Team Spotlight, Stephen De Vooght

Stephen De Vooght brings a powerful blend of technical expertise and onboard experience as an engineer. Based at IMM’s office in Dock Maarten, Stephen plays a central role in supporting some of the largest and most complex yachts arriving in St. Maarten.

In this month’s Team Spotlight, we sat down with Stephen to learn more about his background, his daily life as a Project Manager, and what makes Dock Maarten, and IMM, such a unique part of the Caribbean’s yachting landscape.

A Career Built on Engines, Independence, and Global Experience

Stephen’s professional journey began far from the Caribbean. Trained in Canada as a heavy-duty mechanic through a classic apprenticeship system, he specialized early in diesel engines. His career quickly evolved into field service work, solving problems on-site, and working hands-on with complex machinery. 

After several years in management, Stephen felt the pull back to a more hands-on role. An unexpected opportunity in the Cayman Islands gave him the chance to return to a more independent, technical role working on small vessels. That move eventually led him to pursue engineering school in the UK, where he trained to become a yacht Chief Engineer. 

“For the last 25 years, I was a Chief Engineer on yachts,” he explains. “It took nearly two decades to reach the highest certification level, working on the large vessels you see out here,” he adds, gesturing toward the superyachts just outside IMM’s Dock Maarten office.”

After completing an expedition-focused program in the South Pacific, Stephen stepped back from yachting—only to be encouraged by a former colleague to consider project management shoreside. That introduction led him to IMM. 

He joined the team on December 1st 2024, just as IMM opened a new on-site office at Dock Maarten in St. Maarten. 

Dock Maarten: A Superyacht Hub in the Caribbean

While St. Maarten is well-known as one of the Caribbean’s superyacht hubs, Stephen notes that Dock Maarten plays a special role within that ecosystem.

The marina can host vessels up to 100 meters, thanks to its deep dredged channel and lack of height restrictions. That alone makes it a strategic location for large yachts in the region.

“These are the big boys,” Stephen says. “There may be fewer boats here than in Simpson Bay, but they are generally larger and thus so are often the technical projects.”

Working with the yachts in Dock Maarten means coordinating not just with captains and chief engineers, but often with multiple officers, interior teams, onboard pursers, and shore-based management, owners’ representatives or technical managers. It’s a more complex environment.

A Day in the Life of a Project Manager at IMM SXM

Stephen’s days begin early “You wake up, and the first thing waiting for you is correspondence from the vessels: emails, WhatsApp, always something.” 

From there, his schedule is a mix of planned onboard appointments, visits to various sites and contractors, last-minute and urgent requests and office work.  

“Time management becomes everything,” Stephen laughs. “All project managers work differently, but I found a rhythm, and it works well.”

Coming into this season, he says, feels entirely different from last year when he was new.

“I know the job now. And that makes a world of difference.”

A Project That Stands Out: 100m M/Y

While Stephen manages multiple vessels throughout the season, one project clearly stands out from his first year at IMM, a 100m M/Y located in Dock Maarten.

“By far and away, the M/Y was one of the largest projects last year,” he reflects. “It ran from the end of January through early March and had layers of complexity.”

It was a project that used a large variety of project management skills —organization, communication, technical understanding, and the ability to stay steady under pressure.

Even now, it remains a benchmark project for him.

What Sets IMM Apart

After decades working on the vessel side of the industry, Stephen has a unique appreciation for what makes IMM different. 

“I was always the person coming to a company like IMM for help,” he says. “Now I’m on the other side, and I can see just how much coordination, responsiveness, and problem-solving goes into managing these projects.” 

For Stephen, IMM stands out in three ways: 

• Technical depth – IMM understands the engineering realities on board. 

• Responsiveness – support is immediate, especially during peak season. 

• Flexibility – the ability to adapt quickly to each vessel’s needs, crew structure, and timelines. 

“It’s a big job, but IMM does it exceptionally well,” he adds.