Fleet Manager

A Fleet Manager sits above the individual yacht managers in a management company, or runs a private fleet for a single family office. You might oversee eight to thirty yachts, usually through a team of three to six managers. Your job is to make sure each yacht runs to the same standard, that owners get clear reporting, and that captains have one senior person ashore who can make decisions quickly when something goes wrong.

The work splits into four areas: safety and compliance, money, people and technical. You sign off budgets and approve large spends, chase variances and present annual figures to owners. You keep the Safety Management System current with the DPA, prepare for flag and class surveys, and follow up audit findings. You approve senior crew hires, settle disputes and back captains. You also plan yard periods and warranty claims with the technical team.

Most Fleet Managers come from the bridge or the engine room, usually as a captain or chief engineer who moved ashore as a yacht manager first. The step up is about delegation. You stop fixing every problem yourself and start building processes, training your managers and spotting patterns across the fleet. Expect regular travel to yards and yachts, phone calls outside office hours during the season, and full accountability when an incident lands on your desk.