What crew and captains should do when spending an owner's money

You are trusted with money that is not yours, often with little supervision. That is a compliment and a risk. These habits protect the client, and they protect you.

Seven habits

1. Take nothing personally. No cash, gifts, trips, free product or favours from a supplier in connection with an order. Not once, and not "just this time". A first small gift is how most arrangements begin.
2. Disclose everything. Any discount, rebate, loyalty credit or incentive a supplier offers belongs to the client whose money is being spent. Declare it and pass it on, every time.
3. Buy on merit. Choose suppliers on price, quality, reliability and fit. Where practical, get comparison quotes and keep them.
4. Keep clean records. Itemised invoices and receipts for every purchase, reconciled to the allowance, ready for the owner, the manager or an auditor to inspect at any moment without an awkward conversation.
5. Keep a register. Write down every offer you receive, accepted or not, with the date and who offered. A register protects you if anyone ever asks. There is a template.
6. Know your policy. Read the anti-bribery policy your employer has issued. If you do not understand it, ask until you do.
7. Protect each other. If someone is being pressured to go along, they should have somewhere safe to take it.

A test for anything you are offered

Would you be comfortable if the owner saw it on the table next to the invoice? If not, the answer is no.

When a supplier offers you something

You do not need to be dramatic. A short, friendly refusal works:

"Thanks, but I can't accept anything personally on an order. If there's a discount, it needs to go on the owner's invoice."

Then:

• note the offer in your register;
• tell your captain or management company, in writing, if it is more than a trivial courtesy;
• keep any message or document.

A supplier who offers a kickback to you will offer it to others. Telling someone protects the next person too.

When someone asks you to go along

Sometimes the pressure comes from above: a manager, a broker, an owner's representative. That is harder. You do not have to decide alone.

• Write down what was said, when, and by whom, as soon as you can.
• Do not confront anyone, and do not agree.
• Ask for the instruction in writing. A person who will not put it in writing already knows.
• Raise it privately with us, or with a lawyer. Many countries protect people who report in good faith, though the rules vary, so take advice before you act.

Captains: your duty is bigger

The standard charter contract puts responsibility for the APA on the owner and the captain. If a guest later discovers that undisclosed commissions were paid out of their allowance, they may look first at the person who spent it. A captain who can show clean records, written policies and a reporting trail is the best protected person on the yacht. See also what management companies should do.

General information, not legal advice. See the disclaimer.