The Boat Princess Podcast

Today Michelle Hildyard, shares how her love of boating from a young age led to a career and partner in the boating industry.  With boats exploring all available electronic opportunities to make boating safer and sustainable. Michelle and I discuss industry trends and the future of mapping, screens and sonar in boating.  Hang out for that second half were she tells me how AI is helping boats get i...

In this conversation I chat with Melanie Symes, from Innova Marina, who brings twenty-five years’ of experience in the nautical industry, working at a local and international level to encourage collaborative and responsible practices. Melanie is skilled in copywriting, translation, marketing, event organisation and CSR, and just happens to be the secretary general for TransEurope Marinas. Her comm...

WOW this one just blows me away. In this episode I am sitting down with Olympic Sailor Shirley Robertson where she shares her pathway into competition, motherhood and Olympic history.  As a fellow podcaster, and public speaker, her career in media saw Shirley become one of the sport’s pre-eminent television journalists. With gripping stories of drive, ambition and sporting success she has a repert...

In this episode I'm swapping stories with John Hogan, CEO at Superior Jetties and a Board Member of the Marina Industries Association. For 30 years Superior has been providing high quality flotation and industrial products to a variety of industries throughout Australia and internationally, and it's not surprising that John ended up in the marine, considering his birth story. Known throughout the...

So this is for the boat techies, the social sailors and the able sea people who want to spend more time enjoying their boat, instead of cleaning it.  Today I am chatting with Lily and Tom from Hullbot, the innovative invention that uses robot technology to clean the hull of a boat, preventing the building up of barnacles and other erosive materials. We explore the original concepts of rebot tech f...

She's Back!  Two years ago we spoke with Nona Pedersen at the International Sanctuary Cove Boat Show on the Gold Coast, and at the time she was the General Manager of PropSpeed. Now Nona is the Co-CEO of YESSSS..... . Her experience and expertise has seen Nona move into the marketing space within the marine and boating industries.  YESSSSS is a solution focused service that that is the growth part...

We all know that the calm melodic sounds of water lapping combined with the gentle rocking of the ocean waves will ensure a good nights sleep, but I'm here (in England) to share with you the secret of getting a great nights rest in the boating world.   Heirlooms Linens is literally the Royal standard of bed and bath on boats. Having held the Royal Warrant for the late Queen since 2005 and now King...

In this episode I'm excited to speak with David Kurczewski, the General Manager Shared Services Asia-Pacific, at Freedom Boat Club with a special Australia First announcement.   Imagine taking the afternoon off and being able to step onto a boat at one of 5 new locations in Australia, enjoy the glassy waters and the afternoon sun before pulling back into the marina without another thought.  That i...

In this episode I chat with the owner of Chapman Yachting, Debbie Leenderts. They are renowned for being the most revolutionary and customer-centric yacht hire agency Sydney has to offer. Luxury boats and super yachts are the vessel through which valuable relationships and personally-tailored experiences are created. Debbie shares how Chapman coordinates the handpicked luxury charter vessels to be...

Hello Boat Lovers! This is a special episode in the lead up to the International Boat Show at Sanctuary Cove .  Recently Darren and I were Hosted by Anthea and Richard Morris from Majesty Yachts at their factory in Dubai.  A bit of a round up followed by a conversations with many of the industry leaders in the world of boating.   It's fascinating to listen to and such an honour to have them contri...

In this episode I'm speaking with Chris Gates owner and director of Setag Yachts.  You'll hear his vision of boating in the future and his love of preserving, restoring and updating the interiors of boats all over the world.  I didn't want this conversation to end and was inspired by the process  which Chris uses to embed the ideas of his clients into the design of his refurbishments. www.setag.co...

Welcome to another episode of The Boat Princess Podcast, live from Dubai. We are sitting on a beautiful terrace overlooking the beautiful city. Today I am with Marcela de Kern Royer who established her business, Onboard, in the Principality of Monaco in 2015 which operates as a highly specialised company in a truly niche sector offering unrivalled expertise when it comes to business strategy, mark...

