For the second year, Dockwalk’s Crew Creator Awards highlight the accomplishments of crew and former crew who are furthering the yachting industry with their entrepreneurial endeavors, charitable initiatives and social media impact. The 2026 Awards attracted an impressive pool of entries and among the finalists emerged these very worthy winners:
Content Creator of the Year
Hannah Patten (@simplyhannah1)
Among a virtual sea of yacht crew creators, six finalists were in contention for Content Creator of the Year, which recognizes a crew member who produces engaging, high quality social media content related to the yachting industry.
In the end, the judges unanimously felt the winner, Hannah Patten, stood out for her educational content that goes well beyond simply chronically world travels as a yachtie. The charter yacht chef and owner-operator posts on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, teaching practical skills to aspiring interior crew and chefs, while pulling back the curtain on the yachting industry and sharing the highs and lows.
“I love the fact that she combines practical applications with a very professional level of content,” said one judge.
Blending education, entertainment and behind-the-scenes reality, Patten’s content aims to make yachting more accessible, human and inspiring for both current and future crew, as she shares tips on everything from guest service to galley workflow.
With 66.8 thousand followers on TikTok, total likes exceeding six million and multiple viral videos, she also had the biggest numbers in the competition. But to her, success is equally measured by meaningful impact — private messages from crew who found work through her training content.
Using professional camera equipment and a dedicated editor, Patten blends her authentic content with cinematic quality, which has led to impressive collaborations, including with National Geographic for its “Home” series.
Judges’ Commendation – Captain David Meyer (@captaindavidrmeyer)
Falling outside the demographics of the typical social media maven, David Meyer is Gen X captain who has garnered a large following on TikTok over the past 22 months. The judges wished to recognize his content of real-world advice, delivered with a “fun and light” style, with a special commendation.
“He's very brave in what he’s doing; he’s transparent and I respect that,” said one of the judges.
With a mission to bring new people into the industry, Meyer shares a wide range of content, from boat operations to destination highlights, with a particular focus on promoting the Bahamas. The judges were especially impressed with his plans to partner with yacht designer Marco Casali to document the new-build journey from concept to launch, including design phases, owner meetings, construction and delivery.
“I think he offers a lot for the industry and has long-term sustainability in his platform,”concluded one judge.
Enterprise of the Year
Vessel & Co.
Celebrating crew’s entrepreneurial spirit, this awards category looks at for-profit businesses created by current or former crew members within the last one to three years. This year the award went to the owner-operators of Hülya, a 63-foot power catamaran, for Vessel & Co., a boutique yacht management firm.
Identifying “significant insufficiencies” in traditional yacht management, the founders aim to deliver specialized management for owner-operated and boutique charter vessels. Their company provides end-to-end management, charter oversight, crew guidance and compliance support specifically for this sector of the market. What makes them different is their approach that combines their real-world experience in hospitality and ownership with data-driven, technology-forward systems, all with a hands-on style that prioritizes transparency and communication.
The category is judged partially on growth demonstrated since the launch of the business, and Vessel & Co has shown strong month-over-month growth since it signed its first client in May 2025, attracting several more full-service management clients by the end of the year.
Future potential is also considered, and next up for the budding company is a digital platform for real-time tracking of maintenance, inventory, financials and compliance, while longer term plans include expanding into training and certification for new owner-operators.
Initiative of the Year
M/Y Freedom’s community outreach
This category commends a non-profit initiative that makes a positive impact in areas such as sustainability, education, charity or wellness. This year, it was charity work that most impressed the judges. They chose to recognize the exceptional crew of Freedom for “the absolutely extraordinary amount of work that they do supporting the communities that they travel through.”
With the full approval of the owner, the captain and crew of the 110-foot motor yacht engage in ongoing community outreach projects as they charter from New England to the Caribbean. Last year, the crew won this award for their “Dock, Walk and Donate” practice of donating to food banks. This past December they delivered 300 baskets of food to Florida families in need. “They show a level of true warm-heartedness everywhere that they go,” said a judge. Their contributions to the communities they pass through is, as one judge put it, “so over and above what I’ve seen from any other yacht, especially smaller yachts.”
While the crew itself does not boast about its charitable work, the judges unanimously felt that these sort of endeavors need to be highlighted as they serve as a shining example of what yacht crew can accomplish.
“We (in the yachting industry) suffer from reputational issues, and this is a way for the yachting community to be seen as contributing and not just drinking and fulfilling the wishes of billionaires,” concluded a judge.
The Judges
Edward Thomas – founder and director of Gym Marine Yachts & Interiors
Norma Trease – board member at the International Seakeepers Society
Captain Liam Devlin – captain of Unbridled, recent winner of the Distinguished Crew Award from the International Superyacht Society
Erik Petersen – editor of Dockwalk and chairperson of the Awards