretty boats. I work a different end of the maritime industries, and work the hours needed and as hard as we need to get the job done. Maybe older are tougher after all.

I understand you, as many others in thousands of industries, do what you have to do. I see things as an owner and manager of businesses and boats and, as such, I feel an obligation, call it a moral obligation to those I employ. That obligation includes reasonable pay, benefits, hours and work conditions, along with time for their personal lives.

In the interest of safety which was the initial impetus of this discussion, I have participated in studies and tests and I don't care how young one is fatigue is a major safety factor, both mental and physical fatigue. Just the loss of ability to think and function at maximum levels with lack of sleep is major. 16 hour days are the things we see in Chinese clothing factories that we protest and boycott against.

I do realize that I'm helpless in terms of changing or impacting this industry. The most I can do is determine how I handle my boats and treat my crew. But as long as I am a boat owner seeing much of the treatment of crews and the way much of the industry does operate I will speak out against it when confronted. I've long battled such things in other industries from manufacturing to retail. I never thought I'd see the day Walmart would voluntarily raise their minimum wage, but it's happening.

I'm not saying anything negative about those of you working in the industry, but I am speaking negatively about some of the owners. And some of the prevalent practices may or may not have contributed to the event that's the topic of this thread. Whether they have or not in this instant, they certainly could in others.

I think you've read enough of my posts to know that I'm a major proponent for improved pay and working conditions throughout society. I've gotten chewed out right here a few times for my "liberal" leanings in favor of the working men and women. lol. But working 7 days a week , 15 hours a day was normal for most people from the beginning of time until recent times. I wouldn't ask it of anyone, but I can certainly deliver it myself when needed. One of the pleasures of working for yourself and of getting old. You work for the pleasure of the work.

But this is about that boat. I didn't think much of their not maintaining full-time crew, but were they actually understaffed per regulation? I know they did something wrong or they wouldn't have ended up on the beach. But there's wrong and then there's wrong.

I don't know if they're understaffed by regulation. But a boat that size should have a full time crew of 3 minimum just if it's sitting at the dock. 6-7 crew if it's actually being used. Captain, Mate, stewardess, chef, deckhand, and an engineer......

Always have a Anchor watch point blank. Weather happens!