This week on the SHIPSHAPE podcast, we were delighted to speak to former charter chief stew, and founder of the yachting clothing brand, Nautilus Yachtwear, Deirdre Colgan. With Colgan kindly taking our hands along the way, we navigate the thorny topic of size inclusivity in yachting and the judgements still faced by many crew who don’t fit the usual mold. Thankfully, however, the industry is beginning to change – listen on and discover how pioneers like Colgan are spearheading this movement.
Transcript ——-
T [00:00:00] Shiver me timbers. You’re listening to that Shipshape podcast.
Georgia [00:00:15] This week on the Shipshape Pro podcast. We have Deirdre Colgan, founder of the crew clothing and uniform company Nautilus Yacht with a former charter chief Stew. She’s here to talk to us about the state of the yachting industry, inclusivity and building a brand in 2022. I’m Georgia Tindale, editor and journalist and the yacht in the yachting sphere. And my co-host is Merrill.
Merrill [00:00:38] I’m Merrill. I live on a boat out in Boston, Massachusetts. And yeah, it’s going to be an exciting episode. So, Deidre, how long have you been in the maritime industry?
Deirdre [00:00:50] Ten years this year. So it was 2012 when I joined. I originally was in architecture studies in Ireland, worked in Ireland, should have a nice big crash, lost my job, got headhunted, went out to Saint Martin and worked there for two years and made lots of crew friends. One particularly Nick. He actually also built my website. It’s just been a really important person in my life since, and he just kept saying, I think you’d be Grace because, you know, you live as a community, you live together, you work together, you live at work. So it does take a really specific personality to be able to be crew and crew are the best people. They really are. And I was fascinated by it, but I was like, There’s no way I can lift the wardrobe. And, you know, it was pretty high maintenance at the time. And so I spent two years in Saint Martin that I then moved home. Things did work. Grace got headhunted again out of Barbados, was working out there, loved it. But things kept popping up in the newspaper about the company I was working for transpired. It was a Ponzi scheme, and when I had moved out there, I said, You know what? If this doesn’t work out for any reason, I will give yachting a go. And it all went up in flames. I’m lucky I resigned to my left, and I’m lucky I did, because after that, immigration got involved. And if you’ve ever been deported from anywhere, it’s really difficult to get your B-1B to or any visit. So I’m very lucky. I decided for ethical reasons to just say I can’t take a paycheck for this. And then when Fort Lauderdale did my STC, you did a stew course and just got started, took three months day work, and then got my first job.
Merrill [00:02:37] And now you’re recording this out of Florida right now, right?
Deirdre [00:02:40] Yes. So I’m now actually a permanent resident because I’m married to an American. So that wasn’t my plan was I’ll do two years and then I’ll move back to Ireland and resume architecture. But life happens. And I was in a dive bar, an Irish dive bar called The Village where people make rain hours. And I met Colin and we were like, you know, long distance. I’d be in the Bahamas and he’d be in New York, vice versa. And, you know, eventually we talked about getting married and, you know, getting a house. And I was on a charter boat at the time. I had the idea for the business while I was on that boat. The captain on that boat was fantastic. And the boat had gone under and like undergoing a major refit and it had a stern extension. So we needed new drawings done and we needed to order the uniform, we needed the t shirts. And he was like, But we don’t have the drawings for the back of the t shirts. And I was like, Sure, I’ll do the drawings. I found my laptop and I drew Ralph’s. I mean, it wouldn’t be too scary. You wouldn’t be able to pull measurements off, but it looks like the boat, the boat and dealt with a uniform company and they were like, Look, this needs to be in vector format. So having been used to, I mean, kind of the vector used to all the graphics programs, I was like, no bother, Did that send it off to them? And I already sold as a hobby, understood fabrics. And I just thought, you know, maybe I could do this.
Merrill [00:04:14] You know, one of the unique things about the maritime space is that seemingly everyone that we’ve interviewed is comes from some different background unrelated to maritime, and then they get into it. So you started out doing architecture, right?
Deirdre [00:04:30] Yeah.
Merrill [00:04:31] So talk a little bit about how your previous career really helped to kind of build what you are doing right now. Like what skills were learned, What what was that like?
Deirdre [00:04:42] One thing was that you can end up working really long hours. You know, you’ve got a planning submission, you end up working till two in the morning, they order a pizza, they send you home in a taxi and you come back the next morning. So I wasn’t put off by the idea of having to work such long hours. Then I had worked in various. Yard periods and I could start a competent tradesman like I can spot a good carpenter. You know, I can see who knows what they’re doing. I know how to protect the interior because I knew I had worked in higher end like hotels in that that were being refit and I knew just how spaces should work. So I there were and I think everyone brings different aspects and like, you know, because I had good graphic skills and that as well, even things like table settings or, you know, doing menus and all of that for events and like team nights and all of that, like all of those came into play, like I could use Photoshop and Corral and everything, so. And it is funny, like, I do have a good friend who always said that she always enjoyed seeing what everybody brought. You know, she had been a marine biologist and she was on a boat where family were living on board. And they, you know, they went around the world and she ended up teaching the kids so much about marine life. And yeah, I think everyone has something to bring to a boat. You know, there’s a boat, this boat for everybody, definitely.
