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What Exactly Is Yacht Management, And Why Is It Necessary?

By Jenna Mehdi

Those well-versed in the superyacht industry will know that owning and operating a crewed yacht over 24m is no easy task. Ever-changing administrative, technical and regulatory requirements can create a minefield of hoops to jump through, not to mention the management of the crew members living and working on your vessel. And for the busy lives of the modern yacht owner, the task is simply too much to take on alone. We teamed up with Switzerland-based yacht management company Floating Life , to learn more about the benefits of outsourcing your yacht management needs to experts in the field.

The superyacht industry is evolving at such a rapid pace, it is easy to forget how relatively young it is. Barbara Tambani, co-Director of Floating Life alongside Andrea Pezzini, recalls when yacht management services did not even exist as an established sector, and herself took a lead role in developing the early standards of the discipline. Her co-Director Andrea has worked as an Owner’s representative since 1998, alongside director roles in a number of prominent Italian shipyards. 

‘Our professionalism and expertise is important for our clients ,’ Barbara tells us. ‘Our clients know that their yacht is in the safe hands of people that have the necessary experience and are able to find safe solutions.’

Indeed, Floating Life’s management service was the first in the industry to receive the IOS 9001:2015 certification by RINA for quality. But in addition to the high standards, Floating Life meets across its management services, there should be some acknowledgement of the diversity and complexity of the tasks the team fulfils. Floating Life experts dedicate themselves to every single aspect of the yachting customer journey - from flag registration, ownership structures and shipyard maintenance through to crew support, safety and security. No matter how complex or specialised the management task, the Floating Life team has you covered with a professional and efficient service to meet your specific needs.

‘Our experience allows us to anticipate organisational issues such as booking a last minute refueling or paying a supplier for a weekend, ’ says Andrea. ‘ We also consider the possibility of breakdowns or accidents on board as it is important to act promptly to limit the damage and avoid any possible impact that may be linked to pollution.’

With dedicated contacts in each department, Floating Life has the resources and knowhow to cover all bases, leaving clients with more free time to enjoy the use of their yacht.

Offering a competitive edge with a bespoke, tailor-made service, yacht management with Floating Life offers something larger, more corporate firms cannot; that is a truly personalised touch. Indeed, the Floating Life team knows just how important relationships are in this industry. With thanks to an extensive network of shipyards and dealers, Floating Life can offer clients high-level services at very competitive prices.  

‘The yachting industry around the world is constantly changing, so it is vital to keep up to date with all the necessary rules for safety and security, ’ Andrea tells us. ‘ Yachting industry laws change frequently and there has been a lot of development over the last 20 years. Our team keeps up to date and monitors these changes around the world, so we can prevent any problems from arising.’

Maritime traditions have been around since the beginning of civilisation. But the modern superyacht industry, as we know, is still finding its place in international laws and regulations. Keeping up with these ever-evolving rules can be an impossible task to take on alone. That is why Floating Life, with its extensive, specialised knowledge, dedicated staff and tailor-made service, is here to help. 

"The yachting industry around the world is constantly changing, so it is vital to keep up to date with all the necessary rules for safety and security." Andrea Pezzini, Co-Director Floating Life

"The yachting industry around the world is constantly changing, so it is vital to keep up to date with all the necessary rules for safety and security."

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Floating Life, company of yacht management, brokerage and international charter, starts the year with a bang obtaining the important certification ISO 9001 (International Organization for Standardization) for the quality in the service of yacht management and confirming itself as the first organization, in the world of yachting, to reach this important achievement.

What does it mean being certified? It means that the Floating Life’s clients can always count on a five-star service in the field of yacht management, services verified and guaranteed by one of the most important institutions in the field of certifications: the Rina (Registro Italiano Navale, Italian Naval Register). This recognized organization is in fact ready to certify and validate compliance of the management systems to specific reference standards, not only the ones in the naval constructions, but also in the services offered by the company that work in the field of yachting. 

