When most people look at a superyacht, they see the glamour: polished teak, polished steel, and polished service. What they don’t see are the systems, decisions, and regulations that keep those vessels safe, compliant, and commercially viable – from cyber-secure networks to the right visas and permits for crew.
That’s exactly what Dryad Global CEO Corey Ranslem sat down to unpack with Kristina Hebert, President & CEO of Wards Marine Electric, on the Wards Way podcast – recorded live at the 2025 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.
In “Resilient Seas: Season 5 Episode 6 with Corey Ranslem”, Corey and Kristina explore how maritime intelligence, cyber security, and smart advocacy are shaping the future of large yacht operations.
🎧 Listen to the episode on YouTube:
Resilient Seas: Season 5 Episode 6 with Corey Ranslem
📖 Read the Wards Marine blog recap:
Resilient Seas: Season 5 Episode 6 with Corey Ranslem
https://www.wardsmarine.com/posts/resilient-seas-season-5-episode-6-with-corey-ranslem
The conversation starts with a simple question:
“What’s changing between point A and point B for this vessel?”
In a world of congested sea lanes, shifting regulations and geopolitical tension, the answer is rarely simple – and often changes overnight.
Corey explains how Dryad Global’s intelligence work goes beyond a chart overlay or a basic risk flag. It’s about context:
Is that GPS anomaly likely to be jamming or spoofing?
How do regional health concerns or port security posture affect a yacht’s specific itinerary?
How do local rule changes – from cruising permits to permissions to proceed – translate into real-world impact on schedule, guest experience and cost?
For large yachts, that context is the difference between a smooth season and one punctuated by last-minute diversions, missed charters, and unplanned costs.
Kristina and Corey then dig into cyber risk in the yacht environment – and why a “lift and shift” of shoreside IT tools doesn’t work offshore.
Unlike an office network, a yacht’s connectivity is:
Limited in bandwidth
Latency-sensitive (guests expect streaming, calls and work connectivity)
Mission-critical for navigation, safety and hospitality
As Corey highlights, security tools that consume excessive bandwidth or throttle 75% of a yacht’s connection might technically “protect” the network – but they effectively shut down the charter experience.
The episode explores why maritime-specific cyber stacks need to be:
Lightweight and resilient
Designed for mixed environments (OT, IT and guest networks)
Built around continuous operations, not intermittent maintenance windows
At Dryad Global, that’s where CyberVoyager comes in – pairing pragmatic risk management with the reality of life onboard.
One of the strongest threads in the conversation is advocacy and legislative engagement.
There’s a persistent myth that large yachts primarily benefit a tiny group of owners. Kristina and Corey challenge that head-on, mapping out the real local impact when a vessel docks:
Marine electricians and electronics technicians
Fuel suppliers and logistics teams
Rigging and hydraulics specialists
Crew agents, surveyors, shipyard workers and many more
Each call is a chain of paychecks – and that story needs to be understood by city officials, state representatives and national legislators alike.
Corey and Kristina talk through recurring hot topics such as:
B1/B2 visas for crew
CBP interpretations around cruising permits and permissions to proceed
The knock-on effects when panels with Coast Guard and CBP go dark during government shutdowns (missed briefings turning into missed calls and delayed arrivals).
Their message is clear: if the industry doesn’t show up and explain its economic footprint in plain terms, policy decisions will be made without it.
The episode also zooms out to the wider U.S. maritime industrial base:
How do you balance rebuilding shipbuilding capability with maintaining world-class strength in refit, repair and sportfish innovation?
How do you build a talent pipeline that can support advanced electrical systems, digital networks and cyber-secure operations?
Corey emphasises that electricians, marine engineers and cyber specialists are now core to the sector – and that training, apprenticeships and certifications take time. Ten years can vanish quickly; the investment needs to start now.
Finally, Kristina and Corey bring the discussion to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and international rule-making.
If the large yacht community isn’t present early in IMO subcommittees and working groups, it risks inheriting standards written primarily for cargo and cruise. That has implications across:
Emissions and energy-efficiency targets
Safety and security requirements
Digital and cyber security frameworks
The takeaway Corey leaves listeners with is one we strongly share at Dryad Global:
If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.
Yards, owners, managers and suppliers all have a role to play – locally, nationally and at the IMO – in shaping practical, safety-led regulation that keeps seas safer and businesses viable.
This Wards Way episode is a rare chance to hear an honest, practical conversation about:
The real world of maritime intelligence and risk
The unique demands of cyber security at sea
How policy and advocacy directly affect yacht operations and the wider marine workforce
👉 Watch the full conversation on YouTube:
Resilient Seas: Season 5 Episode 6 with Corey Ranslem
👉 Read Wards Marine’s written recap:
https://www.wardsmarine.com/posts/resilient-seas-season-5-episode-6-with-corey-ranslem
If you’d like to explore how Dryad Global can support your operation – from voyage risk intelligence for large yachts through to maritime-tailored cyber solutions – get in touch with our team or ask for a walkthrough of Secure Voyager Hub and CyberVoyager.
Resilient seas aren’t built by accident. They’re built through informed decisions, secure systems, and a sector that speaks with one voice.