Luxury yacht owners are throwing scientists a lifeline
A “Tinder of the seas” is part of a wave of efforts to put pleasure boats to work for science, amid a shortage of research vessels and shrinking budgets.
Image credit: Max Bello
Francesco Ferretti had a problem. His research expedition to track white sharks in the Mediterranean was suddenly adrift—the boat he’d arranged had vanished into the pandemic’s chaos of canceled plans and family emergencies. With scientific equipment packed and a team of seven researchers ready, the marine biologist found himself scanning the horizon for solutions.
It was then that Ferretti turned to six-year-old Yachts for Science, a matchmaking service linking wealthy boat owners with cash-strapped researchers. Soon, an owner of a private yacht offered to help.
