Owner shares his One Big Toy

The Superyacht Owner caught up with US insurance executive Gary Markel, the owner of M/Y One More Toy, who is urging other others to follow in his philanthropic footsteps and get involved with a project close to his heart, Operation Cruise.

It was a documentary on the rehabilitation of wounded Special Operations Forces veterans that tugged at Gary Markel’s heartstrings three years ago. Watching the returned soldiers learning to do ordinary things all over again after coming face-to-face with the horrors of war, the owner of One More Toy realised there was something he could do to give back to the heroes who defend the freedom he enjoys.



Relatively new to the superyacht industry, the US insurance executive purchased the 47m motoryacht in 2004 during the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show on the advice of fellow yacht owner Ivana Trump’s captain, who has guided him through the buying process. A professed businessman rather than a ‘yachtsman’, Markel uses his yacht up to six weeks a year to entertain friends and family, also chartering the vessel to offset the asset. However, he recognised there were many weeks when his yacht wasn’t in use and aimed to change that in a manner that supported a great cause – a week-long retreat cruise for veterans and their spouses struggling with the challenges of serious injuries or illnesses.

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“These service members have pledged their lives for our safety and freedom,” says owner, Gary Markel.

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The focus for Operation Cruise is to provide couples with the opportunity to reconnect and strengthen their relationships. Each cruise provides counsellor experiences with Special Operations who can work with each couple to identify the obstacles they may be facing and help them develop the new tools necessary to strengthen their marriage. “These service members have pledged their lives for our safety and freedom,” says Markel. “The realities of war often leave wounds that are life long and affect not only the service member but also greatly impact his or her family. The pressures and stresses of these injuries can also cause tremendous strain on marriages.”



Operation Cruise provides these warriors with a much-needed retreat where they can enjoy fishing, water sports, and other activities, while receiving appropriate counselling that helps them readjust to society and get their lives back in order after experiencing the harsh realities of exposure to war.

The noble efforts of Operation Cruise were recognised in 2011 when Markel was awarded the International Superyacht Society’s Excellence in Innovation Award, and was last year a nominee for the YachtWorld Foundation’s YachtWorld Heroes Award in the Marine Industry Owner Changing the World category. Despite the accolades, Markel insists the sole function of the program has always been to provide these worthy veterans with a deserved experience they will never forget.

Markel would like to expand the charity and is appealing to owners to donate time aboard their vessels so that more worthy veterans can have the experience. Individuals can also make monetary donations, which are tax deductible with Operation Cruise being a registered 501(c)3 charitable organisation, while businesses can donate goods and services such as fuel, food, and dockage fees.

“The funds we collect reimburse the yacht owners for the out-of-pocket expenses incurred such as the food, dockage and food during the trip, so all the owners need to do is to donate time aboard their vessels,” says Markel.

If you would like to get involved with Operation Cruise, go to www.operationcruise.com.

For the full interview with Gary Markel, subscribe to the magazine now to The Superyacht Owner magazine.

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