En dag i livet – Grant Ruffel

Grant has been captaining boats of all kinds in a multitude of places around the globe for more than two decades. After being in charge of one of the first electrically propelled super yachts in excess of 100t, he discovered Soneva, and was drawn to the philosophy practiced at the resorts and was excited to continue to play a part in the evolution of sustainability.

If I have a charter booking my focus would be on making sure the guests have the best possible experience based on their personal interests. Everyone is different, so I have to be very flexible. Because I’m so passionate about what I do, it’s easy to convey that energy into a positive experience for all. We offer a variety of charters onboard Soneva In Aqua. Our anchorages, diving spots, surf breaks and cruising grounds all change depending on the weather, guest preferences and the mood onboard.

Vågn tidligt op og tag gæsterne med ud i tenderen til en af de ydre øer, i håb om at fange et par bølger, når solopgangen signalerer starten på en ny dag (ofte deler bølgerne med legende spinnerdelfiner). Bring gæsterne tilbage til yachten, løft ankeret og sejl til et af de mange fantastiske dykkersteder inden for beskyttelsen af atollen, mens de spiser morgenmad. Vi arrangerer ofte en yogasession på fordækket for at strække kroppen ud efter eller før enhver aktivitet, eller morgenmeditation alt efter hvad gæsterne foretrækker.

At around 11-12 we would get the SCUBA or snorkelling gear ready to explore the marine world beneath the hull. If the yacht is secure and it’s a large group I often get into the water to “help lead the dive” (give me any excuse to get in the water!). After the dive we might offer our guests a Castaway Picnic on an uninhabited island or a four-course bespoke lunch prepared by our onboard chef.

Inden solen går ned, kunne vi arrangere en romantisk strandgrill, hvor gæsterne kan stirre på stjernen fra deres helt egen strand efter at have set solen synke under horisonten. En anden populær aftenoplevelse er vores glasbund-jacuzzi i soveværelset. Undervandslysene tiltrækker alle slags fisk om natten, hvilket gør det til en enestående oplevelse.

Alle disse muligheder lyder måske fantastiske, men arbejdet bag kulisserne kan være utroligt krævende. Mit ansvar strækker sig langt ud på natten, længe efter at gæsterne drømmer om at fange den perfekte bølge eller svømme med de evigt yndefulde manta rays. Jeg skal hele tiden tjekke vejret, sørge for at ankeret er sikkert og altid tjekke at udstyret ombord fungerer som det skal. Luksus ombord på en yacht er aldrig blot at oplyse et rum med et tryk på en kontakt eller rindende varmt vand ved at dreje på hanen eller have klimakontrol med et tryk på en knap. En dybere forståelse er nødvendig for at gøre disse tilsyneladende banale luksusvarer til en konstant realitet, og en af grundene til, at jeg stadig slukker for brusevandet, når jeg vasker mit hår, eller sørger for at alt unødvendigt lys er slukket, hvis det ikke er nødvendigt!

Når jeg ikke har travlt med chartre og yachten, der er fastgjort til hendes fortøjning ud for Soneva Fushi, følger min dag generelt en anden rutine:

If there is swell forecasted, I’m up before sunrise to catch a few waves before having breakfast between  07:15 – 07:45. By 08:00 I’m generally at my desk going through the daily memo and checking in-house guests, which together with internal information gathered from the Barefoot Guardians, helps me pin point the guests who would not want to miss out on the magic that Soneva in Aqua can offer.

At 08:30 I head to the morning briefing, which is attended by all team heads. Here we discuss the details of the day’s events, guest arrivals and departures, and any important issues that may need to be dealt with. After the morning briefing, I have a meeting with Soneva in Aqua’s crew to discuss things like the maintenance schedule, outstanding jobs and what needs to be done in preparation for the next charter.

På dette tidspunkt begynder gæsterne at ankomme til morgenmad, og jeg benytter lejligheden til at præsentere mig selv og tilbyde en rundvisning på yachten. Når du først er ombord, bliver gæsterne altid positivt overrasket. Det indre volumen for et fartøj af denne længde er meget større end forventet. Det klassisk elegante design er slående og holdt i perfekt stand.

Due to the complexity of the vessel we are often faced with mechanical issues that need immediate attention. Luckily, I have an engineer onboard but often prefer to get personally involved. I feel it’s important to have a hands-on approach to both better understand the condition of the yacht and to appreciate the hard work my crew are constantly doing to keep the yacht in a safe state for all that come onboard.

Whenever I am not on charter or repairing issues onboard, I focus on taking care of the large amount of admin that comes with running a vessel of this type and working in a hotel chain of this repute. Although the resort has separate departments dealing with various areas, a yacht differs in many aspects and a lot of my time is taken up with specialized orders, marketing, finance, projects and the crew. Throughout the day I am always checking my email whenever I get a spare moment. Mostly writing to inform potential guests, Hosts and agents of all the exciting options available onboard Soneva in Aqua, or tailoring trips based on a guest’s specific requests.

Over middag bliver jeg ofte bedt om at være vært for forskellige bekendtgørelsesrejser (turisme-tilknyttede agenter) eller influencers, der kommer til resortet, især hvis de har en hvilken som helst type yacht-baggrund.

I am very fortunate to have my family living with me on the island. I have the cutest little blonde haired 2-year-old (I might be a little biased). He hates wearing shoes and loves the ocean. The highlight of my day, if I’m not on charter, is taking him for a sunset swim – the perfect way to finish my day.