Georgia [00:06:11] So for those people who aren’t too familiar with being a Superyacht crew and what that experience is like, could you just give us an idea of what the situation’s like for crew uniform when you kind of enter the industry in terms of what people can expect to get from crew uniform and how that might differ from other types of clothing.
Deirdre [00:06:31] Crew tend to always look the same. We all look like young golfers. And when I joined yachting, there was very much a look, you know, there was like the tall, blond, slim girls. I at the time was a lot slimmer than I am now, but I am ready for 411. I have dark hair. I am a fuller chested and I just didn’t feel like I exist. And, you know, I did have a really good friend who kept saying, there’s a boat for everybody. And I just was like, Well, is there a boat for me? And my friend Nikko? I mentioned he was on a big, I don’t know, 80, 90 meter. We went on a night out at one point and the seven or eight stewardesses were there. They were like octuplets. And I was like, How do you tell them apart? And then I thought it were national. I was like, Oh, there’s the brown hair woman. He was like, Oh, yeah, she’s on deck. So I found it all very intimidating. At the time, I was a size two, which is like a UK eight. And I remember joining a boat and they were like, Well, this is the largest size we carry. So they had a000 and a two. So they were like, you know, be mindful. There’s all the snacks in the crew mass. You have to be mindful because you know, as if either, you know, bigger uniform doesn’t exist. And I remember losing out on a job and asking the crew agent and she was like, look, there’s things we can’t post about what they’re looking for. And, you know, and not so many words. She told me I didn’t fit their, you know, esthetic. My brother is an aircraft engineer, and I remember him telling me years and years and years ago, because his wife was an air hostess, a stewardess, that people were not given the job and they were given the reason of being cosmetically on fish. And just what a horrible thing to to take. But then, you know, not every boat is like that. And I worked on fantastic boats with people of different races, like different. And the best thing about yachting is when you’re part of the crew, like the best captains I work for are mindful of like, let’s not have a majority of one country. Let’s have a really diverse crew. And he learned so much about people. You learn about different cultures, different backgrounds, even, you know, people have different educational backgrounds and, you know, different family dynamics. And, you know, you learn so much about people. So, you know, why does everybody have to look the same when what you’re looking for is a broad, broad range of people? So when I initially started, I was just going to do embroidery that was this. I was going to do like towels and polos. And I had a few customers say, Well, you’re going to have to expand if you want to compete, you’re going to have to do the bottoms and that. And I just thought, Well, why not take the opportunity then? Because the last load I worked on, the first mate was female and she was very fit and athletic and the shorts that were on board, I mean, she wasn’t comfortable to work in. And actually after the Dock Walk article, she sent me a message saying I’m glad my bigger was helpful to your business. You know, it’s like cheers. So it’s more about how can people be comfort, like be comfortable while they’re working. But also, I think the yachting companies have come a long way, the uniform companies, and I don’t think it is coming from the uniform companies. And I do think the industry has changed a lot. But I just would like if there was someone like me who has started and it’s made them feel bad about themselves, not about how they look, you know, that may. Maybe I can just have a little positive message that, you know, hanging in there, someone’s going to appreciate you. And not this one specific person is a good looking person. Like, you know, you’re not ugly just because you’re not six foot tall with a 26 inch waist, you know?
Georgia [00:10:16] Yeah. I mean, it does feel in some aspects that yachting is lagging behind other industries in this respect. I mean, the fact we’re having this conversation in 2022 is a little bit nuts. And the idea that you have to fit the clothes. I mean, to me, that feels like a very sort of 1990s skinny attitude. You know, I feel like a lot of other surveys have moved on. So why do you think yachting is a little bit slow to be to kind of modernized? Is it because it’s kind of managed privately? You know, every yacht is its own kind of domain. They can do what they want. Do you think that factors into why it’s perhaps a bit behind on these things? One might argue?
Deirdre [00:10:54] I think so. And I think like it’s kind of it’s, you know, a bit clandestine. It’s closed. It’s you know, it’s its own world and it’s quite elitist. And I do think some people think that this is the image that people want. This is what owners want. This is what charter agents want. But maybe if you got to know those owner owners, maybe that’s not how they feel, as though I do remember as well interviewing for a job and being told this would be great for you because the owner, he wants somebody, you know, pleasant looking, well put together, but the missus doesn’t want anybody to bring that. She has to feel jealous. And I was like, okay, so like, you know, and I was happy. And also that I was like, okay, you know, and like, I’m a normal looking person and but then there’s owners and captains who just want the best person for the job and, you know, and somebody who will get along with people and be kind. And, you know, the biggest thing that anyone is looking for is someone who’s not going to cause drama.
