Yachting Channel

Salt, sun, oxidation, hard use and constant pressure to keep everything running. Maintaining a superyacht never stops. But what happens when budgets tighten, crew are stretched and cutting corners starts creating bigger problems than it solves?
In this episode of Yacht Maintenance Unhinged, Tyler Wilson sits down with Sam Powell, Toy Shop Sales Director at National Marine Suppliers, at Superyacht Village in Fort Lauderdale for a candid conversation about yacht maintenance, crew knowledge, budgets, logistics and what it really takes to keep a vessel operational.
After more than a decade with National Marine Suppliers, Sam has worked across almost every corner of yacht support, from deck and engineering supplies to new builds, yacht toys, logistics and emergency problem-solving. That experience has given him a unique view of what happens onboard when maintenance is properly planned, and what happens when it is not.
Tyler and Sam discuss the importance of product knowledge and crew training, including the damage caused by using the wrong chemical on PVC, repeatedly polishing a surface instead of properly maintaining it, incorrectly treating teak or handing an inexperienced crew member a product without explaining how to use it.
Sam also shares the story of accidentally sending a jet ski to the wrong Caribbean island, the extraordinary logistics required to charter a plane and get it to the yacht before charter, and how openly admitting the mistake and presenting solutions ultimately turned a major problem into a stronger relationship with the owner.
Because in yachting, problems are inevitable. What matters is having the knowledge, communication and people around you to solve them.
Yacht Maintenance Unhinged | Yachting International Radio
Hosted by Tyler Wilson
Founder and President, Velluto Products
Guest: Sam Powell
Toy Shop Sales Director, National Marine Suppliers
Sam Powell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-powell-b-sc-hons-mmarcon-29560837
National Marine Suppliers: https://nationalmarine.com

Presented by Velluto Products
High-performance ceramic marine care, freshly blended for yachts, tenders and personal watercraft. Engineered to protect against salt, UV exposure, oxidation and water spotting. Built for life on the water.
https://vellutoproducts.com

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Some lives are measured not only by what was achieved, but by what was passed on.
Recorded before his passing, this special episode of Yachting USA preserves the voice, humour and restless imagination of Buddy Haack, a yacht captain, shipyard and owner’s representative, author, mentor and lifelong student of the sea.
Alongside Yachting USA host Rick Thomas and Captain Doug Hoogs, his longtime friend and mentor, Buddy traces the unconventional path that carried him from surfing in Jacksonville to a remarkable career in yachting.
His stories travel from a formative year at sea aboard the schooner Unicorn to earning his captain’s licences, building and commanding high-speed yachts in Italy, bringing M/Y Adler to Havana in 1994 and welcoming Fidel Castro aboard. He reflects on his work with Lürssen, the value of integrity and long-term support, the importance of building yachts in America and the knowledge that must be passed to the next generation.
Even while speaking openly about paralysis, pain and the quality of life he hoped to regain, Buddy’s thoughts repeatedly return to the future: what might still be built, what could still be discovered and what young people entering the industry might one day achieve.
At the time of recording, Buddy was living with rapidly progressing glioblastoma, which affected aspects of his thinking and recollection. This context is shared not to define him by his illness, but to help listeners understand the circumstances in which this deeply personal record was made.
This tribute does not reduce Buddy to a polished memory. It preserves his candour, irreverent humour, extraordinary experiences and enduring sense of possibility because each was part of the man his family, friends and colleagues knew.
“The possibilities are unlimited.”
Featuring:
Buddy Haack
Rick Thomas, Host of Yachting USA
Captain Doug Hoogs, Buddy’s longtime friend, mentor and co-author
Yachting International Radio extends its sincere thanks to Buddy’s wife, Weronika, and his daughters for sharing family photographs and offering thoughtful guidance during the final stages of the production.
Content note: This episode contains candid references to substance use, serious illness, pain, paralysis and end-of-life care.
Read the accompanying editorial:
https://www.yachtinginternationalradio.com/post/the-possibilities-are-unlimited-buddy-haack-and-a-life-shaped-by-the-sea

Watch the full film:
https://youtu.be/k2HNFukeiIY

Yachting USA is a Yachting International Radio production.
With thanks to Engineered Yacht Solutions for supporting this special episode.