The rule is ISO 9001:2015 that specifies which requisitions a system of management is needed to have and result efficient in order to demonstrate the ability of an organization capable to providing products or services compliant to the requirements of its own clients, as well as to applicable regulations. 

“A certification that fills us with pride”, says Andrea Pezzini founder with Barbara Tampani of Floating Life, “because it means that the targets that we put in place in nearly 20 years of profession have been centered. The attention to the client, to their necessities and to realize every desire that they may have, is the first priority to us. We always try to diversify the service and above all to raise the level of our offer. Our prospective is always to do better”. 

Floating Life provides a service of technical and administrative management at a 360 degree worldwide. A Family Office, where clients are followed with a tailor-made offer, is thanks to a team of professionals with a multi-year experience in the different fields of the yachting industry. 

The services of Yacht and Technical Management represents the soul of the company, but for a total synergy and complete services, the company comes in six important divisions: 

Management, Charter & Brokerage, Concierge, Build & Technical, Fiscal & Legal, Safety & Security. 

The Management is in charge of the “company-yacht” in a professional way and on behalf of the owner, lifting all problems concerning the management of their yacht, in the fields of administration, accounts and finance, crew support, technical management, insurance support, internal and external renovation, logistics and purchasing.  The division of Charter & Brokerage, part of the MYBA association, provides assistance in the management of the charter, charter marketing, retail brokerage, events, yacht shows, sales and purchases.  The service of Concierge is an exclusive service with a 360-degree overlook, available 24/7 on and off board for any eventuality.  The Team Build & Technical offers consulting in order to achieve a new yacht, the management of the of the project and the technical consultancy; it also takes care of the refits and surveyor, keeping the clients updated with every single process in the sales and purchase.  The offer of Fiscal and Legal is a service of consultancy on the standards of regulations, fiscal administration and corporate constitution.  The Safety and Security takes care of everything that has to do with the security of the yacht and the crew relevant to the managed yacht.  Lastly, the Yacht Design is a section dedicated to design totally custom yachts in collaboration with Satura Studio. 

“It is not simple to achieve this type of certification”, says Manuel Maiano, who is in charge of the charter of FL, “Our company has been submitted to thorough exams that lasted a year and a half. It is only at the end of numerous meetings with all the staff, inspections on our operations, on documents and on the clients satisfaction that the Rina issued its opinion and promoted us with full grades. A true satisfaction that replies to us, considering that already in 2015 we had obtained this coveted certification).” 

In 2012 the ISO (International Organization of Standardization) established that the standard of relative systems of management have to have a common structure, defined as High Level Structure (HLS), applicable to the new standards of ISO and of the future revisions of existing standards. 

According to the regulamentation, the management of the quality is based on seven particular principles: 

•    Focusing on the client  •    Leadership •    Active participation of the people  •    Process approach  •    Improvement 

•    Evidence based decision making  •    Relationship Management 

Moreover, the concept of leadership from high management has become fundamental within the norm of effectiveness of the management system of quality, as continuous for example for the promotion and involvement of the staff on the aspects of attention to quality and details.

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Floating Life, founded in 2002 and based in Switzerland, is a premier yacht management company specializing in charter and brokerage services. With a team of approximately 30 experts, we guide our clients through every stage of the yacht construction process with our in-house technical office, ensuring meticulous attention to detail and superior quality. As a boutique firm, we cater to a select clientele, allowing us to maintain the highest standards of excellence. Our mission is to provide a bespoke, personalized service that makes every yachting experience unique and memorable.

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Floating Life – Technical-Administrative Yacht Management

November 21, 2018

Floating Life has been creating a new standard in the yachting industry since its inception in 2002.

Floating Life can be compared to a refined boutique, dedicated to yachting, where our Clients receive our thorough commitment and bespoke in-house services so that their needs, and those of their vessels, are constantly met.

