United Kingdom

Bridge Yachting

Before establishing his consultancy firm, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/8231" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Bridge Yachting (Company)">Bridge Yachting,</a> in 2018, Richard Bridge enjoyed a distinguished 37-year seagoing career. Highlights included captaining the 126-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/270" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Octopus126.2m (414'1&quot;)Lürssen Yachts2003">Octopus</a> after overseeing its build, and serving as operational captain on several iconic superyachts, including the 85-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/234" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Ecstasea85.95m (281'12&quot;)Feadship2004">Ecstasea</a>, 115-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/298" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Pelorus115.0m (377'4&quot;)Lürssen Yachts2003">Pelorus</a>, 163-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/12" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Eclipse162.5m (533'2&quot;)Blohm & Voss GmbH2010">Eclipse</a>, 138-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/237" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Rising Sun138.6m (454'9&quot;)Lürssen Yachts2004">Rising Sun</a>, and as build captain on the 140-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/3503" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Ocean Victory140.0m (459'4&quot;)Fincantieri Yachts2014">Ocean Victory</a>. His extensive experience spans operations involving helicopters, private jets, submersibles, and even coordinating a project to locate and film the wreck of HMS Ark Royal off Gibraltar. Today, his four-strong team is managing a major conversion project in northern Europe.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/361664/image/large-ba52d18fff7547f5896cbddd4c52cf43.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/361664">Was your commercial and cruise ship experience an advantage when you transitioned to superyachts?There were advantages and some disadvantages. The advantage was that I’d spent four years as a cadet learning the ropes before even taking a watch on a ship. Years of seagoing experience then gave me a really good basis to build on. I suppose a disadvantage, at least at the beginning, was that I didn’t fully appreciate the concept of ‘yacht finish’ and attention to detail. But my commercial experience soon taught me that simply throwing money at a project isn’t enough. You have to focus resources on what is important for the owner. For example, I see no point in having beautiful, stainless-steel mooring bitts if the mooring deck is hidden or enclosed and somewhere the owner will never visit. Commercial grade hardware will do the job just as well at a fraction of the price.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/22070/image/large-24b643652595e345507b554cf1abe9eb.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/22070">Your first new-build was&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/270" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Octopus126.2m (414'1&quot;)Lürssen Yachts2003">Octopus</a>&nbsp;in 2003, followed by&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/12" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Eclipse162.5m (533'2&quot;)Blohm & Voss GmbH2010">Eclipse</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/3503" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Ocean Victory140.0m (459'4&quot;)Fincantieri Yachts2014">Ocean Victory</a>. Were you build captain or owner’s representative on those projects?I did the last 9 months of the build on <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/270" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Octopus126.2m (414'1&quot;)Lürssen Yachts2003">Octopus</a> and the delivery – too late to effect any significant changes. During the build of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/12" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Eclipse162.5m (533'2&quot;)Blohm & Voss GmbH2010">Eclipse</a>&nbsp;I was an operational captain in the fleet, so had an opportunity to use what I had learned from <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/270" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Octopus126.2m (414'1&quot;)Lürssen Yachts2003">Octopus</a> to benefit the yacht ahead of delivery. I was then the shore-based build captain for <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/3503" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Ocean Victory140.0m (459'4&quot;)Fincantieri Yachts2014">Ocean Victory</a>. It was great to be involved with those builds and be able to integrate ideas based on my experience at sea. Since coming ashore and setting up my own consultancy, however, I’m more of an owner’s representative and now find myself taking input and ideas from the crew. If you ask ten chefs what they want in a galley, for example, you’ll get ten different answers. So I’m basically the conduit between the owner, shipyard and crew, and spend a disproportionate amount of my time dealing with lawyers!<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/100603/image/large-2ba539e9cde15116f7b293fb32eec0d9.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/100603">Nearly all the yachts you’ve been involved with have been over 100 metres in length. Was that intentional on your part?Initially, my Class 1 certificate meant people were looking for my qualifications and so it was an easy in, if you like. I attained my Class 1 Master Mariner’s certificate when I was 28, although it took a few more years before I was trusted with the command of a vessel. There weren’t many superyachts over 3,000 gross tons at that time, but you could see they were coming. But my biggest job has always been managing the crew and, if I’m honest, from an operational point of view the right size is within that 100-metre mark, because once you go above 45 or 50 crew the dynamic changes considerably. I spent four years as captain on 96-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/1711" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Vava II96.0m (314'12&quot;)Devonport2012">Vava II</a> where we generally ran about 35 crew on board, which was manageable and fun. On <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/12" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Eclipse162.5m (533'2&quot;)Blohm & Voss GmbH2010">Eclipse</a>, on the other hand, we were up to 75 or even 85 at times, which is like being back on a cruise ship.You’re currently working on the conversion of a supply vessel. How does that differ from a new-build from your perspective as owner’s rep?There is a certain satisfaction in repurposing an existing vessel. We were very lucky to find a donor vessel that lends itself very well to conversion and had been laid up for almost her entire life, so minimum wear and tear. But it’s more difficult in some ways compared to a new build, because you’re starting with an existing platform and any faults that may come with it. You have to be very careful with budgeting by looking at the vessel and working out what you have to replace, upgrade or refurbish while keeping the vessel maintained throughout the conversion period, such as laying her up properly and mothballing the engines so she’s good to go when the work is finished. Once you start dismantling bulkheads you can come across all sorts of things you didn’t expect and that can get expensive, so you have to budget for the unforeseen as well.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/100113/image/large-c05992f1973329e9da397b620f18e6e8.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/100113">Does it take a special set of skills to be an owner’s rep?Owner’s representative is an interesting job title as I don’t think there’s a particular skill set that covers everything, and people that do my job come from all walks of life. I think my background as an operational captain for many years brings a lot of things to a project I thought were missing on builds I’ve been involved with in the past – it’s interesting that even the most respected shipyards sometimes miss stuff. Just as important is being used to dealing with owners. I’ve had close relationships with the owners of the private yachts I’ve worked on and – dare I say it – you learn how to talk to them, put a point across and get what you need for the sake of the project and the benefit of the owner. In that regard, I find the role of owner’s rep very similar to when I was dealing with owners as a captain. &nbsp;This article was featured in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/magazine/how-to-build-it-issue-7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">Issue 7 of How To Build It</a>.&nbsp;You can read all the articles from this edition&nbsp;<a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/magazine/how-to-build-it-issue-7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">here</a>, and stay up-to-date with all previous editions&nbsp;<a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/magazine" target="_blank">here</a>.

Richard Bridge’s journey from superyacht captain to consultancy with Bridge Yachting

Before establishing his consultancy firm, Bridge Yachting, in 2018, Richard Bridge enjoyed a distinguished 37-year seagoing career. 