Ocean Independence charter team responds to coronavirus crisis

The charter team at Ocean Independence have provided an insight into the work they have been doing to support clients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The global health crisis has created an exceptional amount of disruption to summer travel plans for yacht charterers worldwide, and Ocean Independence’s charter brokers have worked hard to minimise impact.

In a release, it states that coronavirus is highlighting that ‘a dedicated and knowledgeable broker can offer an unparalleled level of support’.

Rebecca Pattinson, senior charter broker at Ocean Independence, noted that while many clients had not yet booked their summer charter when the pandemic hit, she has been extremely busy helping those who had made early bookings.

“I’ve spent an enormous amount of time speaking with every single owner and client who had booked early and we have agreement in all cases that clients can postpone their charters without penalties, if and when we realise that is what has to happen,” she said.

While many clients are happy to rearrange their vacations until later in the season, event charters pose an additional challenge.

“From private individuals and event companies to major F1 Teams, everyone who had booked a yacht with me for the Monaco Grand Prix was suffering immeasurable loss with the event being cancelled. I was successful in postponing or cancelling all contracts to 2021 without penalties. This was a remarkable achievement for a unique situation and shows the strong moral foundation on which this industry is built.

“Every owner and broker have been understanding of the situation and acted in such good faith to find solutions when, contractually, there was no obligation to do so. Every client has thanked me for negotiating on their behalf and we move forwards with stronger relationships and are already looking forward to Monaco F1 2021.”

Another scenario saw charterers already on board as the number of coronavirus cases spread outside of China.

Daphne D’Offay, U.S. head of charter, said, “Near the beginning, I had one client who chose to return home a day early to U.S. from the Bahamas for fear he may not be allowed back in later – and of course we were ready to help facilitate this change in plans.”

For those contemplating booking a charter for later in the season but unsure as to when travel restrictions will be lifted and seeing the industry back running as normal, many yachts are now offering an addendum to their charter agreements offering postponement, cancellation or both. However, this does vary yacht-by-yacht and charter brokers are helping clients to navigate any negotiations that are necessary to secure their preferred yacht with reduced risk.

Ocean Independence observed that most yacht owners are understanding of the exceptional circumstances that the pandemic has generated. They are communicating with charter managers to create adapted agreements that offer maximum flexibility to charter clients while minimising their own financial blow – both on future charters and those already booked.

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