About
Two animals, one shipwreck, and a name that has kept sailors honest for three hundred years.
The legend
For generations, sailors have told the story of the pig and the rooster — two unlikely symbols of survival at sea.
In the age of sail, pigs and roosters were commonly carried aboard ships, sometimes in lightweight wooden crates. Maritime lore held that when ships were lost, those crates could break free and remain afloat — leaving their unlikely passengers among the survivors of the wreck.
From that story grew one of seafaring’s more enduring traditions.
Sailors began tattooing a pig on one foot and a rooster on the other, believing the pair would protect them from drowning and help carry them safely back to shore.
Whether luck, superstition or simply the hope of a sailor far from home, the meaning endured:
Survive the sea.Return home.
We did not choose the name because we believe luck will save you.
We chose it because the old legend represents something we do believe in:
Coming home matters.
Modern vessels are extraordinary machines. They are also complicated, powerful and unforgiving when something goes wrong.
Technology can navigate the boat. Stabilizers can tame the ride. Radar can see through darkness. Autopilots can hold a course. Insurance can replace what is lost.
None of them replaces a capable person at the helm.
What it means to us
That is where Pig & Rooster begins.
We believe an owner should understand the vessel beneath them. A captain should be able to trust the person standing beside them. And a family should never have only one person aboard who knows how to bring the boat home.
The old sailors had the pig and the rooster.
We prefer preparation.
Survive the sea. Return home.
About the owner
I started flying airplanes at 14. Aviation taught me early that preparation matters, procedures have a purpose, and confidence should be earned through training and experience.
That mindset followed me into business—from running large manufacturing plants to retail ventures and work involving initial public offerings. Whatever the industry, the responsibility remained the same: understand the operation, know the risks, and have the right people around you.
When I came to Florida and entered yacht ownership, I brought those same expectations.
I wanted to understand my vessel. To learn its systems, handle it responsibly, navigate confidently, and prepare for the moment when a routine day becomes something more demanding. I was ready to put in the work.
What I struggled to find was a clear path that brought it all together.
The years following COVID and the destructive hurricanes that affected Florida had changed the ownership landscape I encountered. Buying the boat was only one part of the equation. Insurance requirements, financing conditions, and how my experience would be evaluated all shaped what I could own—and how I would be allowed to operate it.
The questions became very practical. Would I need a professional captain aboard? What training would count? How could I demonstrate competence? And what would it take to earn approval to operate my own vessel?
For us, those conditions could put the boat we wanted out of reach or leave us dependent on a captain without a clear progression toward becoming capable owner-operators.
We needed a pathway to ownership. And beyond that, a pathway to the helm.
In aviation, I had learned the value of structured instruction, supervised practice, and demonstrated proficiency. I wanted that same discipline applied to my experience on the water.
A seasoned captain brings judgment developed over years. Nothing substitutes for that experience. But having a captain aboard does not automatically give an owner the knowledge to understand the vessel, recognize a developing problem, or respond if that captain needs help.
I believe an owner should be an informed, capable part of the operation.
That belief became the foundation of Pig & Rooster. Our program brings together practical training, vessel knowledge, and the disciplined operating standards you should expect from a professional captain. The goal is to help owners build experience with purpose—whether they intend to operate independently, subject to insurer approval, or work more effectively alongside their captain.
My experience also taught me that responsible ownership reaches well beyond the helm.
The ownership structure, insurance policy, tax planning, and day-to-day accounting all deserve careful attention. So does knowing who will represent your interests if something goes wrong.
You need qualified professionals who can explain what your policy says, identify obligations and limitations, and challenge a coverage decision when the facts and policy support it. You need tax attorneys and accountants who understand how you intend to use the vessel and can help you make informed decisions from the beginning.
You should know who to call before the day you need them.
That broader perspective is part of what we bring to Pig & Rooster: helping owners recognize the questions that matter, prepare for the responsibilities they are taking on, and understand where specialist advice belongs.
I built Pig & Rooster around what I was looking for myself—a structured way to become a prepared, informed, capable owner, with the right expertise supporting the decisions along the way.
The boat is yours. Our purpose is to help you prepare for the responsibility that comes with it.
— Jason Van Zetten, Founder & CEO
Owner operation remains subject to insurer approval and policy terms. Training does not guarantee coverage or removal of captain requirements.
This is the way