Georgia [00:11:53] I mean, yeah, absolutely. I mean, I always find it interesting because I don’t know what the situation is in the US, but in the UK when you apply for jobs, you do not put a picture.
Deirdre [00:12:03] Oh, it’s, it’s illegal here, it’s but yachting it’s required.
Georgia [00:12:08] Whereas in Europe they do include pictures and I found that very odd.
Deirdre [00:12:12] Yeah. I never had to before yachting and then most of the like crew recruitment companies they’ll ask for your measurements and your waist, your height and your weight. So it’s and they’re like, Oh, it’s for uniform. And like, I’ve had interviews and they’re like, Oh, can you please send me your measurements for uniform? And then after that, you know, so there’s ways that they can do is, you know, trying to make it not seem like, well, we want your measurements so we can decide who gets the job, but, you know, maybe offer the person the job and then ask for the arrangements. And I have had that before or, you know, like some boats just have so much uniform because they’ve had crew of every size. So you just get on board, you try it on and you see what’s it. So how does this.
Georgia [00:12:52] Factor into the models you would use for your clothing? Is that something you think about as well in terms of, as we’ve said, diversity and inclusion and being a bit more representative?
Deirdre [00:13:03] Yeah, I just want to use normal people, like maybe, you know, maybe use actual crew or people de working just normal people. Because if you use one specific body type in your photos and your brochures and your website, you’re not seeing what it looks like on everybody. And like I want to look and say, okay, that might look like that of me. And I. So I follow a lot of people. So on Instagram and I would be like, okay, they have the same body type as me and that looks really nice on them. Maybe I’ll make that, or maybe I’ll buy a dress that looks like that. Because if I look at someone who’s 14 inches taller than me, I can’t tell what that that’s going to look like. And even like petite clothes are designed for someone who’s five, for I’m only for 11. That’s that’s another and a half, you know, that’s another five inches. So I just think that I would like to have every body type. And of course, you know, this is Georgia. She’s five foot three. She’s a size eight. And this is what she’s wearing in this size. And someone can go, okay, well, I’m French before and I’m an ace, you know? So yeah, just have it be an easier experience. And then I also want to do that. You can get in touch and say, I’m not sure which size I am. I will ship the sizes. You can try it on. I’ll send a return label, you can send them back and then say this size I liked and then order those.
Georgia [00:14:28] Yeah. Because I think it’s is really interesting isn’t it as well because of the emotional associations we have even with sizing. I mean, I don’t know how this chimes with your own experience, but the emotional experience of going to a shop and trying something on is very much determined by that. You know, X, L. S, and you know, those things are weighted. They should it be. I think men’s sizing may be different. And in Europe, I know they do like 32, 36 blah blah, blah. But in the UK we very much do small. Medium, large, etc.. And if you go from a small to a large, that feels like a kind of moral thing somehow, doesn’t it? It feels like there’s a lot attached to that. Whereas some clothing brands are now just doing it where they name the sizes after the women kind of as you’ve been describing. So they might call it like the Georgia size or the so-and-so size, and you just fit the one that is closest to how you are physically rather than having it attached with those labels.
Deirdre [00:15:26] I think there is a huge pressure and that’s one of the things about sewing. It’s whatever size I say it is, you know, And I mean, we’ve all had that breakdown in the fishing world where, you know, and also those mirrors that comes from every angle. And you’re like, That’s what my chin looks like from the side. And what is this lighting? And these jeans will go past my knees, you know, And then I would have a bigger Roman size and a small waist. So, you know, sometimes if I get it over the broken ties, you know, it’s four or five inches too big on the waist. And the same with score. So if they fit on my thighs, they’d be huge on the waist. And then my radio would drag down and I’d have, you know, builders, crack, plumber, bum or whatever, hippolyte and.
Georgia [00:16:08] Plumber, but not on the floor. That’s great.
Deirdre [00:16:11] That’s great. And then if I did sit on the waist, it would be riding all over the thighs. So it was I would often just have to get the bigger size and then just, you know, Turkish at the waist. So, yeah, I found having sports on sometimes uncomfortable and they can be very short and, you know, you’re having to climb up on top of things and, and get stuff. And so yeah, you don’t want you don’t want your boobs hanging out. So, I mean, it just it happens. So, yeah, I just wanted something a little bit more practical because I think yachting has evolved a bit and not everybody is flat bottoms and flat chested now, so why not have clothes that accommodate that? And I do see some of the bigger uniform companies are using performance fabrics now, like I tried to do with a bit more stretch and a bit more accommodate accommodating. And I think that’s great. And I think, you know, some of these uniform companies are leading the way into making yachting more inclusive and more accessible. And, you know, I think below deck as well kind of blew the lid off because I started, I think a year or two before below deck happened. And I mean, if I hadn’t been in, say, Martin, I never would have known that yachting was the thing. And I still meet people and they’re like, What? How do you get to work every day? And it’s like, No, no, you live on the boat, you know? So and I even had guests on the boat going, How do you get here every morning? And we were like, helicopter. You know, they didn’t know that we were living in the house. So, you know, now I think there’s a broader range of people who come into yachting, and I think that’s only a good thing.
