Captain Stefhan Malherbe has some serious yachts on his résumé including 60m ROCK.IT_, and 46m_ Scorpion_. Now he takes on his biggest superyacht to date, 75.5m_ Wheels, as she is offered for charter for the first time.
Where is Wheels heading this season?
Wheels is brand new to the charter market so we only have one charter booked this season so far. We’re staying in the Mediterranean this summer and then possibly heading to the Caribbean in the winter, but we don’t know yet. We have a potential charter in the Seychelles so could even be heading to the Indian Ocean.
Your favourite charter destination…
There’s nothing like the Greek islands in the summer. They are just spectacular. Santorini is great but I love all of them and their whole vibe. Croatia is great too but Hvar is a little like St Tropez nowadays. It’s busy and virtually impossible to dock.
What’s on your yachting bucket list?
I’ve never been to New Zealand but it just looks spectacular. And not just New Zealand itself, but everything that’s on the route there, like Fiji, Tonga, Tahiti, and the Galapagos. I haven't had the chance to do it so that’s definitely on the bucket list.
The best and worst part of your job?
The best part is probably the views. Every day you wake up and you’re in a new destination, with a sea view from your office. The worst part is having to say no to charter clients when the weather is bad and you can’t leave port. You have to be firm!
Your most memorable charter moment so far?
We did a crew Olympics with a very well-known movie producer. We were anchored stern to some rocks in Greece and hosted competitions for the guests and crew, like kayaking, swimming, and diving off the boat. It was a great day. They had some kids and it was something to entertain them but the adults got involved too.
A moment on board that you would rather forget…
We once got hit by a squall out of nowhere. Toys flew off the boat and we lost a tender but got out of there without a scratch.
If you weren’t a captain what would you be doing?
I grew up training and breeding a specific type of horse and I always thought I was going to be a horse trainer when I finished school. But I wanted to travel the world. I was originally going to come and do this for a year or two and then 15 years later I’m still here.
Wheels is managed for charter by Fraser with a weekly charter rate starting from €580,000.