February 2026 Newsletter

January 2026 Newsletter

Diane M. Byrne, editor

Real Life Onboard, Instagram-Worthy or Not

One of the biggest criticisms yachting faces is that company after company posts pictures of stunning yachts in stunning bays, beautiful furnishings, and impeccably dressed models, but rarely real life onboard. Even scarcer are images of what it’s really like to be crew.

So, the Professional Yachting Association (PYA) launched Superyacht Reality, a website and social media campaign to help address misunderstandings about working on yachts. It’s not a complaint session, though. Rather, it’s to help attract the next generation. Crew are encouraged to submit photos and videos prioritizing authenticity and storytelling.

One submission caught my eye:

Dream: Cruising the Med, sipping espresso in Portofino, tanned and effortlessly cool.
💦 Reality: Scrubbing teak in 35°C, dodging jet ski spray, and somehow always smelling like deck cleaner. Still… wouldn’t trade it for a desk job. There’s nothing quite like life at sea.

The campaign is still new, but striving to raise realistic career awareness is a worthy goal. Want to see some of the other posts? Email me.

Superyacht Selections: Sublue Vapor Underwater Scooter

More electric watertoys are hitting the market, with the Sublue Vapor being the latest. Sublue manufactures small, handheld underwater scooters that stow easily in even compact toy lockers. Weighing 19 pounds (8.6 kilograms), you can also toss this scooter in a tender to take along on a day at the beach.

Recheargable batteries provide up to an hour’s worth of fun on top of or beneath the water. The Sublue Vapor lets you glide along at up to 6 mph (10 km/h) while holding the handlebar grips. Another nice feature is an LCD display providing details on speed, depth, direction, water temperature, and battery life.

Price: $2,999. Four colors are available, too: red, grey, blue, and yellow.

Sublue

People in Superyachting: Michael Joyce, Hargrave Custom Yachts

Michael Joyce Michael D Hargrave Custom Yachts

Michael Joyce (right) isn’t your typical boatbuilder. Although he’s the CEO of Hargrave Custom Yachts, he’s an astute observer of all things yachting. He’s also an incredible storyteller.

Ask him about his days as the GM of the leading music-video company in New York, and you’ll be amazed at some of the talented musicians whose paths crossed with his. Ask him about the years he’s headed up Hargrave Custom Yachts, and you’ll hear even more stories. Stories about a grandmother building a yacht with the team to ensure quality time with her grown children and grandchildren. Other true tales of customers coming to the Hargrave stand during boat shows simply to hang out. And therein lies the difference when he speaks: Every yacht is simply a way for a family, a couple, or friends to have fun.

Want to learn some of the best stories? Sign up for his newsletter.

Hargrave Custom Yachts

Superyacht Snippets

With superyacht owners no longer content with “just” tenders, dayboats and chaseboats are gaining popularity. This explains why Ikonic Yachts is now the U.S. distributor for Lekker Boats’ stylish and swift dayboats. Based in The Netherlands, Lekker Boats constructs its models in aluminum. Ikonic Yachts believes the Lekker 44 and 45, with sunpads, shallow drafts, and entertainment-focused features, will especially be popular with yacht owners heading to the Bahamas. … Days after revealing it’s building a 45-meter explorer yacht bearing Giorgio Cassetta’s design details, Cantiere delle Marche announced a second one. Although no specifics about the second contract are available, the first one is for repeat customers. …Come springtime, the long-awaited Project Zero (above) will be in the water. In build at Vitters Shipyard, she’s a performance ketch without either a diesel genset or a combustion engine. Propulsion will come solely from wind and solar energy. LOA: 226 feet (68.9 meters). …The annual YARE event (Yachting Aftersales & Refit Experience) in Italy regularly attracts captains, but this year it has something different to make attending more rewarding. From March 11 to 13, captains will have set, limited appointments with shipyard and supplier representatives, plus hands-on workshops about integrating AI for predictive maintenance, improving working relationships with shipyards, and international tax and legal compliance.

Did You Miss These Stories?

megayachtnews.com

an interview with a superyacht owner who has a passion for off-the-beaten-track discovery
an onboard report about the yacht Amor a Vida (right), delivered by CRN to American clients
a first-hand visit to an Italian island chain that few charter brokers or guests even know exists
a podcast episode about the unlawful selling of yachts subjected to global freeze orders