What does it really take to lead a superyacht when the pressure is high, the decisions are yours, and everyone onboard is looking to the bridge?
In this episode of On The Bridge, Alicia Store, Chief Operating Officer at dsnm Ltd, speaks with Superyacht Captain Olly Lewis about the realities of command, charter leadership, crew morale, safety, rotation, recruitment, and life at sea.
Olly’s route into yachting was far from ordinary. After training as a ship’s joiner at Pendennis in Falmouth, he helped build the yacht that would later become his first deckhand role, giving him a rare understanding of the vessel from the keel up before his career at sea had even properly begun.
From there, he worked his way through the ranks with focus and discipline, using his leave to train, progress, and keep climbing. He also reflects on the importance of mentorship, particularly the role Captain Bill White played in giving him an opportunity and helping shape the captain he would become.
The conversation explores what makes a strong charter captain, from preparation and guest communication before anyone steps onboard, to building trust with clients, supporting heads of department, and making sure the team behind the operation is properly recognised.
Olly also speaks openly about the harder side of the job, including being away from home, raising a family while working on rotation, and the loneliness that can come with command. For all the privilege and excitement of the role, he makes clear that being captain still comes with pressure, sacrifice, and responsibility.
One of the most gripping parts of the episode is Olly’s account of a Gulf of Aden security incident, where an approaching skiff, armed security, a secured vessel, and a fast-moving situation left him standing alone on the bridge, making decisions under real pressure.
Alicia and Olly also discuss crew morale during intense charter seasons, why captains need to stay grounded, what he looks for when recruiting crew, how additional skills can help people stand out, and why safety must remain the final line when guest requests push against operational limits.
This is a conversation about leadership, responsibility, preparation, calm under pressure, and the human reality behind the title of captain.
Guest:
Captain Olly Lewis
Superyacht Captain
Host:
Alicia Store
Chief Operating Officer, dsnm Ltd
Prefer to read? Head to Yachting News on the website:
https://www.yachtinginternationalradio.com/yachting-news

On The Bridge | dsnm Ltd | Yachting International Radio
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Seafarer abandonment does not always mean a crew has been physically deserted on a dead ship. Sometimes the vessel is still operating, the crew is still working and cargo is still moving, but wages have stopped, contracts have expired, repatriation is being delayed and basic provisions are beginning to disappear.
Julia Gosling and Adam Parnell are joined by Mohamed Arrachedi, ITF FOC Network Coordinator for the Arab World and Iran at the International Transport Workers’ Federation, for a powerful examination of what abandonment really looks like and why it continues despite protections already contained within the Maritime Labour Convention.
Mohamed works directly with seafarers facing unpaid wages, failed repatriation, unsafe living conditions and abandonment. He explains when a situation legally becomes abandonment, why crews should not wait until conditions become desperate before asking for help, and how failures in enforcement can allow abuse to continue.
The conversation also looks beyond the vessel itself. When a seafarer goes months without wages, the consequences can reach an entire family ashore, particularly when that seafarer is the household’s main source of income.
At its heart, this is a conversation about enforcement, accountability and the human cost of allowing abandonment to become normalised.
Resources referenced in this episode:
Seafarer Abandonment Series: Smart Seafaring. A Safe Return
https://youtu.be/fbg_frnyDy0

ITF Seafarers’ Bulletin 2026
 https://www.itfseafarers.org/sites/default/files/node/resources/files/ITF-SB26_Layout_RGB-web-1.pdf

ITF Seafarers
 https://www.itfseafarers.org

Prefer to read? Head to Yachting News at Yachting International Radio.
Prefer to watch? Find Sea Views on the Yachting International Radio YouTube channel.
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 SUPPORTED BY
CHIRP Maritime & The Seafarers’ Charity
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https://www.chirp.co.uk
https://www.theseafarerscharity.org

🎙️ Sea Views | Yachting International Radio

Early in her career, Ghada “Lili” Soliman was told that “no Arab has ever held a senior position in yachting.” Seven years later, she became Chief Stewardess on a 74-metre yacht. Her story raises a question the industry cannot afford to dismiss: how much talent is overlooked when an accent, nationality or passport is mistaken for a measure of ability?
Karine Rayson speaks with Lili, Founder of The Inner Harbour and a Chief Stewardess with more than 15 years in luxury yachting, about the assumptions that shape who gets heard, encouraged and promoted onboard. They discuss what it takes to speak up when the people you challenge can influence your career, and why staying silent can leave capable crew feeling small.
This is a candid conversation about discrimination and belonging, and about the responsibility captains and heads of department have to make it safe for crew to contribute, develop and lead.
In this episode, they discuss:
• The remark Lili was given early in her career and the path she took to Chief Stew
• How nationality, language and accent can affect opportunity onboard
• The quiet ways bias can make capable crew feel small
• Why speaking up does not have to mean the end of a career
• What psychological safety looks like in practice
• How captains and heads of department can recognise and develop talent beyond the loudest voices
Guest:
Ghada “Lili” Soliman
Founder, The Inner Harbour
Chief Stewardess, 15+ years in luxury yachting
Host:
Karine Rayson
The Crew Coach
https://www.thecrewcoach.com

🎙️ The Wellbeing Project | Yachting International Radio
Prefer to read? Head to Yachting News on the website:
https://www.yachtinginternationalradio.com/yachting-news

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