We are a group of highly efficient and experienced professionals, experts in each specific sector of yachting, guaranteeing 360° technical-administrative management of the Yacht, delivering round-the-clock, worldwide effective support.

Floating Life fosters a high-energy culture.

Floating Life Address: Via Gen. Guisan 1, 6833 Riva San Vitale, Switzerland Web: www.floatinglife.com

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How to improve power management on a yacht

• August 21, 2024

Mike Morgan offers advice on how to improve power management on a yacht and preserve precious amps for those that like their home comforts

I confess, I’m not a marine electrician, and my understanding of boat electronics is at best rudimentary, but I’ve now been managing my boat’s power generation and consumption for three seasons and have developed an approach which seems to work well. Hopefully, you will find some of the following advice useful when it comes to managing your own yacht’s energy needs.

Every boat has its own particular balance of power generation and demand, so my system may not work perfectly for you, but it might help you start managing your precious amps a lot more effectively.

My wife Debbie and I sail up to nine months a year around the Med, predominantly lying at anchor. We avoid marinas and use our generator infrequently, to help save the planet and our budget.

I won’t address power needs whilst under sail here, as it’s not relevant to our cruising profile. Clearly, if you’re taking on an Atlantic crossing , then you’ll need to consider the power demands from your navigation equipment, lights and auto pilot.

We bought our pride and joy, Spirit, a Bavaria C57, brand new in 2021, and made several upgrades in an attempt to achieve the holy grail of self-sufficiency at anchor. We opted for 800 amp hours (Ah) hours provided by lithium batteries that weigh less than a single 150Ah lead acid battery.

Because lithium offers roughly twice the capacity of lead acid, that’s equivalent to 16 100Ah lead acid batteries with a combined weight of just over a third of a ton. Given Spirit’s generous beam, we’ve been able to accommodate four 420W solar panels, giving a potential maximum of 1,680W.

A few of the electrical galley appliances aboard Mike’s Bavaria C57 and the wattages that similar products might draw off your battery if you have an inverter

State of charge

The amount of electrical power you have available is all about batteries. Boat batteries are usually measured in amp hours (Ah) – the total number of amps devoured in one hour of use. So, a 120Ah battery will, theoretically, deliver 120A for one hour or 1A for 120 hours. But, of course, this is a little simplistic.

If you have lead acid batteries, you must never completely discharge them, unless you want to replace them regularly. Lead acid batteries should never be discharged below 50 per cent, so the practical Ah they really offer is half the theoretical Ah rating. In the above example, 60 hours at 1 amp would be the limit before you had to recharge the battery. Typically, the state of a battery’s charge is monitored by volts or a shunt battery monitor.

Knowing the state of charge of your batteries is critical to managing your power needs.

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I replaced our Bavaria’s standard 240Ah of domestic lead acid batteries with 800Ah of lithium batteries. The advantage of a lithium battery is its light weight. And, unlike a lead acid battery, it can be run down to a much lower charge. The downside is that lithium batteries have been known to explode.

To avoid this, they need to be paired with a battery management system, which is best left to a professional, who knows what they are doing, to install.

Oceanvolt lithium batteries aboard a Feeling 32

Charging sources

A standard ‘off the shelf’ mid-size production boat is likely to be fitted with a 60A battery charger which is used by the boat’s generator, if it has one, or when shore power is plugged in. The engine will also have an alternator which will typically produce between 35 and 60A of charge, depending on the size of the engine.

Assuming a 60A charge source, the batteries will receive 60A of charge in one hour. So, to put it very simplistically, if you have, as I do, 800Ah of lithium batteries and they are at 50 per cent, to charge them up to capacity would take 6.6 hours (400 amps divided by the charging source of 60 amps equals 6.6 hours).

Unfortunately, it’s not quite as simple as that. For example, there are various charging states – bulk, absorption and trickle (also known as maintenance or float) – and different types of batteries with different ratings, but I have kept it as simple as possible here for the purposes of explanation.

