40m in 2018. If each one had a few significant
artefacts onboard, which could easily tot up to
$1m per vessel with just two paintings, then
you’re talking about a figure that is going to
make the insurance companies flinch. Some are
floating art galleries.’
PASSING THE BUCK
So, whose responsibility is it – or should it be –
to ensure awareness and training? ‘It should be
the responsibility of the yacht management
company, captain and yard,’ Ms Mather-Lees
says. ‘The yard should be ensuring all crew are
trained in all aspects of compliance onboard, not
just health and safety.
The first ever symposium on this, the Protection
30 SUOMEN MERENKULKU J FINLANDS SJÖFART
of Art at Sea Symposium, was held at the
National Maritime Museum in London in May
2018. It concluded:
• To reduce risk, superyachts should appoint an
external art management expert to work with a
dedicated member of senior crew, trained in
aspects of art onboard
• Responsibility should be assigned for integrating
art collections management into vessel
standard operating procedures
• This includes records and paperwork pertaining
to possessions, overseeing cleaning, recordkeeping,
conservation, preservation and logistics.
The responsibility for art and design needs
to start with design and build to ensure safe
onboarding and management during sea trials
G Many luxury
yachts have
precious artworks
on their walls.
IMAGE: GETTY
IMAGES/AKARELIAS