Go further. Do more. Be better.
by Trevor Jackson
On Spoilsport, there’s an unwritten mindset. It’s not in any manual and never spoken of too much.
It’s this… Go further. Do more. Be better. Give the most…. That’s the first time I’ve written it down, but in this past 6 or 8 months, we’ve seen it in its truest and most enduring form. Normally it just manifests itself as say, constantly improving itineraries, or finding ways to excel in the galley. But in 2022, it’s come down into the heart and soul of keeping a great company at the top of its game, and to be frank sometimes, it’s even been a matter of survival, one might even go so far as to say…. It’s been trench warfare!
Let me explain.
In the last six months we’ve had more than a few departure days that have gone thus. One minute we are good to go, the next we are two dive staff, a chef and an engineer down. Covid protocols suddenly had us staring across the desk wondering if this is the time we have to cancel because we simply couldn’t crew the boat properly. Then it comes…. An email has been sent out, a phone call, a text, a facebook message….The mighty crew respond. In a matter of hours, a First Mate is ironing his old chef whites, an Engineer is setting up his dive gear, a chef is learning to make beds. We’ve flown Skippers back from interstate, had Instructors cleaning windows, and had a General Manager who came out and did lookout duty for 22 dives in a row!
No matter what it took, by the time the mighty ship cast lines each Thursday evening, she was competently and safely crewed, with people we knew could get the job done seamlessly. And they did!
Thankfully, those days look to be well and truly behind us. We can now reflect on how everyone just stood up and cracked on when the going got tough. There’s no doubt the crew of Spoilsport have a workplace worth believing in. All of them want to be part of something enduring and great, but mostly, I think we sailed proudly through those troubled waters because they themselves, as individuals, are inspiring.
The guests that have joined us this year have experienced trips that have equaled and exceeded any that we’ve ever done. The diving has been stunning, the food incredible… But above all, they’ve seen a crew bonded with joy and commitment, to always be the best….. Go further. Do more. Be better. Give the most …… That’s the kind of liveaboard experience I’d want … How bout you?
