Yacht management worthy of
your superyacht.
For private superyacht owners and family offices that tolerate no compromise on management discipline. Cursorio operates the full mandate — finance, crew, ISM compliance, flag state, insurance — while preserving your full strategic control of the vessel.
Yacht management — also called ship management — is the day-to-day operation of a vessel on behalf of its owner. Budget, maintenance, crew, statutory certificates, insurance, interface with flag authorities: matters that demand permanent attention, precise technical vocabulary, and a network built over years.
For a private superyacht of 50 metres and above, the stakes grow considerably heavier: permanent crew of ten to twenty, mandatory ISM Code above 500 GT, strict MLC 2006 application, eight-figure Hull & Machinery policies, annual operating budgets in the millions. At that scale, keeping management in-house effectively creates a small full-time company; scattering it across disparate vendors dilutes accountability and multiplies breakpoints.
A management mandate entrusted to a specialist firm is the modern answer: one contract, one point of contact, a consolidated view, and a structure that stands behind operational continuity. Cursorio has chosen a deliberately selective portfolio — a small number of vessels followed over the long term, rather than a long list of thinly monitored mandates. That is, in our view, the only way to maintain the documentary discipline and proximity that private owners and family offices expect on this segment.
Two profiles. Two expectations. The same discipline.
A yacht that stays a pleasure, not a burden.
You own a yacht for personal, family or patrimonial use. You are not seeking to extract charter returns. Your priority: not having to chase an inspection calendar, not running after an expiring certificate, not reviewing every supplier invoice line by line. Cursorio absorbs all of this. You keep the decision; we take the load.
- —Monthly reporting readable in 10 minutes
- —Zero day-to-day administrative solicitation
- —Single point of contact for every question
The yacht as an asset to govern, discreetly.
You manage the patrimony of a family and the yacht is one of the assets administered under a dedicated structure (holding, SPV). Your requirements: impeccable audit documentation, KYC compliance, absolute discretion, reporting aligned with family governance. Cursorio interfaces with your lawyers, bankers and auditors, in the codes of the sector.
- —Systematic NDA, secure exchange channels
- —Permanently audit-ready file
- —Fluid interface with lawyers, trustees, auditors
We support you.
We do not burden you.
The captain is, by function, the owner's representative on board. He guarantees the safety of the vessel and the persons aboard, he safeguards the owner's interests in every operational decision, he leads a crew. It is a demanding profession, often solitary, and one whose administrative burden keeps growing with each regulatory evolution.
Cursorio steps in to lighten that burden, not to increase it. We add no additional hierarchical layer nor another spreadsheet: we absorb the back-office tasks that pull you away from your core mission. When we need information from you, it is precise, framed and flows through Smart Ship Manager — not through an avalanche of emails.
Everything that pulls you away from the bridge.
- —Crew contracts, multi-currency payroll, STCW certifications
- —Work & Rest Hours register (WRH) and MLC alerts
- —Accounting, financial reporting, monthly recap
- —H&M and P&I policy negotiation and renewal
- —Statutory certificate renewal and flag state liaison
- —ISM and ISPS pre-audit preparation
- —Supplier management and dispute handling
The essence of your profession.
- —Navigation and safety on board
- —Continuous crew training and cohesion
- —Quality of service to guests and owner
- —Trust-based relationship with the owner
- —Preventive maintenance and material condition of the vessel
- —Operational discipline and on-board climate
- —Season and port-call preparation
“The best management firm is the one that fades from view when everything is going well — and is immediately reachable when things tighten up.”
Seven steps from signature
to long-term partnership.
Entry audit
Two to five days on board and inside your documents to establish the true state of the vessel: technical, documentary, crew, finances. Costed and prioritised initial report.
90-day plan
We close the gaps identified during the audit on a signed timeline. You track progress live on your dashboard.
Management handover
Transfer of bank accounts, supplier access, crew contracts and insurance policies. Zero operational disruption.
Monthly routine
Clean financial reporting (P&L, cash, variance), certificate tracking, port-call and shipyard coordination, crew payroll.
Quarterly reviews
Operational review by video or on board: budget, forward maintenance, regulatory changes, strategic adjustments.
24 / 7 on-call
One dedicated number for the Owner, another for the Captain. Fast response to incidents, medical emergencies, major technical events.
Annual review
Full-year report: budget vs actual, recommendations for the next financial year, insurance programme review, flag strategy.
Everything included in the monthly retainer.
A Cursorio mandate covers the full operational management of the vessel. The only potential external costs are shipyards, consumables and professional fees (lawyer, tax counsel), always transparent and pre-approved.
- Annual budget management (OPEX, CAPEX) with monthly explanatory variance
- Maintenance plan aligned with class society recommendations (Lloyd's Register, DNV, Bureau Veritas, RINA)
- Crew administration and payroll: SEAs, rotations, work and rest hours (WRH), MLC 2006 compliance
- Annual renegotiation of Hull & Machinery, P&I (Britannia, NorthStandard, Steamship Mutual), War Risks policies
- Coordination of port calls, bunkering, shipyard periods and pilotage in the Mediterranean and beyond
- Single interface with your flag state (KY, MI, IM, FR…), class society and insurers
- Issuance and renewal of statutory certificates: SOLAS, MLC, IOPP, ISPP, ISM, Short Range Certificate
- Bank connectivity for real-time expense synchronisation (Qonto, Revolut, HSBC, Société Générale)
- Absolute confidentiality: systematic NDA, encrypted European servers, secure exchange interfaces
What you receive, every month and every year.
Monthly financial recap
Signed PDF delivered between the 5th and 10th of the following month. Readable in 10 minutes.
Cursorio Manager
Personal access for the Owner, the Captain and delegates. Included at no extra cost.