Merrill [00:17:47] So these people that were basically doing these interviews, were they primarily men or were they women that were like, you know, body? It’s almost like body shaming. And another question I have is how have you seen a shift in kind of woman leadership on these yachts over time? Like is that changing around or is it still primarily a male dominated?
Deirdre [00:18:09] I think Girls on Jet Deck is changing a lot. For the first question, it was mostly really kind women who were put in this uncomfortable position and had no choice really. This was their job and would ask you then, look, I’m sorry. And you know, are you okay? So I they’re not the people who are in the position of power. You know, they’re not making that decision. They don’t want to be casting aspersions on any young girls body. But unfortunately, that’s the position they’re sometimes put in. But as regards girls on deck, so when I started ten years ago, a friend of mine started at the same time. She wanted to be on deck and she kept getting told, Look, it’s just going to be so much harder for you to go and be a stewardess. And she did a lot of deck day work. And eventually, you know, to make a living, she became a stewardess, became really good at it. But I’ve worked with two great female first mates, and I mean, they have to work harder to prove themselves. And you see more female captains now, like my husband talks about 20 years ago, he had a female captain and at the time there were there just weren’t female captains. And the judgment that she came under then for any decision or any mistake, you know, that any captain may make, I think was a lot harder. But like, if you look at, you know, dock book now do like a help article and it’s a female captain Kelly Gordon. And then I was doing work for a boat and the captain was female, the Sally-Ann and she I mean, she was just a phenomenal person. And she was involved with an organization called She of the Sea, who are trying to promote like women on deck female captains, and like a really, really good friend of mine, Jason Bacon. He’s from Grimsby. He is a captain of a big charter boat. And he I do like he’s my biggest customer. He, I think, is someone who I mean, he has a gay couple on board. He has a female first mate. Like, he does not care what you look like, who you are, if you are the best person for the job. He wants you on his crew. And there are more and more people like that. And, you know, I think it is a male led industry. And unfortunately, it takes men like that, giving women the opportunity and giving them drive time and letting them step up to meet, to change. It’s unfortunate that it’s not women who can really, but like she of the sea, can create more exposure. And like the last boat I was on, Captain John, like we had a female first mate and she was extremely competent. You know, they had a good relationship and he could trust her and like that. When she interviewed, she was the best person for the job. And I do think there are more and more captains out there who are you know, she wasn’t sure about doing courses in that. And he was like, no, you can do this. You’re going to do those courses. And I think that’s what any captain does for any mate when they doubt themselves. And she wasn’t treated differently than the male that, you know, she was treated the same. She was pushed just as hard. And he was like, you know, you should do this and you can do this. And she did so.
Merrill [00:21:27] So on the structure of boat, who really has the final say? Is it I mean, is it like the captain who’s in charge of making these decisions or is it the owner of the boat that is making these decisions? Like, you know, what is the decision chain?
Deirdre [00:21:43] Well, the captain has a license. So, I mean, I was Chief Ju I had a certificate in flower arranging. You know, I am not going like nobody’s going to die if I lose my flower arranging certificate. It doesn’t matter. A captain can make a wrong decision. He can take an order he shouldn’t take and he can lose his license. He doesn’t just lose his job. He loses his career. He loses his reputation. He loses his livelihood. And you have to put your faith in your captain because, you know, I see the interior, I see cocktails, I see beds and heads. I see my shoes. He sees everybody. He sees every aspect. And, you know, I mean, my husband has been in the position where he’s been asked to do things that weren’t safe, and he’s had to say no to the owner. Like, you know, I mean, he was on a boat a few years ago where the fire suppression and fire alarm system wasn’t working. And he was like, you know, we can’t do your trip. We are not taking the boat out like we are not putting lives at risk. And that’s a really hard decision to be in, to say no to the person who pays your wages and put your job at risk. But it’s not easy to be a captain. And sometimes you get really annoyed because you’re like, Oh, yeah, you know, they make all the decisions. I’m just here, you know, I’m just the pawn. And you feel like you’ve no control over your own life. But you know, you need to have that faith. And I worked on a boat with most of the Italian crew, and the captain used to say, this is not a democracy. And that’s how it was. And that we all we had to call a master. And because I mean, I think it’s a translation thing because he was an Italian and a captain is the master of the vessel. So, I mean, it does sound a little bit, you know, so dumb, but it wasn’t that kind of relationship. I think it was just a, you know, a translation thing. But that was something I always remember then. It’s not a democracy because what do I really have to lose a job? They could lose everything. They could end up in court, they could be prosecuted.
