The Responsibility of Being Unseen Told by Chief Engineer Ayon Smith

What keeps a yacht running at its highest level is rarely seen. For Chief Engineer Ayon Smith of LADY KATHRYN V, that responsibility is both technical and deeply personal.

Ayon’s career began long before yachting. In 1995, he trained as a Marine Engineer at the Caribbean Maritime University, earning his Marine Degree and Merchant Marine Class 3 Unlimited License. Years later, after relocating to Florida, he was introduced to the yachting industry through a fellow graduate. It was not a direct transition (at the time, his qualifications required additional certification through the MCA in the UK), but once that step was complete, his trajectory was set.

His early roles were hands-on and demanding. He started as a solo engineer on a 43-meter yacht, moved to a 45-meter Feadship, and steadily progressed through larger vessels, earning his Y2 and eventually Y1 Chief Engineer licenses. Along the way, one experience stood out.
Working as a Reliability and Quality Coordinator in Jamaica helped shape how he approaches systems, accountability and long-term performance.

Today, on board LADY KATHRYN V, that experience translates into a clear philosophy. “We are the unseen force,” he says. “The magic that makes it happen.” It is a role defined by absence rather than visibility. “When the guests say, ‘I don’t see you at all on this trip,’ I tell them, ‘Then all is well.’”

The success of a charter does not rely on one department, but without engineering, nothing functions. “Nothing works without this department being on top of their game,” Ayon explains. “Galley, deck toys, guest comfort, laundry, bridge…everything depends on it.” His role, and the role of his team, is to ensure that dependency is never felt.

Leadership in that environment requires more than technical skill. Ayon describes his approach as a blend of transformational, servant, persuasive and delegation-based leadership, all grounded in psychological safety. In practice, that means leading by example, removing fear from mistakes and creating an environment where crew can perform confidently.

“For trust, I lead by example. I create a no-blame policy. I protect my team by taking the blame for them,” he says. “After all, I am responsible as the Chief Engineer.” Accountability, however, is structured. Roles are clearly defined based on experience and qualifications, supported by chain of command systems and detailed logging processes that ensure consistency across the department.

Training is constant. “The team is only as strong as its weakest member,” he says. Developing junior engineers is not optional, it is critical for safe operations and overall performance. It also builds morale. When crew feel valued and capable, productivity follows naturally.

On LADY KATHRYN V, collaboration across departments is essential. “On this island of ours, we don’t survive without each other,” Ayon says. Respect between departments, like how crew communicate and how they support one another, is what sustains the program over time. Strong culture is not confined to one team; it is shared across the yacht.

The demands of the role are constant. Long charters, technical challenges and the pressure of responsibility require resilience. Ayon maintains focus through exercise, meditation and carving out moments of solitude when possible. “Cool heads solve problems,” he says, emphasizing the importance of preparation and training in high-pressure situations.

Preventative maintenance systems, structured SOPs, internal training and open communication policies ensure that the unexpected can be managed without disruption. When something does go wrong, the response is not reactive.

“We are the proud and the few,” he tells his team. “Treat it as an honor.” For Ayon, passion is what separates a good engineer from a great one. “If you love your job, you will never work a day in your life,” he says. “Apart from my son, there is nothing else that I love more than being an engineer.”

For those entering the industry, he says “Love what you do. Do it well or don’t do it at all.”

Ayon’s career reflects what yachting at its highest level demands: structure, discipline, accountability and respect for the team around you. On a yacht like LADY KATHRYN V, those qualities do more than keep systems running.