Captains across the industry are seeing a generational shift, both in the crew who make yachts run and in the owners who fund them. Their words reveal a transformation in culture, expectations, and what it means to live and work at sea.

The New Crew: From Grit to Self-Care

Veteran captains often compare today’s crew to the ones they started with, and the difference is stark. Captain Michael Dailey, who has worked across submarines and superyachts, didn’t mince words: “They may be educated, but they lack basic experience. We get green crew who don’t even know how to change a bike tire, and yet here they are, expected to handle millions in equipment.”

Others take a softer view. For Captain Kelly Gordon, the shift is a necessary correction. “I had a young stew tell me she wouldn’t work on a boat without rotation. At first I thought, really? But then she said, it’s not worth sacrificing my mental health. She’s right. Maybe the younger generation has figured out what we should have been doing all along.”

Captain Liam Devlin, who has been at sea for twenty-five years, has seen the contrast play out in real time. “Years ago, people would commit to a year without question. Now I’ve had crew leave after two weeks because they’ve changed their minds. They’re always looking for the next opportunity, the next boat.” He admitted it can be frustrating, but also recognises that his own approach has shifted: “I grew up bottling things up. Now I tell my crew, be vulnerable. Talk about it. That’s how we build mental fitness.”

Owners: Younger, Fitter, Restless

If crew are changing, owners are too. Several captains noted that the new generation of yacht owners is not content with long lunches on the Côte d’Azur. They are younger, more adventurous, and determined to create experiences their friends haven’t had.

Captain John van der Straaten, who runs a sailing yacht that has circumnavigated, described it vividly: “They’re in their thirties, sometimes forties, and they want to dive, they want to explore Indonesia, Palau, places where the charts are still just rough sketches. I’ve been navigating reefs with Google Earth and an iPad! That’s what keeps it exciting.”

Captains all have examples of the surprising, sometimes outrageous requests that come from guests. The subtle art of never saying no, whilst bringing the challenge in to safe and realistic parameters, is employed here. Devlin comments “You learn to find a path, because they expect highlights, one after another.” What is key is how Captains have to build excellent relationships with the owner, port authorities, crew, suppliers and a host of others. This is what really helps them to pull off the most extravagant of requests. 

Captain Craig Thurlbourn put it more simply: “They don’t want the same trip their friend did. They want to do better. Faster. Fitter. It’s a generational shift in appetite.”

Where the Two Meet

These shifts collide on deck. Younger owners push for faster itineraries, icebergs and heli-skiing, while younger crew are learning to push back for rest, rotation, and wellness. It creates tension, but also possibility.

Captain Chris Walsh, who has sailed with the same family for three decades, frames it with perspective: “This is the pinnacle of the maritime world. You’ve got your own bed, the roof doesn’t leak, nobody’s shooting at you. It’s a privilege, not a punishment. Still, you’ve got to protect people from burnout. Give them a break when they need it.”