The yachts themselves are also becoming more and more sophisticated, with the range of high technology equipment (engines, generators, watermakers, satellite communications, computers, entertainment systems as well as navigation systems, far more than all but the largest companies on land. Owners also expect more and more efficiency from their yachts, including increased workloads (either chartering or cruising with the owner himself, or friends or business contacts), in more and more far flung areas (more and more boats do the |Mediterranean and Caribbean seasons, occasionally going to the Seychelles, Maldives, or Asia) Therefore the owner, captain as well as the engineer, chef and chief stewardess can all benefit from an expert, on shore support team BCR has staff that have been captains of busy yachts, and can appreciate the problems faced by the crew - and the knowledge and experience to efficiently solve them. We also have the financial experience to efficiently handle the yacht's financial affairs, with regular monthly reports to the owner. BCR offers a range of management , depending on the owners and the yacht's requirements.


Shore support

This involves providing total shore support for the crew, who simply don't have the time to chase quotes for new parts, order new supplies, or plan for future berths, fuel deliveries, etc. BCR's job is to liaise with the crew to decide what needs to be done, then to see to it that everything happens as it should, at the agreed price. We make it easier for the captain to run the yacht, ensuring he always has enough operating cash and that the crew and bills are being paid on time.

Crew

We can also help with crew changes, providing a short list for the hundreds of people we have on file. We filter out half a dozen of the best candidates, and get them down to the boat when it reaches port. The whole process should take only a couple of hours time. Once the captain has made his choice, he sends them back to the office and we take all their bank details for salary payments, put them on the manifest, make sure they have the right visas and register them for medical and accident insurance. We also monitor all crew to ensure they keep their visas current adding when necessary, as well as liasing with the captain and owner to arrange holidays, travel arrangements, insurance, etc.

Maintenance

The ongoing worklist on any yacht is extensive, with a wide variety of jobs in hand. We liaise with the captain and his crew to provide the support, arrange deliveries, payments, etc when and where they need it. Haulouts, re fits etc are also a major part of maintenance and need to be planned carefully, We have worked with shipyards in the Mediterranean , the Caribbean and the United States - and generally speak their languages. We can help plan the entire job, and to follow up to see that everything happens the way the captain wants it, and work to keep the work down to contracted levels. Inspections to keep the yacht in class, or for charter requirements can also be planned and managed for your yacht, as we have done for our other clients. We know the ropes and the pitfalls in all this type of work.

Financial

The most demanding and time consuming aspect of proper yacht management is the handling of the owners money. BCR supplies the owner with a monthly financial report with fully categorised accounts, after setting guideline values for each category in consultation with the owner and captain. For any extraordinary capital outlay we naturally always seek approval before making any commitment. BCR can usually in a position to significantly reduce some of the yacht's costs, without in any way restricting the captain's financial latitude, or reducing the long term efficiency of the yacht. We also liaise with the US customs and European tax authorities to ensure all chartering activities, shipments of parts in bond, movements of personnel to and from the yacht, declarations of capital transfers and a score of other bureaucratic procedures are done efficiently, in advance, and keep the yacht ,crew and guests safely within the law. We also take responsibility for negotiating the best possible price for all expenditure. Whatever financial inducements we can extract from the supplier are immediately credited to the yacht's account - not to our own pockets. We have been working in the industry long enough to know shipyards, suppliers and craftsmen on both sides of the Atlantic, which gives us an edge in negotiating both on price and timing. The aim is not to restrict the movement of money but simply to spend the money more effectively by eliminating waste.

Charter

This can be part of our total management service, or separate. BCR acts as the yacht's central agent , organising the charter calendar, handling the charter revenue, and promoting the yacht. We help ensure the yacht gets the maximum possible exposure to the charter market, and we can generally increase the earnings potential of the yacht by a significant margin. The charter market on both sides of the Atlantic is becoming more competitive. Every year we negotiate and contract about fifty weeks of charter on board various yachts. We also attend all the major charter yacht shows, to keep current with new yachts, developments, crew changes etc. We keep the yachts calendar under the MYBA contract, which is generally considered the most secure, and handle the charter revenue, liasing with the principal to ensure the deposit and the APA have been paid into the yacht's account on time and in strict accordance with the contract. We also go to great lengths to ensure that the captain and the charter guest have been in direct communication with each other at least two weeks before the charter to avoid unforseen misunderstandings or complications. The captain is able to discuss the charterer's wishes, and preferences before money changes hands, thus avoiding any ill feeling or legal recourse. We actively publicise the yacht through our various mailing lists, both within the industry (about 300 companies, therefore targeting hundreds of people interested in chartering your yacht) and through our direct clients who would also be interested. |IN addition we also target previous charter guests, appraising them of changes to the boat and crew, new toys, cruising grounds, etc. Our industry mailing package also includes a newsletter describing any modifications to the boat, the latest facilities and equipment on board over the past year; A crew profile; Set of brochures; Booking schedule and prices. To find out more details, or discuss your requirements and how we can help you and your yacht, contact Lars Bjorklund or call +33 4 9334 9245..