Lessons learnt from „Rita“

Two months aboard our sailing yacht “Rita” have taught me more about self-sufficiency, leadership and crisis management than any seminar ever could. Between a snapped steering cable, an exploding watermaker hose and marinas that suddenly charge €550 per night, I learned one thing: The sea is the most honest coach of all, and surprisingly similar to professional life.

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Today is 29 August, exactly two months since my husband and I moved aboard our sailing yacht “Rita”. Two months of life on board. Two months of sea, engines and manoeuvres, and a remarkable number of insights that can be applied directly to a business context.

Because there is one thing I have learned: The sea is the most honest coach imaginable. No seminar or leadership workshop is as uncompromising as a boat that shows you, without mercy, what works and what does not.

Learn, practise, trust yourself: The three-step formula for every career

I admit it: At first, the thought of manoeuvring our 13 by 7-metre space shuttle into a marina berth made me feel more inclined to remain a landlubber. So we brought professional skipper Chris on board. We spent a week practising manoeuvres, turning on the spot and reversing towards a buoy. At some point, it became clear: I can do this. Not just in theory, but in practice.

With every successful docking manoeuvre, my confidence grew. The fear disappeared, while the respect remained.

“After I had parked safely three or four times, I knew with greater certainty: I can do this!”

The same applies at work: Good instruction, consistent practice and then taking action. Competence does not come from PowerPoint presentations, it comes from practical experience.

Consultants are good, self-sufficiency is better

When we bought the yacht, we sought professional advice. We spent €16,000 on consultants and surveyors, and yes, without them we would not have found Rita. However, during our first few weeks, Rita welcomed us with an entire parade of surprises.

Week 1: All the level indicators stopped working, including those for diesel, drinking water, black water and battery charge. Week 2: The steering cable snapped, and all the navigation instruments failed at the same time. Week 3: The anchor windlass relay broke. Week 4: The watermaker hose burst.

“None of this was mentioned in any of the reports. And, of course, nobody is liable except us.”

These weeks have convinced me of something that applies equally to professional life: Self-sufficiency beats dependency. Being able to understand and control things yourself, or having a crew member who can, makes you stronger, whether at sea or in business. Consultants and surveyors are not liable.

Plan B is not a luxury, it is a survival strategy

When setting off on a sailing trip, you decide on a rough route and get going. The finer details are worked out along the way and depend on the wind, weather and local conditions. In the morning, you may plan to reach a particular marina that evening and try to reserve a berth there. However, the marina might be full, or it might charge €550 per night during the peak season, as we experienced in Ibiza in August. No, that price does not buy you a share in the marina. It merely allows you to moor your boat there for one night.

“At those prices, the onboard budget would soon be empty. So you need alternatives, and reliable anchoring equipment.”

It is similar at work: If you only have one plan, you do not really have a plan at all. Flexibility is the new stability, and self-sufficiency means remaining capable of taking action even when Plan A implodes.

Quality beats quantity, radically

I am a collector. Indulgent purchases? Impulse buys? Yes, please!

But on Rita, weight affects performance. Spare parts cannot simply be ordered from Amazon, so they are essential and take priority over my personal bits and pieces.

This has taught me to own fewer things, but better ones. Everything we have on board must meet the highest quality standards, because it is extremely frustrating when something breaks or stops working. Replacements are generally difficult to obtain, and once on land, we are not mobile enough to visit several different shops. It is also useful when items can serve multiple purposes.

“Amazon does not deliver on board, and above all: Never compromise on quality!”

In professional life, this means fewer tools, but the right ones. Fewer projects, but the important ones. Fewer meetings, but those that create an impact.

Choosing the right partner, professionally and personally

Charming, good-looking and casually dressed? Nice. But on Rita, other qualities matter: Technical understanding, practical skills and problem-solving abilities.

I take care of navigation, communication, provisions and radio communications, and I now also handle manoeuvres in tight marinas. My husband takes care of the technical side. Together, we are self-sufficient because our skills complement each other.

This is teamwork in its purest form: Whatever you cannot do yet must be covered by someone else on the team, at least until you have learned how to do it yourself.

Self-sufficiency makes you stronger, physically, mentally and professionally

The two months aboard Rita have changed me. I feel fitter, more agile and more confident. I crawl into every opening, repair things I would not even have looked at in the past and move around the boat with far greater confidence than I did at the beginning. Even the constant rocking no longer bothers me.

Self-sufficiency is not a fixed state, it is a process and a mindset. It is particularly valuable in the financial sector: Those who can help themselves make better decisions, lead with greater confidence and remain stable even in turbulent times.

Our trip around the Mediterranean is only a test run. The real voyage is still to come. But I already know this: The sea and a boat teach you everything you need to know about careers, leadership and self-efficacy, only more directly, more honestly and sometimes with a little more salt.

Ahoy, see you soon!

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