- FEATURED / The Americas
- 1 April 2021
YACHTS CRUISING the Great Southern Route have the privilege of dropping anchor in places that exist almost outside our perception of time, from the icy Northwest Passage with its giant polar bears to pristine Pacific atolls where village life goes on much as it has for millennia.
Increasingly, yachts travelling these remote routes are owned and crewed by people compelled to make a positive impact in the places they are fortunate to visit. Whether supplying disaster relief in times of crisis, making culturally sensitive donations or helping local conservation efforts to preserve the health of the oceans and rainforests, there is a growing movement in the industry to harness the extraordinary power of superyachts as a force for good.
As more yachts get involved in charitable works, it has become easier to tap into existing aid networks and magnify the impact of each yacht. Here’s how yacht owners, crew and charterers can get involved and leave behind a positive legacy, while avoiding any cultural or environmental faux pas that could actually harm the area and tarnish the image of the yachting industry.
The idyllic destinations that attract yacht owners and charterers are not immune to extreme weather events. Hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones periodically sweep through the tropical regions, and volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and even tsunamis occasionally shatter the tranquillity of island life. The devastation, human suffering, and economic impact of such catastrophic events inspire many in the superyacht fraternity to action.
Yachts travelling through the region are often the best positioned to offer immediate aid in a crisis.
Recent years have seen an outpouring of support from an increasingly well-prepared and well-mobilised yachting cohort, most often in collaboration with established aid groups such as YachtAid Global (YAG). Well versed in delivering aid and assistance around the world in response to natural disasters, YAG marshalled numerous superyachts to assist in the wake of the devastating Caribbean hurricane season of 2017, where Hurricanes Irma and Maria tore through great swathes of the Caribbean in quick and terrible succession.
Motor yachts Slipstream, Dorothea III, Katharine, SuRi, and Va Bene were among the 44 superyachts that lent assistance. Various organisations in the global yachting industry also pitched in to offer support, whether in the form of fundraising and donations or gathering and transporting aid supplies.
YachtAid Global works closely with AYSS, the association of global superyacht agents, tailoring local responses to each event, and recommends that yachts who wish to participate in disaster relief and humanitarian aid take steps to be ready to lend a hand.
As YAG Executive Director Mark Drewelow outlines, “Once yachts begin planning time in the affected cruising ground, they can speak to their local yacht agents as well as directly to us, and we’ll match them with the crucial supplies each area needs, as well as organise their delivery, government liaison and other logistics.”
YAG collaborates with Global Support and Development (GSD), an elite team of professionals who go into disaster zones to protect first responders, carry out search and rescue operations, provide full medical teams and other crucial emergency responses. For yacht crew wanting to get involved in disaster relief efforts, YAG and the GSD team provide a three-day first-responder training course designed specifically for yacht crew. The course is free and covers logistics, yacht preparation, heli-ops, seaplane ops, medical training, water safety and more, giving crew the skills to provide meaningful assistance in an emergency scenario.
For yachts travelling through the Pacific or the Indian Ocean, there are many ways to help if disaster strikes. Superyachts can be integral in the delivery of food and water, act as a crucial intel or communications base for the recovery effort or provide onboard accommodation for medivacs and other first responders.
One of the most important roles yachts play, however, is that of bringing hope.
In some remote areas, yachts can be the first vessels to arrive on the scene, reassuring those affected that they are on the relief map. Continuing to visit during the recovery stage and spending money in the region can also act as a powerful symbol of life slowly returning to normal.
Of course, it’s not just in the aftermath of a disaster that yachts can contribute to local life. Done right, every single visit by a superyacht can make a positive difference.
The Asia-Pacific region has unique cultural considerations that must be taken into account, as Angela Pennefather of Melanesian Luxury Yacht Services and EYOS Expeditions knows. Born and raised in Papua New Guinea (PNG) before embarking on a fifteen-year career as a superyacht chef, Pennefather is uniquely positioned to counsel yacht guests and crew on local cultural considerations in her role as cultural guide and expedition leader to yachts visiting Fiji, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu.
A staunch advocate of sustainable eco-tourism and the concept of yachting with a conscience, Pennefather assists yachts to explore Melanesia’s exquisite island chains in an authentic and culturally sensitive way.
Yacht owners and crews should be prepared for significant variations in cultural behaviours and expectations across Melanesia. For instance, while Vanuatu and Fiji are both well-accustomed to tourism and cruise ships, the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea are both considered culturally delicate, with PNG alone having hundreds of distinct groups with their own languages and customs. Many of these groups have had minimal contact with the outside world until very recently. As such, an experienced local guide is a must in this spectacular region.
Pennefather counsels, “When cruising the Solomons and PNG, I strongly recommend having a guide on board who understands the local language and culture to help guests and crew navigate the delicate cultural merging of age-old land ownership and the modern superyacht visitor. Guides help to keep the culture intact – which is paramount, in my opinion – while showing guests the very best of the region.