Georgia [00:23:41] Yeah. So what would you know, Nicole, your captain?
Deirdre [00:23:44] Usually, I mean, most captains by their first name, so. And actually, my first captain on my first boat is. I mean, him and his wife are my child’s surrogate grandparents now. I mean, we go up there for weekends. They just drop down like some furniture for him. I was just printing off pictures on canvas, like we talk to them all the time. They’re the emergency contact for school for my child. And they’re just great people and, you know, great friends. And so, yeah, I think most captains are just called by their first name. Like I did work on one really big boat and 78 meter 23 crew. It just wasn’t the right fit for me. I never worked on that size boat again. I didn’t enjoy it. You have no access to the captain at that point. You know, you have your head of department and then even the first mate is kind of off limits. So you have the second way to kind of deal with crew and not in that position. So it does depend on the on the boat, what the size of those what that relationship is.
Georgia [00:24:51] And so obviously you came into yachting with, as we all do, with preconceptions and ideas about. What it’s like. What have been some of the major things that have changed since you’ve actually been working there versus perhaps what you thought about it beforehand?
Deirdre [00:25:07] God, that’s a hard one. I think I didn’t realize just the sense of community that there is. And one of the reasons of wanting to start a business. Targeting yachting was like when I left yachting, I had gotten pregnant on my husband’s 40th birthday, and I, you know, had to give up my job. And I mean, that was on the cards. But I had wanted to do another year. And I loved the boat. I loved the crew. I loved the owner. I was supposed to be working towards getting rotation. Like later that year, I was going to be doing three, three on, three off. And I was like, That way I can build the 3000. The build the business slowly. And then that’s not what happened. So I rented a small apartment. My husband was away. He was up in New York and I was in the Bahamas when I found out. And he was in Florida. By the time I came back, he was up in New York. So I went from being with nine crew. You know, there was if you want to just hang out, watch a movie with someone to watch a movie with, if you want to go to the beach with someone to go to the beach with, like we would all go see a film together, like, you know, And I just went then, too, just being on my own, you know. And I was still chatting to them on that and like that. It was the summer. So all the boats were gone. And like I what I had talked before, yachting was like, God, it’s going to be really hard to live on board and live in such a small space and live with all of these people. Yeah, but living with those people in such a small space ended up being the best part of this, you know, just the life you have and like, you know, filling someone’s cabin with balloons so they can’t even open the door on their birthday and just, you know, you know, you’re in laundry and you find their women’s underwear in the deck and focus and, you know, just you know, you stick it on the noticeboard, all of those silly, silly things. I had no idea the impacts that crew would have on my life and how much like I always shied away from confrontation or standing up for myself or, you know, speaking up and being heard. And you learn pretty quickly as crew, if you don’t address something, it becomes bigger and bigger and bigger. And it just grooms the experience for everybody in that crew. So I really learned how to kind of conduct myself in a more professional and just a better manner and the things that I thought would be scary. And also like I’m not a very outdoorsy person. Like I, you know, so I was kind of pushed to do things that I never, never would have done. And they were terrifying, but they were great. So, like what? Like jet skiing? Yeah, I was actually like, the first year I ever went on. So the owner had been like an ex, like motorbike driver. So we had these, like custom super fast jet skis. So they were not just a normal jet ski though, on the back of that being like, Oh my God. So, but, you know, I did it and it was great. Like, see Bob’s, you know, going under the water to see Bob’s swimming with sharks.
Georgia [00:28:14] Where have you had any really memorable travel experiences, like places in the world that you’ve been? Just incredible.
Deirdre [00:28:21] Yes. So I was really, really lucky. The second boat I worked on, we did the Northwest Passage, so we were only the seventh yacht ever to complete it. And it was completely life changing. I actually have a map on the wall upstairs framed, and it’s one of the guests made it and it blocked our course. And the date they were there, I, I mean, it was such an incredible experience. And to do it with such an incredible crew. And, you know, I still look at the photos and I’m still just baffled. You know, we got trapped in the ice. We had to have a Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker come and like, get us out of the ice and then follow them out. And then we had captain to me, he was apparently the premier ice expert in the world. So he’s British. He was in his eighties. He’d been at sea since he was 15. He joined the he’d moved to Canada. I think initially he was British, British merchant Navy and then moved to Canada. So he’d been at sea for 65 years. And the stories that he had, you know, and he was actually writing a book every day. He’s been at sea, He’s kept he’s kept a journal. And, you know, but I mean, we did see we saw a polar bear in a polar bear. Look at this. You know, looking out the window and seeing a polar bear. And we had an Inuit guide on board who had all of these guns and that in case polar bears got to near and just like unbelievable like whales coming up next to the boat, like just indescribable. And then, you know, we went to Greenland and Canada and then down the east coast of the States after the. So it was I mean, I feel like I got the best out of yachting. So that was it. So when I did have to leave yachting, I was like, well, you know, I’ve done the Med, I’ve done a lot of the Caribbean, I’ve done the Northwest Passage, and I would have liked to do the Panama Canal. But I was like, you know, I’ve gotten the best out of this and I’ve had these really memorable experiences. So I was I was okay with this.