If you don’t have shore power (when at anchor, for instance), or don’t have a generator, the alternative is to run your engine for six hours under light load, which is not good for the engine and won’t win you many friends nearby who are trying to relax and enjoy a peaceful sundowner.

Mike’s customised electrical control panel

Battery charger

Increasing the size of your battery charger will speed up the process of charging from both a generator and shore power. I opted to fit a 120A charger and a 3kW inverter for my 240V appliances. There is always the option to beef up the engine alternator to feed a hungry family of batteries, but again, this means the boat engine needs to run for prolonged periods of time.

The 9kW Paguro 9000 generator I fitted produces a lot more power than we ever need. The generator powers both the 240V ‘ring main’ and the battery charger. However, the battery charging will be limited by the power rating of the charger, which in my case is 120A.

Four solar panels on Spirit’s stern arch produce a maximun 1,600W

Renewable energy

Renewable energy for boats is either wind, hydro or solar. I opted for solar on a custom-made stern arch. I fitted four 400W panels, which produce a theoretical maximum output of 1,600W at 12V or, in amp speak, 133A.

Like lithium batteries, the voltage and charge from solar panels needs to be managed, so each panel is equipped with an MPPT (maximum power point tracking) controller to ensure the batteries are getting the right amount of charge when the sun is shining. The next conundrum was to get all this in perfect balance based on the boat’s power consumption.

The stern arch was custom-built to support the solar panels

Background noise

I started by building a spreadsheet to calculate the various power ratings of my many onboard electrical appliances. However, this isn’t simple as you must calculate the power demand of each appliance, estimate how long you will run it for, and when you will run it.

You then need to map this over time to calculate a theoretical power demand and how much power you need to be generated. Estimating the power output from my solar panels alone became a headache: calculating the assumed number of ‘sunny’ daylight hours, the angle of the sun, solar panel efficiency, and when the next solar eclipse would be! So, like all people with limited brain capacity, I gave up.

I decided, instead, to take a more pragmatic approach. The first thing I did was to measure the ‘background noise’ of my boat; that is, the power being consumed whilst at anchor and not running any major appliances.

It turned out to be around 200A, which is very high; but then I do have three fridges, a deep freeze and more internal lighting than Blackpool Illuminations.

The time it takes to recharge my batteries once the sun has dragged itself up to the right angle differs dramatically based on which way the boat is lying. If my stern is exposed to the sunny side my batteries will fill to the brim in a few hours. However, if my bow is facing the sun, it takes a lot longer.

On an average day, we are at 100 per cent by midday or early afternoon, leaving a good four or five hours of surplus power generation for running more critical systems.

Air-con is a battery power ‘killer’

We have a lot of power consuming paraphernalia on board, for example the kettle, coffee maker, hair dryer, microwave oven, and so on, but I ignore these when it comes to power management as they are used randomly and are never on for long.

However, we do have several appliances that are critical to our power management, including a washing machine, water maker, ice maker and water heater. All of these have high demand and can run for long periods of time. I also have air-conditioning which can be run off the inverter, but I prefer to use fans and open hatches to keep the temperature tolerable when we are at anchor. Air-con is a battery power killer and is best left to when shore power is connected or the generator is running.

Our Bavaria came with a built-in utility room, so we decided to fit a full-sized washer-dryer, which has proven to be our favourite upgrade.

For this equipment I simply use a rota and allocate a specific day to run either water production, laundry, ice making or water heating. We do laundry once a week without using the drying function and relying instead on nature’s outside dryer, which does tend to lower the tone of an idyllic anchorage.

The water maker produces 60 litres an hour and I typically run it for around four hours, which will then keep us going for several days. I fit in ice-making and heating the water at other times.

Having guests on board who insist on having a shower every time they go for a dip off the swimming platform requires the water maker to be run most days. Inevitably under these circumstances I lose the battle of consumption versus generation and will need to resort to running the generator.

We chose a Schenker Smart 60-litre-per-hour, 12V water maker rated at 20A, which enables free freshwater production all day long thanks to Spirit’s cluster of four solar panels.

