Behind the scenes with Alex
“From varnishing the boat to entertaining guests, I get to do boy jobs in the winter and be a glamorous hostess in the summer,” says Seafin’s operations manager, Alex Widdicombe. “It’s a great job for a 27-year-old girl.”
Alex’s days on Seafin began when she joined the part-time crew five years ago. She painted and varnished her way up to become chief hostess and – since 2006 – operations manager, where her efforts have continued Seafin’s rich heritage as a pleasing luxury passenger vessel.
“My job includes running Seafin’s winter maintenance programme and organising everything to be in place on board when she takes clients out,” says Alex. It sounds like a relatively simple task but it’s a full-time role with plenty to consider.
Unlike her competitors, Seafin has a traditional and impressive varnished finish, which means she has few rivals as a smart, wood-based motor yacht. “Winter maintenance involves making a list of what needs to be done and finding the right people to do it. The engineer Ron, skipper Fred, myself and two crew members all go into making the boat a success. Painting starts in October and seems to go on forever, and varnishing must be done last. The trickiest part is co-ordinating everything so it looks perfect for the start of the season in April.”
“We say that guests should be able to eat their dinner off the floorboards”
Alex knows the team must get as much done as possible before the season begins. “After that, we’re flat out and focused on keeping our onboard guests happy,” she says. “We say that guests should be able to eat their dinner off the floorboards.”
The quality of crew is backed by one overriding principle: pride. “Everyone who works on the boat – including the part-time crew – is proud to work on Seafin, appreciates her beauty and wants to maintain high standards. If a potential crew member isn’t as impressed with the boat as the customers, they’re not hired.”
She continues: “We understand that our clients are bringing their own customers onboard and we’re dedicated to impressing them.” The crew applies round-the-clock service that includes continuosly topping up drinks glasses. “We’re very picky about who we employ and select crew who are relaxed and enjoy talking to customers. They have to be the type not to think twice about greeting customers onto the boat.”
“Private jets are cramped compared to Seafin, which has enough room to keep everyone happy”
The space onboard the 75-foot motor yacht helps the crew to be attentive to passengers’ every need. “I’ve worked on private jets and they are cramped compared to Seafin,” says Alex. “We have enough room to do onboard catering, never run out of alcohol and generally ensure that we keep everyone happy.”
The motorboat has three levels: the top deck – where most people spend their days – fits 30 people comfortably; the middle deck has an open gallery to eat food; and the four cabins below have power-showers to keep guests warm after riding the jet-skis. “She’s very comfortable and luxurious, with lots of viewing areas to watch the passing boat races. People have the full run of the boat and can find somewhere to relax whatever they want to do, whether that’s sitting on deck out the back or reading a magazine on the comfy sofas inside.”
Then there’s the wheelhouse, which is open to customers who want to take the wheel and learn to steer under the supervision of skipper Fred, whose 30 years’ experience mean he takes any hiccup in his stride.
“The MCA has licensed Seafin as a Class 6 passenger vessel, able to carry 10 crew and entertain 30 passengers”
Some guests may not appreciate the scale of Seafin’s safety standards, which are annually tested by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). The MCA has licensed Seafin as a Class 6 passenger vessel, able to carry 10 crew and entertain 30 passengers. The class applies to the condition of the boat and the safety equipment onboard. Alex says: “We’re accountable to the MCA for our licence as an entertainment boat, but we go beyond that, with more lifejackets than necessary. We even have a dog lifejacket on board.”
On any given day on Seafin, jet-skis are the most popular entertainment. “They really add to the whole package,” adds Alex. “They get people on the water no matter the weather and they can have a hot shower and cold beer in their hands shortly afterwards.” The toys create good banter between clients and guests too. “Whenever people are a little nervous of using them our fully-trained crew and happy to gently show them how.”
Alex knows more than most about the hard winter’s work that makes Seafin such a valuable option for client entertainment. “While other boats add catering charges to their starting prices, there are no hidden charges with us. Our prices include crew, drinks and harbour mooring duties.
“Seafin is a really fun way to get a large number of people to notice your company without having to spend a lot of money.”
