Operations

Regardless of whether a superyacht is used privately, for commercial chartering or a combination of the two, there are certain operational aspects to be considered by the owners. These operational aspects including crew and employment issues, yacht management and berthing arrangements.

We are well placed to assist owners and yacht managers in respect of such operational aspects, with experience in drafting and/or reviewing yacht management agreements.

In the unfortunate event that there is an incident involving a superyacht, we also have expertise in salvage, collisions, oil pollution and other disputes arising out of damage to a superyacht.

Chartering

It is common for superyachts to be chartered out for commercial purposes. Superyacht chartering can be a source of income for a superyacht owner and charterers expect the highest quality of service when chartering a superyacht.

This relationship will be governed by a charter agreement often arranged via a broker or other intermediary who will incur a fee or commission for their involvement in arranging the charterparty. We regularly deal with issues arising out of such arrangements, including in respect of disputes over commission. We also have experience in advising alternative brokerage providers in the context of a new platform to meet demand in the superyacht chartering market.

There are also many regulatory issues for a yacht owner to consider when chartering out their superyacht. We therefore also assist our clients in respect of a variety of issues arising out of compliance with regulations, including in respect of the temporary importation of yachts and special licence requirements.