Interview with Captain Constantin Prodan

Hello, Constantin. Please tell us a little about yourself, about your experience, about connections with the yachting world.

Good afternoon. I was born in the capital of Ukraine, in Kiev. For a long time I was working as a civil servant. Then I opened my own business. A few years later I went on a yacht to Montenegro. I discovered that there is a great demand for yacht services and began repairing yachts. I also taught yachting. All this happened in 2008-2010.

Then I began to transfer ships. It all started with trasfering of a catamaran to the Dominican Republic. I worked in the company "Yacht Voyage" as a captain of the catamaran fleet.

 I was offered to work at a large motor yacht (30 meters long) as a captain. Sailing on this yacht, I began to understand how the engines and other technical equipment of such ships function.

In 2014, I became the captain of an old dutch yacht. I repaired and repainted it and completed the part of the yacht. Last year, we completely rebuilt the engine room.

I have a lot of experience. Every season I go out to the sea. As for my experience in the yacht refit - I was working as a project manager - I found suppliers, negotiated about prices, controlled the quality of work and so on.

And how did you find out about “360a3”?

Actually. the story is quite tragic. I first met Rostislav in 2012 when I was transferring yachts to the Caribbean. We met at a yacht exhibition. Then I went to sea, got into a storm and received quite a serious injury. Rostislav helped me, and we have been friends since then. Rostislav introduced me to the other members of the “360a3” team.

What was the professional bonds between you and “360a3”?

Our professional cooperation consists of several points. Firstly, the purchase of materials. Secondly, “360a3” provides a wide material and technical base. Thirdly, the company provides legal assistance via “Aitamar”. "360a3" provides all the services necessary for a yachtsman.

What work has been done or what is planned to be done?

We plan to complete several objectives. It is necessary to paint the yacht so that it can be shown at exhibitions. Painting should be perfect.

We also plan to re-equip the hangar. We will put an air extraction system and buy the necessary equipment. We have already set up carpentry department and next year we will be decking the yacht. “360a3” has all the resources necessary to complete the job. At the moment we are finishing minor works.

What should an ideal shipyard look like? What should not be there?

First of all, an ideal shipyard should have extensive experience, including the experience of work with foreign clients. Service and interaction with customers and suppliers should be established.

Shipyard employees should not answer “no” or “ I do not know” to customer’s questions. Nothing should be impossible for the shipyard - if it does not provide certain services, it should quickly find necessary subcontractors.

The shipyard must comply with the deadlines. It is necessary to constantly maintain contact with the client, and to keep him informed about the progress of work and about all changes. Quality control in accordance with European and international standards should be present. The shipyard should avoid overbudgeting.

An example of how not to do this is the situation which happened to me in Turkey. The Turkish shipyard made a few mistakes in the financial plan of a refit. The owners had connections in court, so the yacht was arrested. We сut a deal, and the yacht was released, but we spent a lot of money and time. And this, of course, affects the shipyard's reputation. Such situations should not happen.

How do you rate the work of “360a3”?

There were no problems with “360a3”. We have been working together for several seasons in a row. The shipyard timely informs on the progress of work, provides legal support and has extensive contacts with suppliers and subcontractors. We plan to continue our cooperation in the future.

Thank you.