The purchase and maintenance of a superyacht are not decisions to make lightly. In fact, given the highly emotional process of owning and operating a luxury yacht, it can be easy to look the other way or sweep any problems under the proverbial rug. If you’re new to yachting, chances are you will meet a number of players from the start that will play different roles in the lifetime of your yacht. Not only that, but while balancing your interests, they also need to put their needs front and center as well. So who are you to turn to when things turn sour? As in any other aspect of your business, you hire out the experts that are more suitable to the problem at hand. Run into a spot of legal trouble? Contact your attorney. Wondering how your investments are faring? Call your financial advisor for an update. The ownership and operation of a yacht are no different. And for that, you need to have the best representation in your court.
Enter Rubicon. Think of the team as your very own “advisor” from purchase, refit and beyond. As co-founder John Crupi shares, “we are not financially incentivized by what vessel a buyer purchases or if a buyer even buys a boat. We have no allegiances or alliances with any firm or brokerage house that limits our analysis or survey of the market. Our goal is to find the most suitable vessel for that client.”
With over 30 years of experience as a superyacht captain, 20 of those with the same yacht and owner, you could say Crupi knows his stuff. Stranded in Patagonia with no rescue or promise of a shipyard waiting for you on land? He’s been there. Arranging the first superyacht cruise up the Mekong Delta in Vietnam? Yep, been there, done that. After successfully running and managing a demanding cruising program from the Aleutian Islands of Alaska to the remote lands of Papua New Guinea, Crupi is leaving his current role as Captain of Dorothea III as the yacht is up for sale after two decades of tandem cruising with the fishing vessel, Post One.
Rubicon’s mission is simple but effective: “we act as an unbiased third party whose only goal is to get the owner back on the water as quickly and cost-effectively as possible so they can do more of what they love,” explains Crupi. After exploring some of the world’s most remote regions, it means the team has not only gone through all of the above and can solve any problems that may arise, but they can also see the problem 10 steps ahead of an owner and put systems in place to avoid it ever materializing, saving the owner time, money and stress. What other players in the sales process can say the same?
Ultimately, the team is there for the owner and that’s it. Crupi states in his typically candid style, “we are just here to help an owner not get screwed in the process and have the most enjoyable time owning a yacht that they can – it can be incredibly taxing if you don’t have the right advisors involved from the beginning. And there is truly nothing better than stepping onboard your yacht for a well-deserved break, and trusting that everything will be in working order, knowing you had someone in your court vouching for you throughout.” Don’t mistake Crupi’s frank style as an attack of the industry, but as the fully transparent guidance you’ve been looking for.
Simply put, “we’ll tell you what others won’t and back it up with facts. There is no fluff here – just brutal truth – conveyed through a business-minded approach to yacht ownership” says Rubicon’s other co-founder, Marie Evers. “While these assets are purchased for pleasure, that doesn’t mean owners enjoy surprises or the sugar-coated costs that sometimes follow suit. We try to paint a very realistic picture of what an owner should expect, with as many facts upfront as possible, so they can make informed decisions throughout the process.”
Whether you are searching for an expedition boat (a moniker thrown around loosely today) or a standard 50m yacht, Crupi and Evers know every yacht is not created equal, and neither are the needs of their owners. Their goal is to help paint the picture of what owning a yacht is really like, warts and all. Regardless of the sales pitch you’ve been sold, problems will arise, and they want to make sure you’re aware of them before the onset of problems.
To some, they might be thinking, “ok, so I need to pay yet another person to help me run my boat?” But Rubicon wants you to approach it another way: do you want to pay someone an exorbitant amount to fix the problems when it’s already too late? Or, would you rather have someone on your side from the beginning, whose only goal is to save you money in the long run? Dorothea III was able to run three times the average annual mileage yet with 70% fewer yard visits. This is hardly due to chance, but thanks in part to the team fully understanding the capabilities of the vessel and each piece of equipment since they’ve personally pushed them all to their limits before. Knowing that gets you a great deal of the way since we never exceed a key piece of machinery to the point of failure.
If you’re in the process of purchasing a yacht or have run into issues during ownership that you need an unbiased resource to act as a guide, contact the team today to see how they can help alleviate these stressors so all you have to worry about is where to go next.
If you would like to inquire about a specific project or discuss the state of your vessel, you can find out more information at rubiconmaritime.com