Toshio “Tosh” Anguna Karika-Wilmott sails the globe on a superyacht. He is pictured with his dad Ian Karika at the Ve’eve’e Aroa farewell ceremony for Vaka Marumaru Atua. MELINA ETCHES/24050210
Inspired by his family’s maritime heritage, a Cook Islander, who works on a luxurious superyacht sailing the world, encourages others to pursue a similar career.
Seafaring is
deeply ingrained in Cook Islanders’ culture, making them naturally drawn to
becoming sailors.
There are many
Cook Islanders sailing in the vast expanse of the world’s oceans aboard
luxurious superyachts, exploring the globe.
One of them is
Toshio Anguna Karika-Wilmott, better known as “Tosh”, who hopes to inspire the
next generation of Cook Islanders to dream big and pursue their passions.
Ingrained in his
seafaring aspirations is the influence of his family’s maritime heritage.
His father, Ian
Karika Wilmott, is a vaka voyaging sailor with a deep connection to Polynesian
navigation and cultural connection to the sea. He sailed on and helped build
Vaka Te Au o Tonga in 1994, and continues to be involved with Marumaru Atua,
carrying on these traditions.
Tosh’s paternal
grandfather, Captain William Wilmott, had a career as a captain in the New
Zealand merchant navy ships, bringing a legacy of professionalism and maritime
expertise.
“I always wanted
to travel on the sea,” says Tosh. “Our people have a longstanding seafaring tradition, it’s our heritage.”
Shortly after
completing his final year at Tereora College, Tosh left Rarotonga to join the
New Zealand Navy at 18.
After five years
there, he took a break.
Through the
connection of a cousin, Tosh got work on a luxurious superyacht, beginning his
journey of sailing to exotic locations.
Eventually, he was
offered a full-time position in the deck department, and for over 10 years he
has sailed on the same yacht.
“I’m fortunate to
have been with a good employer,” he says, “and blessed to be on a yacht that is
well-organised.”
In earlier days,
they sailed throughout the Pacific, including to the Cook Islands like
Aitutaki.
They have also
sailed from Australia to Europe through the Suez Canal, the Middle East, ending
up in Malta.
Tosh has seen many
places like Miami, Port Lauderdale, Ibiza, and Sydney, and in January this
year, he was fortunate to meet the Maritime Cook Islands team in Monaco.
Tosh explains that
in luxury cruising, they sail out on charters to the hot spots in the Mediterranean,
and in the off-season, they go across the Atlantic to the Caribbean and sail
around there.
“Unfortunately, we
don’t come down here anymore.”
Onboard these
luxury boats, there is state-of-the-art technology so there is ample time to
avoid bad weather like cyclones and they avoid big swells and head for places
of safety.
Some of the highlights Tosh says are experiencing the culture of exotic places, top sporting events like Formula 1 car races, and meeting high-profile actors and iconic people on board.
There are water
sports activities on board, the best state-of-the-art boats, and jet skis.
“So, there’s a fun
side, you’re taking guests wakeboarding, kiteboarding, diving, fishing,
spearfishing which many of our people are natural at,” Tosh says.
“One of the
downsides is that you are away for long periods from your family, the challenge
for me is being away from my family.”
Depending on the
season, sometimes sailors can be away at sea for up to two months.
“It’s definitely a
job where you have to have an eye for detail, you have to keep the vessel
immaculate and pristinely clean … it’s not cut out for some people,” shares
Tosh.
“To get your foot
in on working on these yachts you will need to complete the standard safety
course which is not that expensive to do, and can be done in Auckland at
Maritime College or Manukau Institute.
“It’s a standard
safety course so that you can apply to become a crew member, it’s compulsory.”
Specific courses
are available depending on where you want to focus your skills like the deck
department, service, engineering, and chefs.
For young people
who work in hospitality, Tosh believes they can use those skills to go and see
the world.
“I encourage
anyone wanting to get into working on a superyacht to do it, and I’m happy to
offer some guidance
“There is an
industry there to tap into – it’s a vaka to the world and you will meet a lot
of cultures.”
A superyacht or
megayacht is a large and luxurious pleasure vessel. They are professionally
crewed motor or sailing yachts, ranging from 40 metres (130 ft) to more than
180 metres (590 ft) in length.
Superyachts are
often available for charter with a staff that caters to guests at a high standard
of comfort. Depending on the season, superyachts may be most frequently found
in the Mediterranean or the Caribbean.
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