PORTRAIT: Sébastien, captain on a Ferretti Yachts 920

SEBASTIEN MERELLI, yacht captain | @abysyachting

Discover the portrait of Sébastien Merelli, yacht captain aboard a Ferretti Yachts 920. He shares his day-to-day experiences with us. A true passion.

Yachting is a fascinating field, and we don't always get to see all its facets. When you charter a boat, a whole team works behind the scenes to ensure your well-being on board. With their versatility, contingency management and interpersonal skills, their role goes far beyond simple navigation.

What does your job as captain involve?

It's a profession with many functions. To begin with, you have to look after the boat and its equipment - in other words, the owner's investment - so that it doesn't lose value. This involves carrying out minor maintenance, ensuring that the equipment is used in accordance with the equipment manuals. It also means ensuring that equipment is maintained and in good working order.

What's important is that nothing ages prematurely, neither surfaces nor equipment. The boat has to be in top condition at all times, in the interest of the owner. That's the most important thing.

I also organize life on board, in particular by supervising the crew, whose interviews I conduct after submitting applications to ABYS Yachting.

WHAT ARE THE OBLIGATIONS ON BOARD?

Being a captain means being able to ensure the smooth running of the ship during navigation, as well as the safety of both goods and people on board. To do this, you need to ensure that life rafts, fire extinguishers, bilge pumps, life jackets and other equipment are in good working order. You also need to keep a logbook, not forgetting important documents such as insurance, health exemption certificates and radio communication certificates...

Cruising involves managing the customer's itinerary: proposing an itinerary that needs to be adapted according to the weather, reserving berths, never overlooking the provisioning of the boat and offering a complete on-board service (paddle, masks & snorkels, jet-ski...) for water sports activities.

What studies did you do to reach this position, and what is your background?

Even though I passed a BAC Général, it wasn't decisive in my choice of career path, as I went on to study at the Lycée de la Mer in Sète. This was followed by a BPPV (Brevet de Patron Plaisance Voile), then the “Capitaine 200 voile”, “Capitaine 200 yacht” and finally “Capitaine 500 (voile et yacht)” diplomas. But in the end, what counts most is the experience of the sea.

What skills do you need to do your job, and what challenges do you face?

Good maritime experience is of course essential, as is good technical knowledge. But patience and good communication skills are also essential for good interpersonal relations. Indeed, human relations are one of the main challenges in this profession. It requires adaptation, not only to defuse potential tensions, but also to adjust to customers' lifestyles. Being confronted with so many different nationalities also means being confronted with different cultures and habits.

Being at sea and loving boats is a necessity, but it also means knowing how to live in close quarters and being mentally stable enough to be able to do so. The greatest challenge is to get people to enjoy cruising, since this involves making the right choices, such as itineraries.

can you describe a typical charter day?

The crew wakes up at around 7am. I start by checking the weather forecast, before going to the harbor master's office to complete the departure formalities, such as paying for the berth. I then brief the crew on the day's program: anchorage, departure/arrival time and next port for the night. Once this briefing is done, I discuss it with the customers to adapt the organization to their wishes. I then prepare the navigation and itinerary, and supervise the departure from the harbor from the wheelhouse.

During the day, I can assist guests with water activities such as paddle boarding. At the end of the cruise, I manage the return to the pre-booked port, which involves leaving the anchorage, calling the port for entry clearance and coordinating maneuvers with the crew. Once docked, I make sure the boat is properly moored and connected, then fill up with water and rinse the yacht.

what are the advantages and disadvantages of this job?

Customers' smiles... Seeing people happy to be sailing with the crew is, for me, synonymous with their satisfaction with what we've been able to offer them. It remains one of the most gratifying aspects of my job. What motivates me most of all is the objective of living a shared adventure, with customers and crew alike.

Despite all these positive aspects, the constraints of this profession are not insignificant. You're away from your family and friends, and you're at sea. Schedules are restrictive, and so is living on board, which means no weekends or public holidays. During the season, it's unfortunately a total absence of personal life.

How is your profession keeping pace with technological advances?

As time goes by, the electronics take up more and more space. This may be a little disturbing at times, but it also offers more navigation aids. However, I don't believe that the captain's job can be replaced, because it's above all a service job, deeply human.

Can you tell us an anecdote about your job?

With 22 years' experience, I've seen it all: waterspouts, dolphins, cetaceans, damage... Yachting is a field with so many stories to tell!

But if I had to choose one... I remember working on a Catana 582 catamaran, with which I made the crossing to the Seychelles. Between Somalia and the island of Socotra, we came across a boat at night. There were people in it, and we were afraid it might be pirates. The more I tried to deviate from their trajectory, the more the boat seemed to follow us. The crew and I got out our flares to defend ourselves: if they were pirates, they were armed, and they wouldn't need much effort to overcome our boat. The boat passed within two meters of us... without stopping. We were so scared that night!

Thanks to Sébastien for sharing his story with us. Share this article on the networks if you liked it!

Produced by Zoé Merelli, daughter of the captain and trainee at ABYS Yachting.