Fleet-Level Thinking

In the superyacht sector, owners and family offices are accustomed to thinking in terms of investment, acquisition, and asset value. But one of the most financially impactful levers in a yacht program isn’t the yacht itself, it’s the operational architecture that sits beneath it.

As fleet portfolios grow and ownership structures become more complex, the operational load increases exponentially: compliance, refit oversight, crewing strategies, accounting transparency, charter readiness, cross-vessel standardisation, and risk mitigation. In this complexity lies the industry’s most overlooked competitive advantage.

Most superyachts are managed as isolated assets—even when part of a larger fleet. This creates fragmentation, including inconsistent documents, duplicated expenditures, varying standards in safety culture, and avoidable downtime. I’ve seen vessels of the same ownership operate with completely different crewing philosophies, procurement practices, and maintenance strategies. The result? Increased cost, reduced reliability, and inconsistent owner experience.

When I step into a fleet program, my objectives are straightforward: streamline complexity and establish an operational ecosystem that can scale across the entire fleet.

Cross-Vessel Standardisation

Deck, engineering, and interior SOPs	Compliance
Inventory management	Reporting
Expense recording and tracking	Safety training and drills
Guest service standards	Maintenance schedules

Procurement & Budget Transparency

Most fleets unintentionally overspend because purchasing decisions are siloed. Consolidating inventory across the fleet prevents over-ordering, avoids expiry date issues and promotes cost savings through greater buying power.

Avoiding the Knowledge Vacuum - Crew Strategy & Retention

A yacht is only as good as its people. There’s a significant investment in training new crew; how do you avoid the knowledge vacuum when they depart? Detailed, step-by-step instructions for routine tasks, to ensure consistency across the team, allowing new crew to jump straight in and come up to speed quickly.

Refit & Technical Oversight

Refits are the biggest operational and financial swing factor. By creating a structured plan fleet owners can avoid the overruns that plague the industry.

Governance & Reporting for Family Offices

Family offices are built on predictable structures. Yachts are not. Onboarding a cloud-based management platform across all departments, yachts and family office, provides real-time snapshots of financial and operational health.

A New Philosophy of Superyacht Management

Modern superyacht operations are no longer just maritime — it’s an organisational framework. This is why smart owners are shifting from reactive yacht management to proactive operational strategy.

Sarah Egan, is the Australian founder of globally renowned superyacht interior design firm, Boat Style and Chief Operating Officer of SeaOO, a superyacht management and operations consultancy firm. With 15 years in the superyacht industry and 35 years of business management experience, Sarah brings crystal-clear clarity to owners, family offices and management.

If you'd like to discuss a project, please feel free to email Sarah Egan, C.O.O. at seaoo@boatstyle.com.au or call: +61 (0)417 717 292