ANCHOR POINTS Edition 3

The Monthly Newsletter by Tracey Boston & Our Faceless Crew

Welcome to Edition 3 of Anchor Points. What have we been up to and what's on the horizon?

COLLABORATION WITH EDELWEISS MARITIME MANAGEMENT

With the Med season wrapped up, many yachts will now venture to The Middle East for the winter season, and new crew will take rotational, seasonal or permanent roles on yachts there.

Our collaborative resource, "A Yachtie's Guide To Working In The Middle East", is now available on our website as a downloadable PDF. And guess what? We will bring the guide to 'life' with a recorded podcast with Rita Chahine , Crew Recruitment Executive, Joelle Haddad , Training & Certification Executive, Captain Ahmad Badran, Chief Officer samer rayess , Luca Soklic ... and, of course...moi, Tracey B. . I will announce its airing details at a later date via my LinkedIn posts, and via instagram and Facebook pages (@ourfacelesscrew).

NEW BLOGS

An Unstoppable Visionary

This month we feature powerhouse female leader, BEGüM DO?ULU of Begum Yachting.

In our Q& A interview, we had the pleasure of speaking with Begüm Do?ulu, an innovative and visionary force in her field. Known for her dynamic approach and ability to push boundaries, Begüm has made a profound impact through her influential work, constantly inspiring others with her creative ideas. Her journey is one marked by resilience, as she continues to rise above challenges and lead with a future-focused mindset. We’re excited to dive into her experiences, insights, and the driving forces behind her success.

We invite you to read Part 1 of her interview on our website. The website link is in my Superprofile bio on my LinkedIn profile.

*This month I'm avoiding adding too many links into the newsletter, to get out of LinkedIn jail (wink)

There's No Hot Tub Time Machine

Many new crew members arrive on a superyacht with visions of glamorous late-night parties and endless fun, fuelled by what they’ve seen on TV. They imagine themselves sipping cocktails in the hot tub or sneaking ashore for wild nights out after the guests depart. But that’s just a myth, and the reality hits hard and fast. Instead of carefree evenings, they find themselves in a race against time, barely catching their breath between back-to-back charters. With only 24 hours to transform the yacht from a well-worn vessel into a gleaming, picture-perfect luxury escape, the crew spends those precious hours scrubbing, polishing, and resetting every corner to look as pristine as it does in glossy brochures.

And instead of rowdy celebrations, crew members often collapse into bed, exhausted, after long shifts of tireless work. I address this reality in the blog series.

I also address honing in on skills that will be beneficial when one starts a yachting career. Recruiters and captains value adaptability, communication, and teamwork as much as technical abilities. Life in tight quarters, handling demanding guests, and working with unpredictable schedules demands that crew members stay calm, collaborative, and solution-oriented. I often advise aspiring crew to start honing these skills now, even before joining yachting, whether through hospitality work, team sports, or mindful communication. The real secret? A successful yachting career blends technical expertise with the right mindset – transforming rookie crew into adaptable, respected pros.

I invite you to read the second instalment of my blog, The Rookie Realities for Superyacht Content. It's called, "There's No Hot Tub Time Machine" and to listen to our podcast series on my YouTube channel (@ourfacelesscrew)

EMPOWERING CREW: ESSENTIAL HEALTH INSURANCE KNOWLEDGE

Our collaborative article with Clarity Employee Benefits emphasize the importance of educating new crew members about health insurance, and highlights the captain’s role in ensuring their team is well-prepared for medical emergencies and understands their coverage. New crew members should be informed about key insurance concepts such as deductibles, co-pays, and policy exclusions, and receive checklists of essential documents like insurance cards and emergency contacts. Regular pre-season briefings with an insurance advisor help new crew members feel more confident in navigating complex coverage details, reducing confusion during emergencies and ensuring a smooth claims process.

Practical advice includes organizing physical and digital backups of insurance documents, understanding policy limitations such as geographic restrictions or coverage during leave, and handling claims efficiently. Encouraging open communication, continuous learning, and regular policy reviews equips the crew with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions, ultimately fostering a positive work environment.

I invite you to read the full article and to download the PDF guide for your team

https://clarity.africa/dock-talk-the-captains-guide-to-educating-crew-on-health-insurance/

MANAGING GUESTS IN AN EMERGENCY

On most vessels, a crew member is assigned the task of assisting the guests in an emergency. On smaller yachts it may even be the chief stewardess. If you are assigned with this duty, do you know what to say or do? Have you acquired the skills? We now carry a fully online course to help upskill you. The course covers:

• Assessing the situation and providing an effective response.
• Leading and directing others.
• Identifying signs and symptoms of excessive personal stress, and the stress response to others.
• Understanding that stress can affect performance and the ability to act.
• Being aware of the reaction patterns of passengers and other personnel in emergencies recognising specific behaviours of passengers and other personnel.

The USCG Crowd Management Training?covers the minimum standard of competence?for Masters, Chief Mates, Chief Engineers, Second Engineer Officers,?and any crew member assigned immediate responsibility for embarking and disembarking passengers.?It also includes the essential training for working overseas, including?loading, discharging, or securing cargo, closing hull?openings, and?any person responsible for passengers’ safety?in emergencies on passenger ships, cruise ships and superyachts.

A Culinary EGGS-perience

Our fun no-eggs challenge for chefs may have ended but it was a pleasurable lead up to the launch of our collaborative cookbook with Small Vegan Kitchen .

The book will be available on November 1st but feel free to express your interest by pre-ordering. Scan the QR-code on the flyer below.

Ok folks... I'm keeping this one short and sweet this month, because I have lots of interesting news for next month's edition. After all...it will be the lead up to the warm, fun Caribbean season, and that deserves an edition of its own, don't you think?

I would appreciate if you would subscribe to our social channels (YouTube, instagram and Facebook) @ourfacelesscrew.

For those of you attending #FLIBS in Fort Lauderdale, we wish you the most enjoyable and successful show.

For all the nominees of the Yacht Femme Awards by Andrea Tagliaferro at Metstrade , you are all such special and incredible women, who are leaving a positive trail for those entering our dynamic industry. Thank you to Yacht Dame for recognising and celebrating this. It is an honour to have my name called with these outstanding women.

So, Until next month... CIAO EVERYONE