Merrill [00:30:21] So, you know, we just heard a pretty incredible story of some travels. Now, I got to ask you, what is the one of the worst stories that you’ve heard of or have been a part of? You don’t need to put names or anything, but like one story where you’re like, thank God I’m not on that boat.
Deirdre [00:30:38] Oh, God. I did a freelance trip once the chef got the tip of her finger off, the mate’s father died and we hit a pylon in Atlantis. So that was pretty bad. But then I did work on one big, big sailboat that is quite infamous. And I knew before I took the job it was my first chief stew job. And I initially turned the job down a couple of times. And then I was like, whatever, it will get me my three strikes. So the owners are in their nineties. They’re an old Jewish couple from New York. She’s dreadful. She hates any food. Like she just would complain about food. All she wants to eat, burgers but she wants. So a chef would never last more than one or two days. They would get heartless. But we had a chef on board and he made appetizers and I brought the appetizers out and she was like, What’s this? And I was like, It’s your whatever it was supposed to be. And she was like, It’s supposed to be a triangle. It’s not a triangle. And I was like, Oh, and I’m so sorry, Mrs.. You shall remain remain nameless. And I had to bring it back. And she was like, Why? It’s not a try. So yeah, So everything we brought out and then another time I brought out ice cream. She wanted ice cream and she kept shouting at her husband, giving it to her husband and it melted. And then she gave out to me because I bought ice cream. That melts too quickly. So she wanted different ice cream. So I brought out like, a chocolate chip, but the chocolate chips were too waxy. And she was she was just nuts. And she when she asked me my name because she was quite hard of hearing, I was like, Dear Dad. And she was like, Teardrop, teardrop. So she thought my name was Teardrop. And she was like, Did your mother not want to have you? And I was like, Oh, dear. And like, she used to leave tissues and toothpicks, like in couch cushions and stuff for you to find. Like, just she was awful, but she was kind of hilarious, too. And like, one time because she used to come with racks and racks and racks of clothes. She didn’t leave clothes on the boat because she was worried we would steal them. So and where we were docked in Port Washington, there is, you know, the adjustable bridge for the floating dock. So at low tide, it’s really steep. But she had so many clothes in the front of the golf cart that she had to sit on the back when she was leaving. And she was just screaming, oh, my God, this is not how I want to go. This is not how I want to go. She thought she was going to fall off the back, so one of the deckhands had to, like, run up behind the golf cart with his hands up so she would feel more secure, like she wasn’t going to fall off the golf cart. And then another thing was I made her bed too tightly and she accused me of trying to do away with her because she thought she was going to suffocate because she couldn’t even move her arms. And so that was I mean, like, it was hilarious. I mean, she was she was dreadful. But I mean, it was really it was really funny. But there was three kind of bad things that happened on that boat was one, when we were docked in Port Washington, there was a restaurant you could take a water taxi to the restaurant and we were up on deck one day and there was this huge bang like huge explosion. We all hit the deck, but it was a house behind the restaurant. There was a gas explosion. The next day, the maid and the engineer were on the deck. A body floated past the object, so they had to get the police and the Coast Guard out. I did not want to see. And then a week later, the engineer was on the tender with the owner’s grandchildren on the Hudson River and walked them by a body. And they have to wait for her for the Coast Guard and the police again. And then we were coming back from Newport to Port Washington and there’s a mayday call and we were the closest vessel. And it was this tiny little fishing boat that had run aground. But then we had one engine that wasn’t working. So by the time we got close enough to them, the police were we’re already there.
Merrill [00:34:31] But at least it wasn’t. By the time you got over there, there was a bunch of bodies floating.
Deirdre [00:34:36] Now.
Merrill [00:34:37] In the water.
Deirdre [00:34:38] So I did the season on that boat and I was like, you know, like and then years later, years, years later, I got a call. There was a new captain on board, and they couldn’t find a stewardess because it had such a bad reputation. And I was the only one who hadn’t left on bad terms with the missus and I. She went back for six weeks in a freelance role. And my nephews, they used to love the stories of her, so they were so excited. What I went back and they came over to visit a few years ago and we were on the water taxi and the boat was up here 66, and she was sitting out on deck and they were so excited. And when they went home, my brother was like, What was the best part to your trip to America? And they were like, We saw her sitting on the boats like this legendary, statuesque old lady who just I mean, she was just nuts. But she had six children and they were all wonderful. So she must have been a good person at one point in her life to have created such lovely humans, which is not quite as lovely now.
Georgia [00:35:43] Oh, that’s awesome. Thank you for that. It’s always fun hearing these stories. Definitely. So just touching quickly on them being an entrepreneur, obviously you’re launching your business. How is yachting as a as a sphere to kind of launch your business? Because obviously it’s got its niches and its quirks. How have you found it and is there much support available from the community for people launching businesses?
