Team player – Capt Troy Dougherty

An Australian yacht captain recalls how an idea for a fun summer job turned into a rewarding, 20-year career. Troy Dougherty, currently captain of the 50-metre Heesen ELA, entered the superyacht industry in 2005 via an unusual path: snowboarding. The guys he rode with shared that they worked on boats, which intrigued him. The Australian was raised near the water. He grew up on tiny Macleay Island off Brisbane, even commuting to school by boat.

The sheer size of a superyacht surprised him when he arrived in Antibes to hop on his first vessel, an older expedition-style yacht. This was no day catamaran. Drawn to the team atmosphere and the work hard, play hard ethic on board, he quickly found his stride in the superyacht world. “I’ve always been a team sport guy,” Dougherty says. “I love the camaraderie of a team and always excelled in that environment.”

It kicked off a journey that led him all over the world, with an early career highlight that still stands out: the British Virgin Islands. “It’s still one of my favourite cruising grounds,” he says, even after time in the Mediterranean, Florida, and the Bahamas. With lush islands rising from the crystal-clear water, green landscapes, and beautiful beaches, it was a visual paradise that inspired him to discover more of the Caribbean, solidifying his commitment to yachting and his passion for exploring.

About 18 months into his first job, he realized yachting was the perfect career fit and began working on his licenses. His next role was first officer. “I decided I would give it a good whack and at least be a proper first officer and then see where life took me,” he says.

Life kept him on yachts, leading to his first command as captain in 2016. Today, he commands the 50-meter ELA, his first Heesen. He joined after what he called a significant period as build captain on M/Y Muchas Mas. “I spent a year and a half seeing the boat transform from when you wouldn’t even recognize it as a yacht and then completing it,” he says. He valued the opportunity to shape the yacht’s operations and design and help it become more efficient.

“Then I took that to an extremely busy, highly regarded dual-season charter program,” he says. “That was a real evolution in my captaining.” He found the process of building and refining the yacht programme deeply rewarding.

However, building a successful programme depends heavily on the crew. “The difficulty is always maintaining harmonious crew dynamics on board,” Dougherty says. “The biggest variable in any programme is a crew meeting the owner’s expectations, whether in service style or interaction levels. You’re keeping crew engaged with the program during slow periods and then trying to keep them elevated during the busy periods.” It’s also a balancing act between various nationalities, interests, and cultures.

Dougherty believes that staying involved with the crew is essential. “When I was coming up through the ranks, I had a couple of captains that would still get out on the deck and get in the interior and wash dishes for the chef when [needed],” he says. This hands-on approach, however, was rare; more often, captains would remain on the bridge and delegate. “Finding a balance between those is important to maintaining crew longevity, keeping everybody engaged, and leading by example.”

Perhaps that’s his most important advice for other captains. “A leader isn’t someone who stands behind and pushes people forward. It’s someone who gets out in front and teaches from experience,” he says. “Get involved. You also learn the boat better that way and understand where your deficiencies are. If you don’t understand those things, you can’t improve a programme.” More importantly, it’s a team effort — and the captain is not above the rest. “Remember that at the end of the day, you are the captain, but you are still part of the crew,” Dougherty says. “You shouldn’t be completely separated from it.”

Dougherty moved to ELA after his previous vessel use dropped. “I like to be busy,” he says. Luckily, the owners of ELA have plenty to keep him active — they are now building a 57-metre yacht, and Dougherty plans to oversee the new build.

“You learn so much about the boat through the build process. You put a lot of yourself into it, and it becomes your boat,” he says. “When you have that passion and engagement, it passes on to the crew, and it gives value to the owners. Then we’ll see where they want to take it.”

Another bonus is that this vessel may allow him to cross off some of his bucket list, such as the Northwest Passage and Antarctica. Or maybe he’ll return to the Mediterranean. “I did Croatia for the first time this summer, and I’d like to get back and explore more,” he says. “There are so many options within a short distance that you can create an interesting itinerary for the guests and the crew.”

What began as “fun for the summer” transformed itself into a 20-year career. “This is what I want to do. For as long as I’m enjoying it, and I can still strike that work/family balance, it’s where I see myself for the foreseeable future.” You can find him navigating the Bahamas and the Caribbean this season.

Words by Lauren Beck