Jay & Bev have been together for 18 years and in 2006 abandoned their previous successful careers in I.T. management for a blue chip company and as owner/chief instructress of a driving school and sold their beloved old yacht to work afloat. After further professional training at the acclaimed U.K. Sailing Academy in Cowes they spent most of 2007 running a flotilla of 12 small yachts around the Croatian islands, and since then have worked year round on a wide variety of vessels.
Skipper Jay‘s early love of sailing matured into near obsession whilst gaining his science degree. He has now been on the water more than off for 20 years, cruising, racing and working, in vessels of all sizes and condition, from leaky dinghies upwards. For three years he worked for private owners on two luxury motor superyachts, in the Mediterranean, Florida and Caribbean, under the instruction of a highly experienced ex Royal Navy captain.
His previous career honed his inherently excellent organisational and planning skills and during the last 23 years Jay, having gained many sailing, nautical engineering, navigation and construction qualifications, has covered more than 25,000 sea miles and now holds his MCA Master 200 ton & Chief Mate 3000 licences. Latterly Jay worked on an Oyster 655 before joining Kealoha in 2012 and recently on a high performance motoryacht.
Jay’s interests include snorkel and scuba diving (he is PADI qualified), kayaking, dinghy sailing, cycling, hiking and the technicalities of I.T. He is meticulous, practical, extremely safety conscious and – very importantly – is highly skilled as both galley assistant and barman
Cook /stewardess /mate Bev began sailing about 15 years ago and recently added RYA Yachtmaster to her existing qualifications in tender driving, VHF, firefighting, first aid, accountancy and her Economics degree.
She loves good food and cooking and developed her skills with professional training in Somerset at the prestigious Rosie Davies Culinary School. Bev enjoys preparing a variety of delicious but healthy dishes, using fresh local ingredients whenever possible, although she will insist on tempting your sweet tooth occasionally.
Having spent more than 3 years providing 6 star hotel service on private superyachts, her keen eye for detail and exceptional service skills will greatly enhance your onboard comfort, whilst her warm and welcoming personality will make you feel completely at home on Kealoha 8.
When not working she enjoys hiking, yoga, badminton, kayaking, swimming and reading
Jay & Bev have always enjoyed travelling and learning from different cultures and have extensive cruising experience in Northern European, Mediterranean, Caribbean and Bahamanian waters gained from a mixture of pleasure sailing and their seafaring careers. They have grown together into a dedicated, professional, adaptable and discreet team who will do their utmost to ensure that you have a relaxing and enjoyable vacation on this beautiful yacht, providing you with memories to treasure.