Deirdre [00:36:08] I think there is. And like when I was in yachting, I would always try and support the smaller businesses and newer businesses and people I know have been like most of my orders now are people that I do know. So I’m still trying to expand past that. And I think having being crew, you’re part of their world. So I think there’s more of a sense of trust. And I yeah, I think there’s huge support. And even, you know, the reaction when I did the duck water to go, people I hadn’t heard from in such a really long time, just getting in touch and saying, Hey, good for you. I didn’t know. And you know, I’ve actually had two other companies be helpful. Like a few years ago when I first had the idea, I was in a yacht workshop with a friend of mine and I said to the owner, I’d love to do something like this. And he brought me back. He showed me his direct garment printer. He showed me the embroidery machines. He he had been a captain. And then there’s another small uniform company like me. It’s just one person. It’s female owned and true, A friend was put in touch with her. And we’ve met a couple of times. And, you know, she was looking for somebody who did, you know, rash for us that was recycled. And I put her in which would a company I use and she’s given me advice and so it’s yeah there’s not that sense of competition or that I don’t think really in yachting. I mean maybe there is and I just haven’t encountered it. But yeah, everyone’s been really helpful. And what I’ve done is, you know, give me a chance, give me a small order, and if you’re happy, then you know, and give me more. And I have some boats switching over to me now switch and more and more stuff over. And I think like that people are like, you know, you know, what does it hurt? We’ll give you a chance to do the few bits and then it’s grown from there. But yeah, I think crew I think as people though crew are really supportive and very community minded.
Georgia [00:38:03] That’s great. And what if you know what, if you’re a young person, let’s say for the sake of argument that you’re a woman and you want to enter the industry, you want to be crew, what would you say to a young woman who’s thinking about doing that but maybe doesn’t feel like they fit the mold of what they think crew should look like? And actually this question is applicable to anyone. What would you say to someone who is, you know, Oh, I want to be crew, but I’m worried that I won’t be accepted because I’m X, Y, Z. Fill in fill an adjective here.
Deirdre [00:38:33] There is a boat for everybody. If I can do is anyone can do this, you know, And I my first ever Chief Stew, she was like, oh, you know, I just don’t think you’ll ever make it as a charter stew. And I ended up as chief stew on a, you know, a big charter boat. So don’t like, don’t listen to people who only see one facet of you. And if somebody doesn’t value you for who you are, what you look like, where you come from, then that’s to do with them and what’s in their head and more to do with how they feel about themselves than a reflection on you and especially smaller boats. I just don’t think there is that prejudice. And for me I felt like all I could see was the prejudice because I focused on it so much, because I felt so bad about myself. And once I got all my first boat, you know, and and got over that, you know, like it was more about being a good crew member, more about being on time, more about getting your job done. And, you know, I mean, the biggest thing that I felt was if you make a mistake or something happens, owner say yes and provide a solution. Say this happens. But I have this solution. And that ended up being for me, the most important thing was and nobody really cared. And you end up gravitating towards boats and finding boats that are more fun and inclusive and aren’t. You know, you kind of end up, you know, that kind of felt like the other option to me, like I wasn’t part of that and they weren’t part to me. And, you know, they have their world. And so it did take me a little bit longer to get a job like I was 29 when I started yachting. I wasn’t tall and I wasn’t from a country that is known for its crew. You know, there is not like a load of Irish people running around Fort Lauderdale looking to get on boats. So I, you know, and then I had a friend who was 22 and South African and skinny and blond and had done some modeling. And she got a job straight away, of course. But once I got that first job, it was great. It was, you know, once I had that bit of experience. But the other thing is, like I when I joined, I was like, I want to go into big boats. I want to go in this. It’s not about the size of the boat. It’s not about where the boat’s going. It’s about the owner and the captain and crew. They’re the most important things because you can go to the most wonderful, most beautiful place in the world and be miserable because you don’t have that support. So it’s just for me, you know, pick a good crew, be yourself. Because if you kind of portray this image as a certain person and then you get on board and you live there and you work there and you share a cabin with someone, you’re not going to be able to keep it off. Everybody’s going to see who you are, and I’m sure who you are is wonderful. So there’s no need to hide it.
Georgia [00:41:21] Yeah, I think what you said about, you know, once you were there and you could actually do the job, all the other stuff didn’t really matter. I think is is great. It’s just that question of gatekeeping, isn’t it? It’s a question of, as you said, that the the fantastic captain you were describing earlier who, you know, gives people the opportunities and trusts people. It’s getting through the door, isn’t it?