I always delay this until my battery charge is showing 30 per cent or less in the morning. At that point I will run the generator for three to four hours, which is enough to get my batteries back up to around 70-80 per cent, and then let the solar panels take over.

When I run the generator, I take advantage of the surplus power it produces by running as many devices as possible: I make water, run the air-con and heat water. Never waste any of those precious amps! I find that I run the generator, on average, every eight to 10 days when we’re on our own and every four to five days when we have guests.

Batteries can be easily distributed around a yacht

Before increasing the capacity of your service battery bank you need to calculate your total power requirement by multiplying the amperage of all the equipment by the period of time it will be run over a charge cycle (usually 24hrs).

Tally up the amp hours and then double the result (to allow for not going below 50 per cent of your charge capacity). Then add another 20 per cent to ensure you will always have enough to spare.

If you already have separate engine start and service batteries but want to add further service batteries, they should all be of the same age, type and capacity (Ah rating) to the first. It’s best to create your service bank from a number of smaller batteries and then link them together to achieve the total voltage and capacity you require.

If you’re planning to install a large bank (500Ah or more), it is often better to use 6V cells for this as these allow a large deep-cycling bank to be created, while still having the ability to move them around easily or distribute them evenly over a greater area.

Create an improved service bank by connecting a number of smaller batteries

Stay in charge

Once you’ve decided on the battery type, make sure you have enough charging power to fully charge them between cycles. As a rough guide you will need to be able to bulk-charge the bank at a minimum of 10 per cent of its rated capacity (ie. 20A for a 200Ah battery).

However, 20 per cent is a better figure to aim for if you’re looking to fully recharge over one night in a marina. Modern AGM (absorbent glass mat) style batteries can usually take a greater charge than wet lead-acid type, although gel cells require a more particular regime if they are not to be damaged.

Chargers (both mains and alternator regulators) should be of the multi-stage type, with bulk, absorb and float stages. This allows the batteries to be rapidly charged until they reach around 90 per cent charge, then the charge voltage drops to attain the final part of the charge more slowly, keeping temperature (and hence internal resistance) down, and eliminating gassing.

A smart battery monitor will allow you see your state of charge and remaining capacity

Temperature noticeably affects a battery’s ability to give out and absorb charge. The colder a battery gets, the greater the power required to charge it fully. For this reason, always fit a charger or regulator with a temperature sensor that will automatically compensate for these differences.

Most power devices produce a trickle charge, and are used to keep the engine battery topped up. However, if you’re planning to install a powerful (5A+) wind or water generator, or a large solar array, then you’ll need to install some sort of voltage regulator to prevent overcharging. This can vary, from a small solid-state switch for small solar panels, to a large dump resistor that dissipates excess charge from a wind generator through heating up a wire-wound resistor.

Monitoring your batteries

The easiest way to ensure your batteries are kept in tip-top condition is to observe their state of charge every day you’re on board, using a modern ‘smart’ battery monitor. This will give you a real-time display of the current going in and out, the state of charge (SOC), and the remaining capacity available. They also often have alarms to warn you when the voltage is dropping dangerously low, or if too high a charge is being applied.

A rough idea of the SOC can be attained using a voltmeter, but this is not particularly accurate and can indicate a false condition when recently charged or under a heavy load. It’s far better to install a monitor that has a shunt, which measures current flow over time and can calculate the available charge capacity remaining much more precisely.

Hydrogenerators, like this Remoran Wave 3, will quickly recharge a yacht’s batteries underway

Optimising solar power

The efficiency of solar panels can be compromised by saltwater and long-term exposure to UV and high temperatures. Good regular maintenance will improve a solar panel’s performance.

Clean your solar panels early in the morning, while they are at their coolest, as cleaning them when they are warm or exposed to direct sunlight can cause internal thermal stresses.