Certificate matrix
Real-time view of expiry dates, alerts 90 / 60 / 30 / 7 days ahead.
Maintenance plan
Reviewed quarterly, aligned with class society recommendations.
Supplier registry
Framework contracts negotiated, pricing reviewed annually.
Annual summary
15-20 page executive document: performance, key issues of the year, upcoming trade-offs.
Two examples of mandates we operate.
Anonymised archetypes based on real mandates. Figures and flags indicative; client details withheld by ethical obligation.
M/Y 30 m transfer · Genoa → Miami · by cargo yacht transport
Mission. Complete organisation of the transatlantic transfer of a 30-metre M/Y from Genoa to Miami, on specialised yacht-on-yacht carrier (DYT / Sevenstar / United Yacht Transport, depending on availability). One-off mandate entrusted to Cursorio outside any recurring management agreement.
Scope handled. Full Italian export administration, maritime documentation (export declaration, bill of lading, cargo manifest, certificate of origin), loading calculation and securing plan on the carrier, tax coordination (export VAT, US duty on temporary import), interface with the flag state, CBP customs on arrival in Miami, dedicated transport insurance, coordination of port agents at departure and arrival.
Outcome. Yacht delivered to Miami within the target window, zero unexpected overrun, customs file accepted on first CBP pass, complete handover dossier transmitted to the owner. Mission executed without requiring the captain to leave his on-board duties.
(Transfer photograph available — to be inserted at the owner's request.)
M/Y 65 m · Marshall Islands (MI) flag · family holding
Context. Superyacht owned by a dedicated patrimonial holding, strictly private use, permanent crew of sixteen (captain, first officer, engineers, interior, deck, chef), governance via a family office with dedicated lawyers and trustees. Mediterranean in summer, Caribbean in winter.
Initial gaps. Insufficiently audit-ready documentation, uncentralised crew KYC, banking operations dispersed across four European banks and one offshore, minimal MLC 2006 application, no structured procurement circuit (provisions, linen, alcohols, flowers), prime berth reservations negotiated last-minute in high season, no formal selection of port agents.
Scope deployed over 18 months. Single compliant file for annual external audit · automatic banking synchronisation through Cursorio Manager · direct interface established with lawyers and statutory auditor · deployment of a yachting concierge function for provisions, dockside deliveries, prime berth reservations (Monaco, Portofino, Porto Cervo, St Barth) · selection of a curated network of local agents across Italy, Greece, Spain and the Caribbean · full MLC 2006 compliance, with Work & Rest Hours register and individualised STCW certifications · total financial transparency: every euro tracked, every invoice referenced, accounting export available in one click.
What owners ask us.
01 What is the difference between a ship agent and a yacht management firm?
What is the difference between a ship agent and a yacht management firm?
A ship agent handles one-off events: a single port call, a customs formality, an isolated task. A yacht management firm such as Cursorio takes charge of the vessel's full operational continuity — finances, crew, ISM and MLC compliance, flag-state relations, Hull & Machinery and P&I insurance — for a monthly retainer. You deal with a single point of contact instead of a fragmented set of vendors, with a consolidated view and regular reporting adapted to superyacht governance.
02 Does a management mandate suit my private yacht in strictly non-commercial use?
Does a management mandate suit my private yacht in strictly non-commercial use?
Absolutely — and it is in fact the majority profile in our portfolio. Private superyachts in personal use benefit just as much, if not more, from professional management: ISM compliance is mandatory above 500 GT, crew MLC documentation must be tracked, operational costs (which run into several million euros per year at this scale) deserve optimisation, and the owner deserves administrative peace of mind. Our firm is specifically positioned on private yachts and family-office-owned vessels.
03 How is Cursorio compensated? Are there any hidden commissions from suppliers?
How is Cursorio compensated? Are there any hidden commissions from suppliers?
We are compensated solely through the monthly retainer of your management mandate. We do not receive any commission, referral fee, kickback or rebate from P&I clubs, class societies, shipyards or suppliers. This independence — explicitly contractualised — ensures that our recommendations remain aligned with your operational and patrimonial interests only.
04 How much does a management mandate cost for a superyacht?
How much does a management mandate cost for a superyacht?
The monthly retainer is calibrated to the operational complexity of the vessel: tonnage, flag, crew size and status, operating area, ownership structure, documentation intensity expected by the family office if any. For a private 50-metre superyacht under Cayman or Marshall flag, the range typically falls between several tens of thousands of euros per year, excluding external operating costs (shipyards, consumables, fuel). We provide a costed and documented quote after the entry audit, with no obligation on your part.
05 Do you work with family offices and complex ownership structures?
Do you work with family offices and complex ownership structures?
Yes — this is a significant share of our activity. We know how to interact with the patrimonial holdings, SPVs, trusts and multi-jurisdictional structures commonly used to own a superyacht. We document in accordance with the KYC requirements of the relevant jurisdictions and preserve the absolute discretion that such structures demand. Our exchanges can flow through the lawyers, trustees or dedicated managers of the family office at your discretion.
06 Where are you based and what is your operating area?
Where are you based and what is your operating area?
Our firm is located in Le Cannet, on the French Riviera. We operate primarily in the western Mediterranean (Côte d'Azur, Italy, Balearics, Corsica) and follow our principals on their seasonal routes — Caribbean, Adriatic, Atlantic — through a network of trusted local agents. The flags we routinely administer include Cayman (KY), Marshall Islands (MI), Isle of Man (IM), British Virgin Islands (VG) and France (FR).
Let's evaluate your management mandate together.
A one-hour conversation is enough to understand the situation of your superyacht and prepare a costed proposal. Confidential, no commitment.
Get in touch