Deirdre [00:41:41] It is. And when I joined that boat, they had had ties to students previous to me, but only lasted about a week. And it just wasn’t the right fit. It wasn’t a reflection on them. It wasn’t a reflection on the boss. You know, the captain had nothing negative to say about them. They just weren’t the right fit. And one thing he did explain to me was that the owner we were switching to Charter, so he needed somebody who could do the silver service, do the high end service. The owner is a very relaxed family man. He didn’t want all the pomp, you know, it made him uncomfortable. He just, you know, some boats, there’s a wall between you and the owner. You don’t really get to attract them. He wanted somebody that could have a laugh, have a chat. So there was kind of two different roles that you were fulfilling. And I joined that boat, actually freelance. I was just going to get them through the yard because they were having a big refit done. And then when John asked me to stay, he was like, I think you’re the right person for me. You’re the right person to the owner, you’re the right person for the crew. And that took six years for me to believe God. That’s true, like I am. And it was the right decision. And as much as I hadn’t wanted to leave Florida and leave, you know, my husband and then I later found out that the captain and Colin had been friends like 20 years before. So they yeah, we didn’t know, but they knew each other. So, you know, and I really was I and it was a huge moment. You feel like, oh yeah, I am the right, I am the right fit. Like, not that there was never issues and not that myself and John didn’t put heads or not, you know, I never had crew issues, but like if you do get a job and it doesn’t work out, maybe you just weren’t the right fit for that boat or that boat was not the right fit for you to.
Georgia [00:43:19] I think what you’re saying about imposter syndrome just rings true and is a common theme for for many of our guests. Even the most famous boat sign is everyone gets a little bit of like, Oh, am I really the right kind of person doing this? Oh, I’m you know, I’m just making up as I go along, blah, blah, blah. And I think yachting can feel like fun, especially if you think it’s a certain thing. You go into it and then you realize, actually, no, maybe there is a place for me. And I think that is one of the nice things about the industry is you can find your place and it might just not happen immediately.
Deirdre [00:43:50] Yeah, and I mean, you know, sense of humor, I think is, is the biggest thing. And like the boat I did the Northwest Passage on so there wasn’t Internet or TV so we could watch DVDs or that or, you know, sometimes when we would get in somewhere, we’d be all there with our laptops trying to, like, download this episode of Breaking Bad. You download the next one, you know, and things like that. But we would end up like playing Pictionary and charades and things like that. We were like the off the grid and it was hilarious. It was just, you know, just really silly and fun and hilarious. We all had cameras and, you know, I learned a lot about cameras and photography from, like, the boat and on that boat. And, you know, you never know what you’ll pick off. Like, I have the studio on that boat trying to teach me Tennis never learned to knit, but I do crochet now. It’s great boat hobby because you get to the end of the crossing and you have a scarf or something. So, you know, you just never know what you’re going to learn from crew or what crew might learn from you or what you might or what you might bring.
Merrill [00:44:53] So so as we wrap this up, tell us where people can find you. Q How would people go about placing orders with you? How would that oh, that work.
Deirdre [00:45:02] Oh, it’s Nautilus yacht wear dot com. And then I’m on Facebook and Instagram as well at Nautilus Yacht where So it’s all done on a quote by post system. So you don’t order directly off the website because basically when I order the blinds from a supplier, the bigger the order like the bigger the amount, the less money I pay. So I try and pass that saving on and then, you know, embroidery is done. Price per thousand stitches. So it’s quote by quote basis. So yeah. Or send an email to info at Nautilus yacht where dot com and I can send send a quote I as I said you know I’ve had people get in touch who maybe don’t have the right file type or anything. I can do all of that. I have all the softwares so anything like that, just send your image then whatever, we’ll work it out. You know, if you have an idea, maybe what you want your crew to look like or something you’ve seen, I’ll find it for you. And then the phone number is the U.S. number 9544081747.
Merrill [00:46:12] Well, I know that we we need get some hats for this podcast.
Deirdre [00:46:16] Really.
Merrill [00:46:17] As a giveaway. So we’re going to have to figure that out.
Deirdre [00:46:20] Yeah, I just I actually just did 140 post. So what’s a plus? Oh, it’s the D embroidery. I have one here. This is actually.
Georgia [00:46:30] I’m so excited.
Deirdre [00:46:31] Yes. So it gives it a 3D effect. So I just did a bunch of those.
Georgia [00:46:35] We’ll take 140 with the shipshape branding place.
Deirdre [00:46:39] Yeah, get in touch. I’ll send you folks. I’ll give you a good idea. Actually, I really do. Also, I really like my business phone number because the last three digits are seven, four, seven, and that was my dad’s nickname. He was a Boeing engineer for years, so that’s not like a nice little, little nod.
Merrill [00:46:56] Well, it was amazing talking to you. And I look forward to seeing you guys in the future and seeing you guys at all the boat shows and seeing your girl everywhere.
Deirdre [00:47:05] I hope so. I really hope I can make this something.
Speaker 4 [00:47:24] Check back every Tuesday for our latest episode and be sure to like, share and subscribe to shipshape. Dot Pro. Dot Pro.
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