Use distilled or deionized water to avoid the formation of mineral stains or deposits on the surface of the panels, and avoid using harsh chemicals or abrasive solvents that could scratch the photovoltaic cells. Let the panels air-dry or use soft cloths, and make sure no water residue is left. Check regularly for cracks, breaks or loose connections.

Hydrogenerators

Hydrogeneration has become a great deal more efficient in recent years. It’s a very simple concept: the yacht’s motion through the water turns an alternator on the transom-mounted hydrogenerator which generates electricity to recharge the boat’s batteries. Achieving 300Ah each day is a realistic expectation when cruising at 7-8 knots.

Oceanvolt’s High Power ServoProp 25 electric saildrive

Main prop regeneration

You can also use your main propeller to ‘regenerate’ electricity whilst under sail by using a parallel hybrid propulsion system where an electric motor is installed alongside the engine. Lynch Motors in Devon has supplied its systems to Vendée Globe boats for years, purely as a re-generator, and now produces a Red Snapper electric motor for cruising yachts.

The only problem with a regeneration system is that the pitch required for the propeller to drive the boat efficiently through the water may not always be the same as the pitch for optimum regeneration. Manufacturers have tackled this in different ways.

Oceanvolt has developed its ServoProp for saildrives, which electronically adjusts its pitch depending on speed and function. The latest incarnation allows total 360° blade mobility and faces forwards, increasing efficiency: at six knots, it produces an eye-watering 1kW of power.

Bruntons has another solution with the cleverly engineered Autoprop, which automatically pitches up to match the boat speed. Its Ecostar version of the prop can generate 200W at five knots and up to 1kW at 10 knots when connected to an electric motor.

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Our 70 and 80 foot yachts offer the freedom and privacy you need to enjoy your next adventure or getaway. Defined by highly detailed, hand-crafted furniture and upholstery, her interior finishes play with texture and light. Princess yachts have long been recognized as some of the finest-quality luxury yachts in the world, due to their fine craftsmanship, custom design, woodwork, reliability, and safety.

Indulge Your Desires Within Our Lavish Accommodations

With three levels of entertainment, you can bask in the sun from our spacious bow, entertain in privacy in our luxurious cabin with aft deck, or enjoy fresh air and a commanding view from the flybridge. Sleeping accommodations are available within our 4 staterooms for up to 8 guests with 3 bathrooms and an abundance of storage for your belongings.

Become immersed by the comfort and premium accommodations of the only Princess Yacht in the Bay Area for your next boat rental or yacht charter adventure with us.

Your Next Adventure Awaits

From peaceful sunset cruises with your loved ones, to the ultimate dance party for your next birthday, we offer various charters to accommodate your needs. First-time boaters or yacht enthusiasts are welcome!

We offer boat rentals to guests In Tampa, St. Petersburg, Orlando, Sarasota, and Surrounding Areas

We have entertained guests who are Bay Area natives, as well as visitors from international waters who wish to embark on their next journey with the utmost class. No request is too large! Customer service is our #1 priority. When you book your next luxury boat rental with us – either online or by phone – you can rest assured that your stay with us will meet the highest standard of care and professionalism.

Ultimate YachtLife Charters takes great pride in being a locally-owned yacht charter company in the Tampa Bay Area. We are eager to partner with local businesses and vendors who wish to elevate the experience of our guests by creating an exceptional itinerary of custom events! Book your next St. Pete boat rental service or yacht charter with us and create new memories in absolute luxury.

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Largo Yacht Management

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Welcome to Largo Yacht Management

Here at Largo Yacht Management, you can expect a professional and stress-free experience knowing your vessel is being kept up to the highest standards. 

We service Sarasota, Saint Petersburg, Clearwater and surrounding area.