“Many yachts enter PNG and the Solomons thinking they can do it on their own, like they do in Polynesia and Asia, without a guide. But they often leave problematic consequences in their wake, which can be an issue for the next visiting yacht.”
Pennefather observes that the majority of yachting visitors greatly enjoy having their eyes opened to the culture of the region and are keen to give back to the locals in a thoughtful and practical way.
She says, “Yacht owners can combine their interests in philanthropy with enjoyment.”
“The new wave of owners and guests coming through are seeking to do productive things while reconnecting with nature and escaping the pace and demands of modern life.”
For yachts wondering how to make a widespread impact, Pennefather advises visiting many islands and indigenous groups on each trip, thereby ensuring that the positive economic impact of the visiting yacht is shared evenly throughout the region.
Echoing Pennefather’s advice, Captain Michael Gooding of M/Y Silentworld heartily recommends close liaison with local agents for current information and introductions to local people.
As Gooding explains, “There are local agents and ex-pats who have worked in the region for a lifetime and have close ties with the local population, dive operators and superyachts.
“Whenever I go to a local agent in the Pacific, even if I have been there before, I take a local guide. It enhances the relationship when negotiating your entry into their backyard.
“PNG and the Solomons will typically require some sort of payment when anchoring or visiting the village. Always be courteous, as we are asking to enjoy their home and their food source.”
When it comes to donations to and assistance in these remote communities, Gooding recommends keeping it simple. “Often, things change each time we go to different locations. I normally ask the agent in the country so that we can bring the appropriate donations to the island communities most in need.
“There are well-known charities and organisations, but if you can give directly to the community you are visiting, that connection will be well received. School supplies and books are always greatly appreciated.”
Captain Luke Caldwell of M/Y Kokomo II, which operates around Fiji, also recommends that superyachts visiting the region contact a local agent such as Yacht Partners Fiji or Asia Pacific Superyachts Fiji, who can connect visiting yachts with the right organisations.
“Fiji now has strict rules on declaring donations, so contact your agent before bringing in large items,” says Caldwell.
“Remember that strict biosecurity rules mean you are prohibited from offloading foreign food items, so be careful of what food you try and give away. Alcohol is never a good idea. Also, I’ve been advised by village leaders not to fill dive tanks for the locals as they use them to spearfish, and collect sea cucumbers, and they stay deep for too long, which is dangerous diving.”
Caldwell recommends that captains and owners offer to make water and fill containers for the locals, bring school supplies, batteries and books.
“Whenever we visit, the owner’s grandkids bring rugby uniforms donated by their team, and other sporting clothes. I feel this is better than old used toys. Avoid items that require batteries and consider establishing pen-pal type relationships. The locals love printed-out photos of people, and masks and snorkels go a long way for both the kids and adults.”
Additionally, think of how the community will be impacted by your visit, both positively and negatively. For example, buying provisions is a great way of pumping money into the local economy, but don’t wipe out all the fresh produce from the shelves. Paying local guides a good rate is also a wonderful way of giving back, while also providing extra layers of depth and understanding to your expedition.
The final element of the yachting with a conscience triad is environmental awareness, and there are a growing number of ways that yachts can make a positive impact in this regard. As ever, yachts need to be extremely careful with anchoring in coral areas and bunkering procedures, while reef-safe sunscreen is highly recommended to prevent damage to the underwater ecosystems.
Palau has recently banned sunscreen to protect its reefs, and other Pacific islands may well follow, so ask your local agent to keep you informed – and switch to reef-safe sunscreens wherever possible.
Another environmental consideration for yachts is waste disposal. These remote island communities often struggle with their own refuse management; they don’t need the yacht’s waste to add to the problem.
Many remote cruising yachts are already moving away from disposable plastic water bottles for environmental, economic and logistical reasons. Yachts considering their environmental footprint will also wish to minimise the use of chemical cleaning products that are not ocean-safe.
Yachts cruising in Indonesia may wish to collaborate with major organisations combatting plastic pollution and encouraging recycling, such as WildAid and the Misool Foundation. Indonesia is the world’s second-largest culprit when it comes to marine plastic pollution, and WildAid is building awareness of this tremendous problem, while the Misool Foundation in the Raja Ampat region has established Bank Sampah, a waste bank that pays the local community to collect and recycle plastic waste.
WildAid Marine Program Officer Silvia Bor says, “The best way superyacht owners and guests can support our work in Indonesia is to donate to Bank Sampah’s program to reduce plastic pollution.”
Every owner, charter guest and crew member who has discovered the wonder of remote cruising is changed by the experience, but with such great privilege comes great responsibility. It is the responsibility of every visiting yachtie to do no harm to the local environment and culture – and wherever possible, to leave things better than they were before.