Superyacht Captain Brendan O’Shannassy shares with DMARGE the craziest experiences of her career. From celebrities to wildlife, it’s been an amazing job.
Superyachts are synonymous with excess. They are known for their scale models, hot tubs, champagne, expensive Monaco moorings, treadmills, zodiacs, helicopters – the list goes on.
But – unless you’re in the 1% – you probably can’t think of too many specific superyachts stories. It’s either because the way of life isn’t as wild as you think, or because it’s so wild that it’s hidden away.
Well, never fear: we’re here today to bring you the inside scoop. Here are the craziest superyacht stories we could find. To start, we spoke to Brendan O’Shannassy, a superyacht captain who recently wrote the book Superyacht Captain: The World’s Most Incredible Industry Life and Leadership.
Brendan told DMARGE exclusively, “It’s not the ‘crazy’ antics people might be looking for. The craziest things are more about amazing experiences – diving with hundreds of hammerhead sharks in the Galapagos, swimming with whale sharks in the Maldives, and of course… taking Clint Eastwood + Mick Jagger from a function in one of the calls of offers.
Brendan added, “I think some of the greatest privileges have been having relaxed, normal conversations with some of the most famous/powerful people in the world. To see this technology founder [such and such] is really just a dedicated family person who loves the water and has a really silly side. Listen to a singer, after being pressured by his friends, release a track – without accompaniment or production – and it will be nothing short of amazing.
“Seeing a world leader listen intently to a 22-year-old deck crew member explaining his safety obligations for operating a jet ski.”
Superyacht Captain Brendan O’Shannassy
Brendan refused to be drawn to the crazy stories he had heard about other superyachts (“we tend to keep our own advice – we don’t share stories between yachts”) but revealed that “he there is a pride in witnessing truly incredible events – and not sharing their details.
“I know it’s not what people want to read, but ‘keeping the veil up’ is something we’re all very proud of.”
Superyacht Captain Brendan O’Shannassy
Brendan also told DMARGE that superyacht owners don’t see the limitations that we “normal people” see. They think differently.
“They probe and challenge any information for its authenticity… no matter who says it,” he told us. “They may not be an expert on the subject, but their questions are disarming as they start from scratch… nowadays we might accept something as fact without fully understanding a builder, a a mechanic, even a doctor – billionaires don’t. They will continue until all the facts are clear.
If that hasn’t quenched your thirst for gossip, here are some other wild superyacht stories on the web.
Some billionaires (accidentally) destroy priceless art with champagne and cereal. It is true: according to Voice, although it’s unclear exactly how, some wealthy people store priceless works of art on superyachts as a form of legal tax evasion. However, this poses some problems.
As reported by The cupa $110.5 million Basquiat (which was on a yacht) had to be restored after a billionaire’s child destroyed it with cornflakes.
“His kids had thrown their breakfast cornflakes on his yacht because they thought it was scary,” said Pandora Mather-Lees, an Oxford-trained art historian and restorer. The Guardian.
“In another incident, a popped champagne cork struck the canvas of an (unnamed) multi-million dollar painting,” The cup reports.
Don’t you hate when that happens!
Moving on – there are more wild stories to tell. Walk in: at Marie Claire 2020 item: In the sordid world of superyachts.
In this article, the author talks about the “golden handcuffs” of working on a superyacht, describing how many crew members are reluctant to speak out until they leave the industry for fear of being branded “difficult by recruiting companies.
Those Who Talk, the author claims, “depicts glamorous destinations and big tax-free salaries, mixed with long hours, social isolation, sexual harassment and depression.”
A story of this article is as follows:
“Recently a ‘Mrs’ (short for a boat owner’s wife) woke up on a superyacht in the Caribbean, far from any habitation. She wanted 1000 white roses to adorn the craft. The crew s ‘arranged for the flowers to be airlifted from Miami and then brought to the yacht in time for dinner” (Marie Claire).
“The next morning Madame wanted them to leave. Unable to throw them overboard and too far to drop them in a port, the crew had to corner them in their tiny quarters.
Superyacht chief stewardess Gemma Hulbert said CNN a similar story of over-care.
Once she told CNNone guest only wanted to bathe in half a tub of hot water topped off with half a bottle of Fiji water and half a cup of baby oil.
“It was so much fun cleaning up the marble afterwards.”
Hubert
She also said CNN“I have… had a charter guest in the past who purchased a vintage Hermès bag in the United States, so our purser (the officer on board who keeps the accounts) had to organize a private jet to get to to the United States from Monaco to pick up the bag and bring it back so she can take it to a gala the next day.
The crew sometimes see wild things too. Bloomberg wrote in 2021: “staff see and hear things of a… risky nature, like a yachtsman whose regular client insisted on spending his entire seven-day foray in the nude, often passing out drunk in unworthy positions.”
“Semi-clothed sunbathing (most often by ‘paid friend’ types), spouse swapping, and drunken fistfights are also common.”
Bloomberg
A yacht captain said Bloomberg“We saw guys doing splits with one foot on the boat and the other on the tender as they pulled away.”
“Once…we saw someone get slapped by a flying fish.”
Bloomberg also reports that the days of yachts drifting from cocaine lairs are over (at least in the Caribbean), writing that boats can be impounded and captains arrested if illegal substances are found on board.
That said, there are still wild parties (and revenge shopping sprees for irritated partners). According to the outlet, “Often a yacht will be chartered for two weeks: the first for the family, the second for bachelor party antics.”
Superyacht staff also talk about cooking elaborate meals for pets and babies, before mixing them into a paste so they can be eaten.
South Florida is also, according to Bloombergan even wilder version of the Mediterranean.
Bloomberg reports on “time-pressed celebrities ready to drop $15,000 on an epic ride” in which, according to a source, “you leave in the morning, drop anchor at the sandbar off Key Biscayne, play with the toys before you get too drunk, then hit up the hippest club.
“At a club, I was invited aboard an owner’s docked boat, only to find a veritable buffet of weed. Searching for the bathroom, I came across another secret lair: a room dedicated to cocaine, with an ornate mirrored table.
Bloomberg
There you have it: some of the craziest tales of the high seas.
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