Meet Capt. Kelly Gordon: Motoryacht Captain Extraordinaire
Capt. Kelly Gordon recently joined the BoatTEST team of six test captains and she is the only one in our 23-year history who has held a 500-Ton license. Capt. Kelly cut her teeth on megayachts and superyachts and now is a fleet captain, responsible for overseeing eight boats ranging from tenders to 50-footers to a 106’ megayacht.
Capt. Kelly grew up on a farm near a small town in Indiana. Like a lot of people from the Hoosier state, she was drawn to what Indiana has little of: water — and absolutely no salt water. She holds at least two firsts among all of the captains we’ve had in our 23-year history: 1) She is the only one who holds a USCG 500-Ton ticket, and 2) She is our only captain who has earned a master’s degree in chemistry.
Capt. Kelly has captained vessels up to 160’ (49 m) and is well-known in the megayacht and superyacht world. She is currently the captain of a 106’ (32 m) megayacht which ranges from the Great Lakes to the Caribbean. She is certified to teach basic safety and firefighting and is also a certified emergency first-responder.
Capt. Kelly is active in the marine industry having been a charter captain and a yacht manager, as well as being in charge of new builds and refits of large yachts. She is also a columnist for the professional captains’ trade magazine Dockwalk.
This fall, Capt. Kelly will be a featured speaker at the 2023 Monaco Superyacht Show, where 125 of the world’s largest and most elegant yachts will be on display.
Not only does Capt. Kelly hold a 500-Ton license, but she is familiar with every piece of equipment from the bilge to the masthead and can be found in both places if the occasion demands. She recently showed us a picture she took of the top of a charred lightning rod at the masthead on one of her yachts — the vessel’s electronics were fried.
We look forward to sharing her expertise and guidance with the BoatTEST family as she delivers detailed video reports from around the nation and around the world.