Kit10Phish Explains It All: Dark Yachting Resolution Brainstorm

Toxic Culture-

Sexual harassment and assault run rife within the industry patriarchial, capitalistic societies. The harrowing statistics on human trafficking and personal accounts of misconduct in these industries show that the risks are undeniable. Ungovernable seafaring, tycoon-impunity in yachting, celebrity privilege, the hedonistic party circuit. All are environments that turn a blind eye towards exploitation and abuse. These environments don't actively engage with these issues, but do normalize or sweep them under the rug. There is a “work hard, play hard” mentality, where anything goes–especially if you have money. It’s not a bug but a feature. Wealthy abusers, as we talked about before, go into dark, private clubs, isolated yachts, and secure islands precisely to do whatever they want unchecked.

And when everyone is complicit, because they’re receiving a paycheck, afraid with nobody to turn to, or just hoping to get to those networking and financial heights–nothing improves. No action can be taken when there is no problem admitted, so these environments never change.

Substances-

The use (and abuse) of alcohol is a part of yachting/party culture that is normalized through a fully stocked crew mess. Drugs, including pills are ever-available. Boundaries can become hazy when under the influence.

Obviously, substances aren’t the crux of the issue, but they can exacerbate these problems all the same. Angela Wallace, director of the welfare group at PYA, pointed out that “perpetrators can get away with it under the guise of too much alcohol.”

So what do we do? What can be done about Dark Yachting and the party circuit at large?

Awareness:

The biggest catalyst for change (notice I said, catalyst, is in spark or beginning) is spotlighting the behavior. These hidden dark sides we just talked about for four months straight serve as a cautionary tale highlighting the need for greater awareness. If people could recognize the system of class power spawning gender and racial inequality and realize that both actually harm ALL of us, it could lead to positive change.

Bravo’s television show, Below Deck exposes things that the yachting/tourist industry would like to pretend don't happen. We need more shows, documentaries, expose’s, and word of mouth. What other things would shine a light on the people and industries we’ve been discussing?

That said, getting word out that a problem exists is only the start. These are systemic issues which will require targeted interventions by organizations with the authority to mandate real structural change.

Professionalism:

The environments at hand are known for lack of universal regulation and oversight. There is a tolerance for, and willful blindness of bad behavior in clubs and on yachts. This is by design. Bad behavior and exchange of currency go hand-in-hand. Ever been to a charity auction? They serve wine to loosen up pocketbooks. Refer to earlier posts on the motivations of Whales and their enablers for more examples.

Certain procedures and policies intended to serve as safeguards for this issue have fallen by the wayside. Much of this questionable activity could be curbed if the behavior is called out. Moreso, unions or human resources type agencies may be the answer to making and regulating strict guidelines of everyday behavior, so the abusive behavior becomes an outlier. And even then there is some higher entity to take issues for reprimand and/or reformation.

Get References-

A big issue, and one Conrad says he's trying to change, is the industry's "broken" recruitment system. Conrad says there are few, if any, background checks, so captains "genuinely have no understanding" of who they're putting on board. He goes on that these people are then free to mix with not only "the most powerful people in the world" but "other crew members that they have to sleep within six feet of."

While some agencies do their due diligence, perpetrators still fall through the breaches and continue to work on board, partially because unions had to protect their union members’ right to work. As a response to blacklists of seafarers who had made complaints or raised health and safety concerns, unions insisted on adding provisions detailed in Article 1.4 of The Maritime Labour Convention (MLC).

It stipulates contractual terms of the seafarer’s rights at work and states that “recruitment companies will not maintain a blacklist to prevent individual seafarers from gaining employment.” All vessels must maintain compliance. The unfortunate side effect is perpetrators with shady histories and criminal records can enter and maintain their employment. Tim Clarke, director of Quay Crew, said, “We know that predators are working within yachting.”

Conrad has set up a company offering crew members a full background check in return for a digital passport as proof. He says they can give this to captains to show "they can be safely placed on board and work with others". Clarke concurs. “Every candidate we put forward has a verbal reference taken,” he said. “The reason for this is that written references mean absolutely nothing. Weekly, we get told one horror story over the phone and countless more verbal references which don’t match the written reference.” "If you're not checking who that person is, you're genuinely putting the rest of those people in danger," he says.

Training-

Watkins notes that the crew is trained in performance, not people management. The deck crew is responsible for tasks such as mooring and unmooring, handling cargo, maintaining equipment, and assisting with navigation. Lucy Mess, head of crew at Burgess, said, “Education and training are key. The aim is to deal with the issue before it becomes an issue.”

Former purser Emma Brealey, now head of operations at the Crew Academy, said, “Training around communication, leadership, and conflict resolution can empower crew with knowledge and the confidence to stand up.”

Shelley Viljoen, head of recruitment at The Crew Hunter, said, “Training can definitely mitigate issues of power and control. We provide a safeguarding course which is about training crew to prevent abusive behaviors and to act on them.”

Implement a Regulating Body-

Challenges remain when it comes to junior crew members needing to report a more senior crew member. Originating in maritime law and tradition, ship captains are granted a wide range of powers to maintain order and discipline onboard. A ship captain holds the absolute highest authority on a vessel, meaning they have complete control over the ship, its cargo, and crew, making all final decisions regarding navigation, safety, and operations. They are the ultimate decision-maker at sea.

If the captain or their comrades are the ones perpetuating or profiting from the abusive behavior, reporting can be tricky. Retaliation is a major fear. Capt. Kelly Gordon explained: “It seems as if some captains and HODs [heads of department] think that their position provides them with a sense of power that they often abuse.

As Capt. Hammond put it, “Once you stack the work hours, long days, lack of sleep, everyone cracks. It’s not if, it’s when.” I have seen higher ranks use their position to make unwelcome sexual advances, and sadly, the crew member rarely speaks up for fear of being fired. I have witnessed HODs be downright mean to those they are in charge of.”

For the crew to feel safe in reporting, there needs to be a neutral and independent resource unconnected to the yacht. Karine Rayson, founder of The Crew Coach, said, “We need an objective, independent party to manage and address these issues.”

Being Proactive Rather than Reactive:

More Women in Leadership-

Gender inequality plays an important role in the problem. Seafaring, yachting, Hollywood, and the party circuit are disproportionately owned and operated by men. There is so much desire baked into being in these places precisely because they are the seeds of financial, cultural, and economic power. Yet it isn’t uncommon for job roles to be advertised as gender-specific, with the subordinate roles generally being “female only.” The men have the power, but young women are so central to their operations.

Capt. Gordon is challenging industry trends. She of the Sea, an organization advocating for gender equality and diversity, found that only one in four women in yachting occupy a senior position.

There should be a concerted effort to finance any women-controlled organization in male-dominated fields. While more women in leadership roles won’t eliminate the problem, it would help to create more significant gender equity, altering male domination within the industry.

These issues are long standing for all the reasons we have discussed at length. How do we end such an entrenched system of abuse? I don’t have all the answers, but I do know society needs to recognize, call out, and resolve to respond in a meaningful way. What other improvements can be made to protect everybody’s safety and wellbeing?

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