Apr 2024
Where did you grow up and what were your early ambitions?
I grew up in Istanbul in Turkey. Istanbul is the most beautiful city in the world with its historical artefacts, culture, and great food. I learned to fish with my grandfather every summer in the Aegean Sea. I also learned to cliff dive. This is where my love for the ocean and boats began.
What did you study at college and did it prove useful for your future career?
I was most interested in business administration and excelled in accounting and math, and I rely on these skills every day as operations manager.
What was your first role with IGY Marinas and how did that come about?
I was retained as operations manager by IGY following the acquisition of Island Gardens, Yacht Haven Grande Miami, and continue to serve in that capacity today.
What does your current position involve – what are your greatest challenges and what do you most enjoy?
Day to day, demand for slips here is very high, so my biggest challenge is accommodating 7,000 linear feet of superyachts within 5,000 feet of available dockage! Clearly as more and more superyachts enter the market this demand for dockage space will only increase.
What I most enjoy is working with our incredible and highly trained team of professionals – IGY delivers exceptional customer service and has the best yachting operations and guest services team in the world.
How would you describe the ambiance at YHG Miami and what types of vessels come here?
Our season starts in November and ends in June but we are busy year round.
We welcome a variety of superyachts from 100ft all the way up to 450ft in length – one of the great advantages at YHG Miami is having plenty of water to accommodate megayachts with deeper drafts.
YHG Miami is also the only marina providing a panoramic view of Miami’s spectacular skyline so it’s a great venue for private events. We host monthly captain and crew events in the Captain’s Lounge and on our waterfront deck which can accommodate in excess of 100 people for food, drinks and live music.
On a personal level, what are you most proud of?
I’m most proud of my relationships with superyacht captains all over the world, and my role as an Ambassador for the Trident program – we have signed twelve new Trident members to date.
If you had access to any yacht in the world for two weeks, where would you go and what would you do?
I would go to Antarctica and show the wildlife and the scenery to my son.
What do you enjoy doing in your downtime?
I really enjoy watching soccer when I have the time.
What’s a lesser known fact about Mert Oygut that would surprise your colleagues?
I’m an avid chess player and have won many competitions.
