New Place For Doing Business

Yachts are charting new waters of use beyond pleasure and adventure cruising. Thanks to ever-improving network capabilities, the number of boat owners and charter guests choosing to do business on board keeps ticking up. The benefits are palpable, such as less time anchored to a land-based hub and the yacht itself becoming a fully efficient, multitasking work centre. But it’s not just the remote office that’s lending itself to this trend.

According to Paul Cook, CEO of technology integrator Fusion Marine Systems, yachts need to have multipurpose rooms, whether that’s a lounge with a cinema, a schoolroom-turned-kids’-den or a beach-club-cum-media-room. And for owners looking to get the most out of their space, the primary focus is on-board technology.

If the area is to be used for video conferencing or as an adaptable media room, then it requires the correct seating and soundproofing. So, too, the option for 4-D, which provides high-resolution images and the ability to share and annotate documents in real time. Light restrictions also apply, as daylight can cause screen-viewing issues.

One of the most important aspects of any multi-use room is the growing need for communications links. This can affect all areas of an owner’s experience, from the quality of voice calls to uninterrupted coverage of a live football game.

As for global technological advances, low-Earth-orbit constellation satellites will, says Cook, be a “revolution” in communications once the industry expands, as will Google X’s Project Loon, which is working to provide internet to rural areas. “It’s perfect for those yachts keen to explore isolated corners of the world,” says Cook—and owners who want to stay connected to their companies and stock portfolios during those excursions.