Laura Shaughnessy is the former managing editor at Dockwalk.
Berlin Yachting Services was founded in 2015 by former superyacht captain Zayn Berlin. The company’s newest project, as of August 2020, is COVID-spraying the boat before and after use for the protection of the crew and guests. This is a new electromagnetic service meant for the highest hygiene and safety standards aboard charter and private vessels, which helps deter person-to-person transmission of COVID-19. They also offer disinfection protection with a certificate of sanitation.
Berlin, whose last charge as captain was aboard M/Y Chills, came up with the idea for his company in 2015 when their firstborn was due — he and wife, Adora Wisdom, also former crew, have a fourth on the way. “He told me that he didn’t want to miss anything, that he wanted to be home for his child’s dinner and bath time every night,” says Wisdom. “I thought he was crazy and maybe it was just an idea that he would get over. However, [our] son was born and sure enough, he moved ahead with his push to build his own company.”
“He told me that he didn’t want to miss anything, that he wanted to be home for his child’s dinner and bath time every night,” says Adora Wisdom.
Berlin, who has worked almost every yacht position, thought his company would be different due to this fact. From deck to engineer to chef to captain over the last 20 years, this provided a good overview of running, maintaining, and repairing yachts. “In the beginning, it was very hard on us,” Wisdom continues. “We were broke with a new baby. One day, [when] we had $100 left to our name, I took him for a beer. I said, ‘I am really sorry, but I can’t be this broke anymore. I love you, but you have till a certain date and if things don’t change, you are going back to being a captain full time.’”
Cue the movie magic, because work started to “magically” roll in. He started employing more staff to keep up with demand. Eventually, Berlin invested in a workshop and skilled employees. “Up until recently, we had done no advertising or marketing — as we had no need to. Word of mouth and repeat clients have been keeping us very busy,” she says.
In addition to their newest offering, Berlin Yachting Services offers
- Full-service teak decking, from sanding/repair to complete installation
- Carpentry and cabinetry work
- Monthly maintenance programs
- Fabrication and installation of numerous onboard systems
Wisdom, a former superyacht chef and currently a shore-support specialist with Luxury Yacht Group, also helps with admin for her husband’s business. “Love my job, adore and worship my boss,” she says.
This column is taken from the November 2020 issue of Dockwalk.