After finding her love of design at the tender age of 7, Sarah declared to her parents she wanted to be an interior 'disaster' instead of a 'designer'. The mid 90's had her obsessed with the TV Changing Rooms and the excitement of a revealing a new and designer space. And now with her art and design diploma from University and a degree from the School of Art in Textile and Design, her attention wa...

Hi guys, I'm back in London and bringing you another round of interviews from our international guests from the Boating World. In this episode I speak with the wildly talented Sophia Wilson, Digital Content Editor of Boat International, The global authority in superyachting. Sophia shares her journey, challenges and achievements. As a journalist with no boating experience to leading a team that pr...

In this episode I speak with Monika Lemajic who has had an incredible career in the marine industry, and at 36 is now managing over 9000 marine assets with her role in Transport NSW. From this conversation you will gain the insight of an empowered woman, dedicated not only to ensuring women are treated equally but they are supported to find their passion and build on their strengths. Monika has an...

From a single idea, the vision of Paul Miletta started on the crest of the Global Crisis Crash in 2008, and he has rode the alternating waves of change and challenge ever since.  In this episode we discuss pretty much everything, getting to the heart of his passion for finding the best yacht for the every sea.  Since 2015, the CdM shipyard is the world’s leading builder of explorer yachts. The fac...

I'm going to preface this episode with a warning: This woman is unstoppable and together with her team and tenacity have brought you the changes and customer experiences that NSW has seen in government over the last few years.  Nicole Watts, Director of NSW Maritime, has her feet firmly in the waters, looking to the future of our shoreline. With her extensive career in leadership and change manage...

I'm heading straight into the headwinds this year with a plan to bring you the stories and pathways into the Marine and Boating Industry.  This is a quick summary of what you can expect to hear and see across the platforms including the events, people and places where I would love to catch up with you. If you are interested in being a guest on The Boat Princess this season, please head to the webs...

Zoe Thomson is a young Perth woman who has spent her life on, in and around the water. From the age of 7, Zoe took herself off to sailing school and fell in love with the ocean, the companions and the hot chips.  In this episode I chat to Zoe about her dream to compete at the Olympics in 2024. Her drive and determination runs deep with other achievements in International Titles taking out the Yout...

In this episode I spontaneously chat with Charlotte Jones, the Princess Yachts Marketing Coordinator.  With her youth full of memories by the sea and artistic creativity, Charlotte's love of the ocean has given her a blank canvas to build a career in illustration and graphic design.  As an intricate member of the communications team, Charlotte is from a generation that has never known the world wi...

My dad and I had some amazing adventures messing around on boats when I was young.  Today I sit down with him and chat about the fond and remarkable events of my childhood that shaped my love of boating.  As an architect he was clever and creative, as my dad he was kind and cheeky.  He taught me to be the captain of my own ship, instilling in me responsibility and resilience.  From small boats aro...

A long time in the making, this conversation with Andrea Francolini compelled me back to time spent in Italy and I am grateful for our time together.  Andrea is a well known and revered artist, using his photographic skills to capture the essence of whatever his subject matter is.  Literally falling into photography (a great story he shares in this episode), Andrea has gone onto make a difference...

With two hulls, catamarans provide a volume like no other.  Today I'm speaking with Mark Elkington, CEO of Iliad Catamarans who manufacture and sell in a competitive market of boating. Long Range, Robust and Customisable. Catamarans give you the flexibility to create the onboard lifestyle you are looking for. A blank canvas  that is only restricted by your imagination. Mark shares his history and...

In this episode I give you an update on all things The Boat Princess, a brand that started 2 years with the intention to create awareness about the career pathways and roles in this multi sector industry.  We've interviewed a number of women and men about the opportunities that exist and some new ones that have been created to accommodate the advancement in technology.  Today I also interview youn...

So for this episode I again come to you from the UK, a trip that just keeps on giving and this interview is no different. I caught up with Andy and Pete who design the Princess Yachts, turning the blank canvas of the hull into a awe inspiring jaw dropping space that ensures every Princess Yacht owner is beyond happy. Andy Lawrence, the Director of Design, shares his journey into Princess Yachts fr...