Henry Kelvin Hughes

Current rotational Chief Officer

I joined C 3 weeks before the start of an extremely busy charter season and found my feet instantly. With an amazing team we have had an extremely successful maiden charter season with some very high profile guests. I have been especially liked by the owners children as I have taught them how to fish and been a kind and firendly face for them.

I would be leaving on good terms and my reasons are simply that I joined under the premise that the postition was to turn rotational at the end of the season. Unfortunately this has not materialized yet and I seek a position that will allow me more of a life outside of yachting and the ability to be with my family more.

My first Officers position has given me an exceptional insight into an HoDs responsibilities. I had to learn fast and joined at the beginning of a very busy Charter season. I performed all my duties with the upmost professionalism and managed my team to the best of my abilities. I had an immediate positive influence on the vessel and proved to be very well liked by crew, guests and agents. Mainly through my happy professional attitude and manners. It is my decision to leave this vessel on the grounds that I do not feel I can improve the vessel anymore under its current management and would like to seek a boat better suited to my skills.

I was very privileged to have worked on one of the most beautiful and technically advanced boats on the water. Completing two Atlantic crossings, full sail and over 11,000 miles, 84% where sailing. It was a truly incredible experience onboard and I was instrumental in setting up a previously un-used boat for a maiden charter season. This involved very large orders with logistics included and restructuring the boat for its new purpose. I learned a massive amount about sailing and DynaRig systems and the differences between them and the motor yachts I have usually worked on. I was also involved in Heli rescue operations and a lot more new learning experiences! It was with a heavy heart that I left Black Pearl due to circumstances that made future chartering unlikely. Rather than remain on a static yacht I decided my time would be better spent pursuing my OOW qualification.

From mid 2021 I served six months as Bosun on this busy single season charter yacht. I had an immediate effect being able to put my knowledge and leadership skills into practice when it came to taking on a new and very green deck team. I led the team diligently and professionally throughout my time onboard. I restructured the boat during the Winter whilst also completing a busy ship yard period. This included, but was not limited to a complete overhaul of storage and the bosun‘s locker and a newly updated inventory system; lots of paint, carpentry and filling jobs. I was also signed on as acting Chief Officer for a number of months. This involved taking over all responsibilities not officer related including organising and liaising with contractors, receiving and chasing quotes, conducting weekly and monthly ISM checks and maintaining operating standards. I was elected safety representative for the boat and felt an integral part of the professional running of the yacht.

Solaris is one of the biggest explorer vessels ever to be built and I joined the boat whilst it was in ship yard being built in Bremerhaven, Germany. During my time on board I gained some valuable experience that has already aided my career. Learning what it takes to put a boat in the water from brand new was a revelation. I played an active role in the creation of SOPs and I helped, alongside a very large deckteam, to prepare this vessel for its maiden season. I am confident that I gained a great deal of knowledge from this vessel, but ultimately I decided to leave the job because it was not the right fit for my career progression.

I joined this vessel half way through a busy Caribbean season and quickly got to grips with how the boat operated and its busy charter program. I learned a huge amount about how a very busy charter boat works and how to deal with all the moving parts, whilst also really coming into my element. Particular additional skills that I excelled at were my fishing capabilities and my drone pilotage. Axioma also had a large 44ft Fjord that I built up a lot of miles on and became much more comfortable and confident driving large tenders. My decision to leave this job was to advance my career by taking my Yachtmaster qualification.

This was a long term permanent position on a truly beautiful boat. It included two yard periods and a Mediterranean season, including 1 month out of the water. I was also privileged to be present forand a Royal charter with HRH Duchess of Cornwall (now Queen Camilla). I learned a massive amount onboard this prestigious yacht including but not limited to; large yacht maintenance and washdown, 12m tender handling, large crane and davit control, painting, varnishing, detailing, splicing and whipping, plus an extremely high standard of guest care and attention.