HENRY KELVIN HUGHES
Chief Mate <3000
ABOUT ME, I am a driven, capable individual with a desire to be successful in any role I find myself in.
I was raised on a Dartmoor Farm (Devon, England) and thrive on challenges.
I have been in the yachting industry for 8+ years and have achieved a huge amount in that time. I love my job and this is a long term career for me with the ultimate goal of becoming a Captain of a well run vessel in the future.
I have been fortunate to have received work on several iconic yachts of varying sizes giving me a broad ships knowledge.
I started in the industry as a junior deckhand and have worked tirelessly over the years to progress and learn. I have worked my way through the ranks to lead hand, Bosun, 2nd Officer and now Chief Officer.
I pride myself on creating an excellent team that is strongly motivated and has a great safety culture. I wish to bring my skills and personality to a new challenge that will allow me to grow, teach and enjoy my work.
I am presentable and confident with a good sense of humour, whilst being dedicated and respectful.
Email me.
WORK EXPERIENCE
M/Y LEANDER G - 75m Private - Deckhand - Feb 2019 to Feb 2020
M/Y AXIOMA - 73m Charter/Private - Lead Deckhand - Feb 2020 to Oct 2020
M/Y SOLARIS - 139m Private - Experienced Deckhand - Jan 2021 to May 2021
M/Y VICKY - 60m Charter/Private - Bosun - Jul 2021 to Dec 2022
S/Y BLACK PEARL - 106m Charter - Bosun - Dec 2022 to May 2023
M/Y GHOST III - 50m Charter/Private - Chief Officer - Jul 2023 to Jun 2024
M/Y C - 55m Charter/Private - 2nd Officer - Jun 2024 to Feb 2025
M/Y Deja Too - 52m Charter/Private - Chief Officer - Feb 2025 to Jan 2026
Future Aspirations
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To continue my forward and upward trajectory.
After achieving my CM 3000 I am keen to solidfy myself in this position and continue to learn and teach.
My ultimate goal in the future is to optain my Masters ticket but until then I think it is important to learn how to be a good captain.
I want to be confident in my abilities before taking on such a responsability. So my immediate priority is to become the best Chief I possibly can be.
By creating an excellent team that is strongly motivated and has a great safety culture.
I wish to continue improving my skills and challenge myself to grow and enjoy my work.
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A new Arrow that I have added to my quiver is brokerage.
I am a natural sales person and before I ventured into yachting I was a very successful alcohol sales person (Not that it is difficult to sell Alcohol in England).
I worked for a couple of small craft distilleries and quickly learnt that I had the gift of the gab and could sell very well both person to person and through the companies CRM.
With TIME for TIME rotation I will be able to find the time to work closely with clients and provide a very professional and personal service.
Being that I am still working on yachts I think this gives me a distinct advantage as my knowledge is current and ever expanding.
I have extensive charter experience with all size vessels in all of the current charter hotspots. I have chartered with extremely high profile guests and I know how to cater for all different types of trips depending on a clients preference.
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Over the past 7 plus years, I have been extremely fortunate to have developed personal friendships and professional relationships with a wide cross section of the international yachting industry.
Whether it be for provisioning, shipyard services, Chandlery, exterior works or even recruitment.
I have contacts for all and am happy to offer my contacts and help for all that require it.
Family History
The history of the Hughes family dates back to 1715 where a Herbert Hughes was a toy
manufacturer.
Herbert’s son Thomas Hughes, based in Bermondsey, London, became a famous
clockmaker and Master of the Clock Makers Company in 1742.
Thomas Hughes was also the highly respected creator of marine quadrants and compasses,
and initiated a 250 year history of front line maritime equipment and technology. Thomas
can even be credited with selling a sextant and chronometer to Captain Bligh for him to
make landfall when he was set adrift from the HMS Bounty during its infamous mutiny.
In 1838, Thomas Hughes’s son Henry set up Henry Hughes & Sons, supplying the famous
Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. The offices were located in Fenchurch Street,
London; an area known for their “Garret Workshops” where skills and knowledge were
passed down from father to son in the manufacture and supply of leading navigational
equipment.
In the entrance to the Henry Hughes & Son building, there was a Master Clock giving the
Greenwich Mean Time. At midday, all the tall ship owners, wearing their tall hats, would
cluster around the doors, watch in hand. They would check their watches against the Henry
Hughes clock and then set their ship’s Chronometers.
In 1910, Henry Hughes & Sons entered the compass business and developed a new
manufacturing facility at Barkingside, where it also began making aircraft navigational
equipment.
In 1916, the unprecedented issues between maritime and air navigation were resolved and
some 50,000 compasses had been produced as an invaluable contribution to the World War
One effort. The Hughes “P4” compass was considered a world class master compass.
Henry Hughes and Sons were invited by the Admiralty in 1926 to take over the research and
development of another item of ground breaking maritime equipment. The company went on
to produce the World’s most powerful and accurate Echo Sounder; even being able to detect
shoals of fish!
In 1941 the offices of Henry Hughes & Sons and Kelvin, Bottomley & Baird were both
destroyed in the Blitz. The old advisories subsequently joined forces and the new company
Kelvin & Hughes was created in 1946.
The company continued to develop increasingly advanced radar systems and in 1961
became the marine division of Smiths Industries Limited. In 2007 the company was
acquired by a private equity firm and sold to Hensoldt UK. Here the Hughes family legacy
continues with the manufacture and supply of navigational and surveillance radar systems
worldwide.