APOLLO BEACH, FL

813-459-0703

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Crew Support

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” FLOATING LIFE YACHT MANAGEMENT PROVIDES A CREW MANAGEMENT SERVICE TO SUPPORT THE SMOOTH AND EFFECTIVE RUNNING OF YACHT HUMAN “

Floating Life Yacht Management provides a Crew management service to support the smooth and effective running of Yacht human resources, such as: verifying qualifications, monitoring certification & medical insurances, travel expenses, handling contract negotiation, defining objectives and performance assessment. We assist in Crew recruitment to ensure the best-suited Crew are selected.

OUR SERVICES

• Advising crew on Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) requirements
• Advising Owners and Captains on salaries and manning requirements
• Arranging the payroll to be processed through the dedicated structure
• Assisting and liaising with Captains on employment disputes
• Assisting Captains in crew placement
• Checking the references available
• Employing all crew through a dedicated structure who assumes the liabilities of crew employment from the Owner if permitted by the flag and international rules
• Ensuring that the yacht adheres to the Minimum Safe Manning requirements
• General crew administration, support and repatriation
• Handling of crew medical insurance, accident and claims
• Interviewing personally candidates
• Issuing Captains’ and crew’s Seafarer Employment Agreements (SEAs)
• Operating in compliance with MLC 2006 legislation and standards
• Paying the crew wages supplying the payslip to each seafarer
• Providing an address to all managed vessels and their crew
• Recording each crew member employed in “I-FL” including the central information such as certification, medical info, next of kin and disciplinary history
• Verifying and renewing crew certificates of competency and licenses
• Verifying skills, certificates, qualifications and other relevant documentation

” CHOOSE THE SERVICE YOU NEED “

Accounting & Financial

Our account personnel has extensive experience that allows us to provide an accurately predicted budget, set-up an appropriate accounting system and analyse expenditure

Technical Mangement

To protect the value of Owners’ assets, Floating Life Yacht Management Technical Team assists in maintenance and refitting of Yachts.

Logistic & Purchasing

Floating Life has developed a Client-oriented logistic service by drawing on considerable experience gained in the management business.

Insurance Support

Floating Life Yacht Management assists Owners in finding the most suitable insurance according to their usage and operational areas.

Interior & Exterior

We support Owners and Captains in furnishing the Yacht with all items needed (furniture, fabrics, galley utensils, display objects)

Floating Life Yacht Management provides a Crew management service to support in th smooth and effective running of Yacht human resources

Floating Life

Yacht management.

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Technical Management

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Fractional Ownership

6833 Vacallo, Switzerland

Tel. +41 (0) 91 6900064 / 65

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WEATHER ALERT

A rip current statement in effect for Coastal Broward and Coastal Miami Dade Regions

Search continues for british tech magnate and 5 others after luxury superyacht sinks off sicily.

Associated Press

This picture taken from a video released by the Italian Firefighters on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, shows the stretch of Sea near Palermo, Sicily, in southern Italy, where the sailing yacht Bayesian under the UK flag sank early Monday. (Vigili del Fuoco via AP, HO)

ROME – British tech magnate Mike Lynch and five other people were missing after their luxury superyacht sank during a freak storm off Sicily early Monday, Italy’s civil protection and authorities said. Lynch’s wife and 14 other people survived.

Lynch, who was acquitted in June in a big U.S. fraud trial, was among six people who remain unaccounted for after their chartered sailboat sank off Porticello, near Palermo, sometime after 4 a.m. A tornado over the water known as a waterspout had struck the area overnight, said Salvo Cocina of Sicily’s civil protection agency.

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One body was recovered, and police divers spent the day trying to reach the hull of the ship, which was resting at a depth of 50 meters (163 feet) off Porticello where it had been anchored, rescue authorities said. They returned to the site after 10 p.m. to see if it would be possible to search through the night, when weather conditions were expected to worsen, said Luca Cari, spokesman of the fire rescue service.

The ship had a crew of 10 people and 12 passengers, the Italian coast guard said. A sudden fierce storm had battered the area overnight, and a waterspout struck precisely where the 56-meter (184-foot) British-flagged Bayesian had been moored.

