Yacht Captain · Master of Yachts 200GT Unlimited (Power & Sail, MCA)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing regarding a position as Yacht Captain, Instructor, or Refit / New-Build Project Manager.

I hold a Master of Yachts 200 GT Unlimited (Power & Sail, MCA commercial) and Chief Mate / OOW up to 500GT, All Oceans, with over 20 years on private and charter motor and sailing yachts.

My most recent command was a brand-new explorer M/Y XPM-78', which I ran from 2024 through the Mediterranean, the Balearics, the US East Coast and Canada, returning to her in the summer of 2026 for a temporary contract in the Bahamas.

Before that I spent three years in command of a private Leopard 45 catamaran and a decade skippering an FP Lipari 41 across the Mediterranean, the Black and Aegean Seas and the Bay of Biscay.

Instruction has been part of every one of those roles rather than a separate line of work. On the XPM-78 I combined the captain's duties with training the owner and crew on board — boat handling and docking, passage planning, onboard systems and safety routines.

I find owners learn their own boat fastest on her own decks, and I enjoy that part of the job.

On the project-management side, I took a yacht refit in Turkey from start to finish between 2022 and 2024 as owner's project manager and I have run vessel acceptance, sea trials and pre-delivery defect management directly with builders and yards.

My qualification as a Yacht & Small Craft Surveyor (Maritime Training Academy, UK, 2023–2025) means I read a yard's work with a surveyor's eye and document defects in a form that holds up in a commercial discussion. Since July 2025 I have worked as a surveyor across the Mediterranean region, which keeps that skill sharp.

I am based in Finike, Antalya, Turkey, and hold Schengen, B1/B2 and Canadian visas.

I am a non-smoker and do not drink.

My certificates include STCW Basic Safety Training, VHF SRC and a valid Seafarer's Medical. I work in Russian, Ukrainian and English.

Availability on request: References from previous owners are available and can be contacted directly.

I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how I can be useful to your vessel or project.

Yours faithfully,
Valeriy Kydalov