Those of us who have been in the industry for more than two years will remember when YACHTNEEDS Superyacht App launched. For some time, the superyacht industry has been, arguably, a bit behind when it comes to gadgets and apps, yet since the app’s launch almost two years ago, the figures prove the industry is responding particularly well to this specific piece of tech. So well, in fact, that the company has grown from just two people to 20.

The app, ‘made by crew, for crew’, as the company frequently explains, has been designed on the understanding that crew don’t have time to use a huge number of different apps on their phones. As such, the YACHTNEEDS Superyacht App has three main functions:

The JOBS section allows crew to apply for jobs with one simple click, for jobs recruitment agents and captains have posted (free of charge) – and, crucially, crew are only allowed to apply for jobs for which they’re qualified;

YACHTNEEDS Chat, also known as ‘Tinder for yachties’, is a social function that allows multiple opportunities, from finding dayworkers to planning nights out – something that’s been particularly welcomed due to so many crew in the past only finding out a few days too late that their fellow yachties had been in the same port;

Its directory, offers contact details and amenity information for over 600 ports and more than 24,000 businesses in the Med, Caribbean, Americas and Asia Pacific, giving captains and crew fast and efficient information.

“Every time we make an upgrade or add a feature, it’s because my friends who work on yachts all over the world give me a problem to solve.”

The app’s increasing number of features is down to its founder (ex-first mate of M/Y Zoom Zoom), Tony Stout, asking his yachtie friends to find problems for him to solve. “Every time we make an upgrade or add a feature, it’s because my friends who work on yachts all over the world give me a problem to solve,” Stout explains. “YACHTNEEDS Chat, for example, was born because we’ve all missed good friends who have been in the same port for a night or two, but didn’t realise who else was in town.”

The app really has been growing at an impressive speed, with 18,000 active users and a total of over 650,000 views globally in the last six months alone. “I’m overwhelmed by the feedback we’ve had so far, and really excited, because we have some very special new features in development for chat and search that will be ready later this year.”

Stout’s secretive about these new features, but crew won’t have to wait long …  

Find YACHTNEEDS Superyacht App by searching ‘YACHTNEEDS’ in the App Store and Google Play, and download the app for free. To contact the YACHTNEEDS team, email app@yachtneeds.net.

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