“They were in the wrong place at the wrong time,” said Cocina, noting that another big ship nearby, the Sir Robert Baden Powell, wasn't as badly damaged and helped rescue the 15 survivors — including Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares.

The Bayesian was notable for its single 75-meter (246-feet) mast — one of the world’s tallest made of aluminum and which was lit up at night, just hours before it sank. Online charter sites listed it for rent for up to 195,000 euros (about $215,000) a week.

One of the survivors, identified as Charlotte Golunski, said she momentarily lost hold of her 1-year-old daughter Sofia in the water, but then managed to hold her up over the waves until a lifeboat inflated and they were both pulled to safety, Italian news agency ANSA reported. The father, identified by ANSA as James Emslie, also survived, said Cocina.

Karsten Borner, the captain of the Sir Robert Baden Powell, said he had noticed the Bayesian nearby during the storm but after it calmed he saw a red flare and realized the ship had simply disappeared, ANSA and the Giornale di Sicilia newspaper reported. Borner said he and a crew member boarded their tender and found a lifeboat with 15 people, some of them injured, who they then took aboard and alerted the coast guard.

Eight of those rescued were hospitalized while the others were taken to a hotel. One body believed to be the cook was found near the wreck, but six others were unaccounted for and believed inside the hull, said Cari, the fire rescue spokesperson. The rescue operations, which were visible from shore, involved helicopters and rescue boats from the coast guard, fire rescue and civil protection service.

Fisherman Fabio Cefalù said he had seen a flare from shore at around 4:30 a.m. and immediately set out to the site but by the time he got there, the Bayesian had already sunk, with only cushions, wood and other items from the superyacht floating in the water.

“But for the rest, we didn’t find anyone,” he said from the port hours later. He said that he immediately alerted the coast guard and stayed on-site for three hours, but didn't find any survivors. “I think they are inside, all the missing people.”

He said he had been up early to check the weather to see if he could go fishing, and surmised that a sudden waterspout had struck the yacht.

“It could be that the mast broke, or the anchor at the prow pulled it, I don’t know,” he said.

Cocina said the crew and passengers hailed from a variety of countries: In addition to Britain and the United States, passengers and crew were from Antigua, France, Germany, Ireland, Myanmar, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Spain, he said.

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch is deploying a team of four inspectors to Italy to conduct a preliminary assessment. The Foreign Commonwealth and Development office said it was “providing consular support to a number of British nationals and their families.”

Dutch foreign ministry spokesperson Casper Soetekouw said the lone Dutch citizen on board, a man, had been rescued and was not in life-threatening condition.

Lynch, once hailed as Britain’s king of technology, was cleared in June of fraud and conspiracy charges related to Hewlett Packard’s $11 billion takeover of his company, Autonomy Corp.

The not guilty verdicts followed an 11-week criminal trial in San Francisco that delved into the history of HP’s 2011 acquisition of Autonomy, a business software firm founded by Lynch.

The fraud accusations represented a dramatic turn in the fortunes of an entrepreneur once described as the Bill Gates of Britain — a title he seemed to live up to when he netted an $800 million from the Autonomy sale.

The acquittal vindicated Lynch, who had vehemently denied wrong doing and portrayed HP as a technological train wreck.

“I’m looking forward to returning the UK and getting back to what I love most: my family and innovating in my field,” Lynch said in a statement released after the verdict.

The yacht, built in 2008 by the Italian firm Perini Navi, can accommodate 12 passengers in four double cabins, a triple and the master suite, plus crew accommodations, according to Charter World and Yacht Charters.

The vessel, which previously was named Salute when it flew under a Dutch flag, featured a sleek, minimalist interior of light wood with Japanese accents designed by the French designer Remi Tessier, according to descriptions and photos on the charter sites.

Winfield reported from Rome. AP writers Danica Kirka and Sylvia Hui contributed from London.

This story has been corrected to reflect that the fisherman's name is Fabio Cefalù, not Francesco Cefalu’.

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.