The Way
Why you need us
Moving into a larger, more valuable yacht changes more than the purchase price. The systems become more complex, the responsibility grows, and insurance requirements can put a professional captain between you and operating your own boat.
A captain brings valuable experience. But hiring one does not automatically teach you how to handle your vessel, understand its systems, or respond when something goes wrong. We believe an informed, capable owner belongs at the center of safe boat ownership.
That is why we built Pig & Rooster.
Our program brings together practical training, vessel knowledge, and the disciplined operating standards you should expect from a seasoned captain. The goal is to help you build the competence to operate your boat yourself—or become a more capable partner to the captain beside you.
Nothing substitutes for experience. We help you build it with purpose.
We put the training and preparation into a structured path toward responsible owner operation of a high-value vessel, with insurance requirements considered from the outset. Whether your goal is independent operation or sharing responsibility with a captain, the foundation is the same: know your boat, respect your limits, and be prepared for more than a perfect day on the water.
Owner operation remains subject to your insurer's approval and policy terms. Completing training does not guarantee coverage or removal of captain requirements.
Let's talk about your boat—and your path to the helm.
Owning the boat is only part of what you're taking on.
A significant vessel purchase brings decisions that reach well beyond the water. How you structure ownership. What your insurance actually covers. How you account for operating costs. And who represents your interests when a claim becomes a dispute.
Those decisions deserve the same care as choosing the boat itself.
Our approach brings the wider ownership picture into focus—including the importance of experienced insurance counsel, qualified tax attorneys, and accountants who understand your intended use of the vessel.
Insurance language can be complex, and a disagreement over a few words can carry serious financial consequences. You need people who can examine the terms, explain your obligations, and challenge an insurer's position when the facts and policy support it.
The same discipline belongs in your tax planning and accounting: sound advice, clear records, and an ownership structure built around how you actually use your boat.
You should know who to call before the day you need them.
Pig & Rooster helps you recognize the questions that matter and the expertise needed to answer them—so you can approach ownership with a stronger team and a clearer understanding of what's at stake.
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.