More of this Feature • Part 1: Bottoms Up, Things We Like, and more • Part 2: A Word With... Marc Greichen, and more
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A Word With... Capt. Marc Greichen
As captain of Roger Penske’s 153-foot Detroit Eagle, Capt. Marc Greichen has the formidable task of overseeing every aspect of a world-class Feadship. The veteran shipyard worker, merchant seaman, and engine room expert got an early start in the boat business and never left it behind. PMY recently talked to Greichen about what it takes to be a megayacht captain.

Q: How far back does your boating experience go?
A: Well, I grew up on the waterfront in Newport, Rhode Island. We lived right down the road from the shipyard where my dad worked. I guess that really says it all. I was a captive audience from day one. Boats have always been a major part of my life.

Q: How hard is it to take care of a boat like Detroit Eagle?
A: Every day has its challenges. But I really enjoy the high-tech stuff. I started off my career working in the engine room. If you don’t know what’s going on there, you really don’t know what’s going on with the rest of the boat.

Q: Any specific difficulties come to mind?
A: Actually, having the boat built was one of the most labor-intensive things I’ve ever done. I lived in Holland for a while during construction and helped coordinate the project with Feadship. You have to juggle so many things at once; you’d be surprised how much work goes into building a boat this size. It was exhausting.

Q: What’s the best part of your job?
A: Working with my wife, Sandy, who’s the stewardess. Of course, it can be interesting spending that much time with your spouse. But we respect each other’s roles on the boat and we respect each other’s private times. I absolutely rely on her. We have a great time together.

Q: Do you boat in your spare time, also?
A: Actually, I like to fly. I’m a pilot. I also have a 1929 Dodge truck, which I love to fiddle with. My wife and I love taking it out for a drive. We spend so much of our lives on the water, it’s relaxing to do other things sometimes.

No Diver Left Behind
Sometimes all it takes is one mistake to spark change throughout an industry.

In April diver Dan Carlock of Santa Monica, California, was stranded seven miles offshore for about five hours, after the captain of the boat he’d been on failed to take a proper roll call of his passenger list. A group of Boy Scouts aboard a 100-year-old tall ship rescued the castaway. Immediately after the captain’s negligence became public, the Coast Guard asked the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) to push its members to implement new roll call methods. In response, the agency has asked captains to keep written checklists and use numbered wristbands to keep track of divers.

Got an interesting boating story for this column? Write to FYI, Power & Motoryacht, 260 Madison Ave., 8th Fl., New York, NY 10016. Fax: (917) 256-2282. e-mail: eileen.mansfield@primedia.com. No phone calls, please.

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