Breaking Glass Ceilings: Captainship at 22

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In today’s newsletter:

• Top story: Breaking glass ceilings: Captainship at 22

• Top charter updates: Figurati marks Camper & Nicholsons’ newest charter fleet addition; Island hopping in Greece onboard Darlin; Cruise Valinor around the Bahamas and Caribbean; Charter in Italian luxury onboard recently refitted Option B; Enjoy thanksgiving onboard HBC; Summer 2026 onboard 2 ladies.

• Zairos: FX & Cross-Currency Solutions for Charter & Asset Payments

• Superyacht Spotlight: Heaven above, heaven below 🪞🛥️

TOP STORY

Breaking Glass Ceilings: Captainship at 22

How Charlie Kinder became a superyacht captain at 22, joining the two percent of female captains in the yachting industry.

Having grown up in the Whitsundays with a father who teaches Captain and engineering qualifications in Australia, it seemed only a matter of time before Charlie Kinder would run her ship. When she became one of the youngest female captains of a superyacht at the age of 22, she surprised not only the industry, but also herself.

Exploring the superyacht world

Charlie originally started out as a deck stewardess for a 55-metre superyacht, before joining Lumir. There she ran the deck department and drove the 12-metre tender. After only eight months onboard Lumir, Charlie was promoted to first officer. From there, everything evolved quite naturally: “I was managing the boat and I already knew the operations and how everything ran. And then our captain left and I ended up just stepping into the role,” Charlie shares.

Yet it wasn’t just Charlie stepping up, the owner decided to take a chance on 22-year-old Charlie. “I jut took it and ran with it,” Charlie notes. Now, Charlie captains one of the fastest superyachts in the south-pacific: Lumir.

Onboard the Heesen superyacht

Lumir, a 37-metre superyacht, has proven to be the ideal yacht for Charlie, who is endlessly curious about the yacht and people she works with. “I love learning about different things, especially the engineering side of everything,” Charlie highlights, “I’m very fortunate to have such a beautifully built Heesen; I’m a bit spoiled in that department. When we start up the main engines, it always turns heads,” she notes.

The superyacht’s interiors, penned by Omega Architects, features a nautical-themed decor with bamboo woods and navy blue soft furnishings. Her five staterooms are able to host up to ten guests, supported by a crew of six, spread across three cabins. The master suite is located on the main-deck, as well as the two double rooms and a children’s room.

There’s a gym onboard, and the aft garage converts into a large beach club area. On the flybridge there is a bar and Jacuzzi, along with a large cockpit area for dining on the aft deck. For guests who like a thrill, Lumir also houses a full-sized, illuminated poker table in the main saloon, making it a perfect setting for thrilling games and social engagements.

Her hull and superstructure are aluminium and are built for hosting an unforgettable day on the water. Twin MTU engines power her to an exhilarating 31 knots, ideal for covering more ground in a single day. Adventure-seekers will be spoilt for choice with an extensive collection of water toys, including jet skis, Fliteboards, paddleboards, snorkelling gear, and a variety of inflatables.

Captaining in a man’s world

“Driving a boat is like 5-10 percent of the job, and that’s the easy part,” Charlie notes, “managing the operations - owner's’ expectations, crew welfare, safety, logistics, finances and guest experiences - that’s the tricky bit.” Yet the captain isn’t one to shy away from a challenge, because while anyone can learn to drive a boat or a superyacht, not everyone can adapt to a leadership and management role as well as Captain Charlie has. “There was no learning ‘curve’. It was just a direct upward trajectory, and it’s been phenomenal to be able to work on this yacht and put together a phenomenal crew. It’s something I am really proud of.“

While Charlie has faced plenty of challenges and changes that come with working onboard a superyacht, she has also had to navigate misogyny and continuously being underestimated by her peers. It therefore comes as no surprise that the Captain is very keen to provide opportunities for others walking a similar path.

“I’m hiring crew on merit and on what they deserve. Of course I love giving female crew a shot, because I definitely feel like I didn’t get those opportunities because I was a female,” the Captain recalls. “It’s nice to be able to give back a little and make sure that people don’t have to work as hard to prove as much as i had to: I’d like to be able to change it for the future generations.”

It’s not just the hiring crew, but also onboard that Captain Charlie provides plenty of opportunities: from driving tenders, calling distances, or having hands-on driving time of Lumir herself. Captain Charlie ensures that her crew gets the opportunity to step into each role and see how they take responsibility and step up to the demands of said role. “Watching them flourish is super rewarding,” the Captain highlights.

The greatest pleasure

Besides navigating a superyacht around her home turf, what has been amazing for Captain Charlie is all the learning and knowledge that has come with being the captain of a 37-metre superyacht. Yet what has been possibly the most rewarding is how other females perceive it. “People come to me and say that ‘this is incredible, if you can do it, I can do it too’, and it feels very privileged to be someone that young female crew look up to. It’s been incredibly rewarding.” Charlie notes.

The shift, while slow, is noticeable. There is more support for female crew and more discussions and encouragement about it. “Change takes persistence and resilience when progress starts to feel slow,” Charlie notes. In an industry that has been male-centred for centuries, it is not only inspiring, but incredibly exciting to see women like Captain Charlie leading the change for future generations of yachting.

Eager to explore the Australian East Coast and step onboard a charter yacht run a female captain:

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