YACHTING PARTNERS INTERNATIONAL EDITIONS AUTUMN 2008
It isn't. His responsibilities are considerable and the multi-tasking
they require prodigious. One such task is to liaise with the shipyard
on production planning to ensure that his project moves forward as
smoothly and efficiently as possible and benefits from, at least, its fair
share of yard management attention and labour time in competition
with other projects in the yard. Another is in the area of Flag State and
Classification Society requirements and he
has already introduced some modifications
to the Matterhorn project. Additional fireproof
bulkheads in the control room reduced the
space available and so he sat down with the
yard and MCA to discuss the issue and came
up with an alternative solution acceptable to
all parties. An all-glass transom, on the other
hand, while certainly an arresting aesthetic
feature, was rejected after Tony cited
technical and Classification objections and
Alex persuaded the owners to approve a
re-design (and lengthening of the hull ...).
Tony sees getting people together and
keeping them talking as a vital part of his job
description: "Motivating everyone involved
in the project is important, but behind the
scenes that's not always easy", he says. "On the one hand, I'm working
in the interests of the owner; on the other, the yard is trying to keep its
costs down. So I'm the man in the middle, the conduit between the
owner and the yard, and they don't always have the same interests at
heart." It is the Project Manager's unenviable task to bring these two
possibly conflicting interests together.
Tony's method is to avoid potential conflict from the start by closely
analysing the initial specifications and the contract that Yachting
Partners International receives from the
shipyard. "The owner often has a different
view in his head of what he's actually
buying", Tony points out. "So together with
William Bishop, one of the company's top
specialists in sales and new construction, we
will strip down the technical specifications
and contract terms, rewrite them to include
what we know will work well and add a little
more so we have room for negotiating with
the shipyard. Time invested in this process is
hassle saved later on."
At this early phase before metal cutting starts
but also during the build, Tony will seek to
introduce any improvements he can to the
project while keeping within his time and
budget parameters. "Change orders can kill
a project, there's no doubt about that", he emphasises. "But I try to
explain to owners that it makes good sense to have some flexibility in
hand to take care of any such changes. Technology is moving on so
quickly that what you ordered at the start of the project may not be
so new a couple of years down the line, especially on the A/V and
communications side."
Now on his third project with Yachting Partners, Tony has a close working
relationship with Yachting Partners and their contracted specialists. It is
important to know when to refer to the owner's representative (in the
current project, Will Bishop) and/or when a problem may need the
involvement of Alex Braden to talk to the owners personally or to call
the Directors of the yard.
Another somewhat laborious task of the project manager is to
document the entire build from inception to completion. This is an area
in which Tony excels, perhaps because of his
early graduate experience working as the
documentationofficerforanavalengineering
firm in Australia. "Most people don't realise
just how important accurate documentation
is for something as complex as a superyacht",
he points out. "We collate a complete
package of photos, renderings, emails and
other files during the build that is then stored
on a server for access by the captain and
chief engineer. It means they can look up a
complete history of the yacht and why certain
decisions were made." It is a procedure he
first introduced with Aquamarina which was
exceptionally well received by the crew as
well as proving useful to prospective clients
when the yacht is eventually offered for
re-sale. This documentation procedure also involves updating the
owner, usually on a monthly basis, in collaboration with the Yachting
Partners International offices in the UK and Monaco.
Some owners choose to rely on the services of a trusted build captain to
managetheconstructionoftheirnewyacht.Whilesuchanarrangement
can and often does work in a satisfactory way, there is no reason why
a good captain should also make a good Project Manager. "It isn't
always the case", Tony points out. "Coming from the sea to a land-
based job is difficult because as the captain
at sea you're in complete control, back on
land there are a lot of people above you and
that can stick in some people's throats. Being
a good Project Manager has everything to do
with personality, experience and knowledge
� you have to know how to implement all three
in the build process. Holding the project back
by arguing a pedantic point doesn't help
anyone in the long run." For the same reasons,
goingthroughanestablishedbrokeragehouse
such as Yachting Partners International means
the owner can draw on the firm's specific
knowledge and collective experience. "If you
don't have that knowledge and experience,
then you're probably depending too much
on the shipyard," warns Tony.
Indeed, the hardest part of Tony's job is obtaining the best for the owner
from the yard. "I know what needs to be done, but trying to get the yard
to follow my lead is not always easy. You have to be flexible, so I'll plant
the seed at one meeting and follow it up at the next." And the high-
point of his job? "Handing over the yacht to the owner", says Tony with a
smile. "It's a great feeling knowing that after you've put in so much time
and effort the owner can finally go away and enjoy the result. When the
yacht disappears over the horizon, that's my special time."
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