Meet the Captain: David Davison of M/Y ABOUT TIME

Captain David brings years of experience to the charter program on M/Y ABOUT TIME

Canadian born and bred, David Davison is described as charismatic and gregarious by the ABOUT TIME crew. When talking with him, you will immediately agree.

David started his career on the west coast of Canada as a whale watching Captain. During the winter months, most of the whale watching industry would take time off to travel. “One of my coworkers had visited Fort Lauderdale and came across yachting. He told me that there were plenty of jobs available for mariners, so I flew to Fort Lauderdale the next winter season and never looked back,” recalled David.

David has been in the Maritime Industry for 33 years, with the past 25 years as a Yacht Captain.

On a personal level, David is an adventurous individual. “I enjoy flying planes, riding motorcycles, and of course, speeding around on boats,” he said. Self care for David means spending quality time with family and friends, working out to relieve stress, and taking his Harley out and riding up the coast of south-east Florida.

Professionally, David considers himself to be compassionate while still remaining practical. “When dealing with crew, it’s important to be patient and empathetic, as everyone comes from varied backgrounds. At the same time, I have to be upfront and realistic,” said David.

When hiring crew, David looks for positive, kindhearted people with unquestionable integrity. “Having a strong work ethic is vital when you’re working on a yacht,” he said.

Having mentioned work ethic, I asked David if he thinks that’s something that can be taught. “Good question. I think so, because despite how you were brought up, if the right mentor catches you when you’re in the correct mindset, it can definitely be taught. I believe work ethic can be ingrained in a person through great leadership and by following the good examples set by other crew members,” he answered.

Speaking of good examples, someone David looks up to is David Sokol, who owned a yacht that David used to work on for about six years. “He has this really great sense of hospitality that you don’t see too often. He’s extremely generous to his family and friends, and he treated the crew and myself very well. He’s just a genuinely nice person,” David said fondly.

With longevity being a hot topic within the industry, we discussed what would motivate someone to remain employed on a yacht for a “long time.”

David’s answer to this was, “The thing I value most in a job is mutual respect. It’s imperative that the owner and I have trust and consideration for one another.” This goes hand-in-hand with David’s version of the golden rule, “Respect and treat everyone with kindness.”

David’s thoughts on longevity are translated into how he trains his crew. “Once they’re onboard, I do all that I can to make sure they are properly trained, constantly mentored, and always supported,” he stated.

ABOUT TIME is so well suited to charter because of the immaculate crew onboard.

“This is my dream team! We genuinely love and respect one another. We’re a fun group; there’s always the sound of laughter in our crew mess,” David said. This is indeed quite true, I’ve gotten to know most of the crew, and they’re absolutely hilarious. Since most of the crew’s families live far away, the team onboard becomes a home away from home. David takes on a father figure role within the boat, and is the go-to person the crew goes to when they need advice or just a plain old laugh.

“The happiness that we feel when working together is contagious, and that instantly transfers to our guests,” started David. “When on charter, I like to talk to the guests to ensure they’re having fun and see what I can do to continue their enjoyment. At the end of the charter, I’ll get feedback from the guests. I like to ask what their favorite part of the trip was. From this, I can assess what we did right or what can be improved upon in the future,” finished David.

Being a Captain has taught David wisdom and patience and given him strength of character. “Despite any hardships along the way, you can never let situations get you down. You have to learn from the past, evolve, and make the future a better place,” said David.

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