Interview with James Humphreys from Cook Islands

Originally from the Cook Islands, James Humphreys is now based in the Gold Coast with his young family. Growing up on the island of Atiu, Cook Islands, a passion for the ocean came naturally to him.  After leaving the Cook Islands James studied Tourism Management and has over 15 years of experience across multiple tourism sectors including four years managing a Gold Coast charter yacht company with a fleet of four Superyachts and a Game Fishing vessel before joining the team at Yachtsmen International as a luxury yacht broker. His extensive commercial charter knowledge and sound vessel operation skills provide a wealth of experience in survey requirements, foreign-flag registration, crewing, refits, scheduled maintenance, and commercial charter legislation. It was, therefore, a natural progression for James to join the Maritime Cook Islands team as a Ships Register Agent. We spoke to James about his role with the registry.

How did you become an agent for Maritime Cook Islands?

After moving to the Gold Coast 6 years ago to manage a luxury charter yacht company, I fortuitously bumped into the Maritime Cook Islands team attending one of the Superyacht Rendezvous events. I spoke with them multiple times over the following year as our company went through the process of registering one of our vessels to the Cook Islands and realised that I was in a unique position of understanding both the requirements for private and commercial vessels in Queensland and having a deep connection with the Cook Islands. It was a natural fit given I’m a passionate advocate of the Cook Islands and what they offer.

Tell us about your role as an agent for MCI in Queensland, Australia? 

My role often entails being the first point of contact for clients considering Maritime Cook Islands for their vessel registration. I work with each client reviewing their vessel and individual needs to best advise the options for them. I work closely with the technical team based in the Cook Islands to advise clients of their requirements, guiding them through the process from start to finish.

Why do Australian owners find the Cook Islands flag attractive? 

Australian owners conducting international voyages find the Cook Island registration attractive as it is well respected and globally recognised. Additionally, the easy application process online and the attentive team make the process and certification access streamlined and attractive to owners and captains located in different time zones.

What services do you provide clients? 

I provide a local point of contact for Australians to speak to someone in the same time zone or even meet face to face, while also liaising with the technical team for specific details related to their vessel and offering my expertise. With my background in both commercial and private yacht management and more recently as a luxury yacht broker I am able to offer advice on general operations in Australian waters and understand the information they require in order to make an informed decision.

What challenges did you face during covid and how have you overcome them? 

During the COVID pandemic, there has been strong buyer demand throughout Australia for pleasure craft which has resulted in a shortage of vessels nationally. Many Australians are looking to the international market to find the right vessel for them. As such we are seeing an increase in vessels coming into Australia under foreign registration and often owners are looking to review their registration options. This unprecedented buyer demand and increase in vessel change of ownership is certainly making it an interesting and busy time in the marine industry despite the global pandemic. Due to the great online system implemented by Maritime Cook Islands, owner’s have had a great experience registering their vessel. We are looking forward to having the Maritime Cook Islands team visit us down under when international travel resumes.

What is it like to work with the staff at Maritime Cook Islands?

The team at Maritime Cook Islands are fantastic to work with. They have a vast wealth of knowledge and respond quickly to any queries our potential clients have. Knowing that there is a team of dedicated and knowledgeable staff allows me to confidently recommend Maritime Cook Islands registration.

For more information about Maritime Cook Islands go to www.maritimecookislands.com or email James Humphreys at w.jameshumphreys@gmail.com