Operating in the Caribbean
I started my Sailing career very late in life, about 8 years ago, but it has really become my passion. I was working in Corporate Logistics in South Africa and was sent to Cape Town to look at a boat that was prepared for delivery to France. From the moment I stepped on board ( a new build 40ft Cat) I knew I was in love. I resigned the next morning, and by the end of that month started my sailing course. After 4 months I took over the sailing academy that I did my courses at and became the operations manager. I then did my Powerboat and Jet ski instructors courses. Another 5 months later I sent my CV for a position in Turkey on a 60ft Cat immediately got the position, and have never looked back . From there I have sailed around Turkey and 70% of the Greek Islands, and then to the BVI to open a new base. In the BVI I chartered and sailed up and down the island chain between Trinidad and the BVI. I am very excited to join the team on Seahome for my next adventure and grow my new passion for diving.
Maritime qualifications
Certificates
RYA Yacht master commercial endorsement
RYA Power boat level 2 Instructor
RYA PWC Instructor
RYA VHF SRC
PADI Rescue diver
SAS Day Skipper Sail and Power
SAMSA VHF SRC
Qualifications
Serve Safe Certification, Food Safety Guys, Minnesota 2015
STCW, bluewater 2022
ENG 1, Fort Lauderdale FL, 2022
AHA Healthcare Provider CPR Certification Oakland Community College, Michigan 2013
Ryan was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. He started working in hospitality at the age of 14. At 16 he picked up his first knife and transitioned into the kitchen. Ryan worked as a chef while trainig to be a paramedic, upon qualification, was an on duty paramedic for 2 weeks, before he realized he missed working with food. Ryan entered and won a worldwide cooking competition called Super Yacht scholarship which sent him to the top maritime academy in the world, and then to France for further culinary training. When not cooking Ryan is a ping pong champion and always travels with his paddles.
Ellen Kay-Shuttleworth- Stewardess/Deckhand
MARITIME QUALIFICATIONS
STCW 10 (incl. PDSD)
Level 2 Food and Hygiene
Eng Medical 1
RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sailing (Commercially endorsed) RYA Powerboat Level 2
RYA Personal Watercraft Certificate
RYA VHF Radio
Ellen was born in England but grew up in the beautiful coastal town of Knynsa, South Africa. As a young child Ellen and her family often went on week-long camping adventures around South Africa and the neighboring countries. This thrill for adventure gave her a deep interest in traveling the world and all these fond memories of adventure have steered her towards entering the yachting industry. With a BA in Visual Communications, majoring in Graphic Desgin , Ellen loves to show her creative side with flower arrangements, table decorations, themed dinners and much more. Ellen also completed a RYA Yachtmaster Coastal under sail and is very excited to be joining a sailing catamaran. Having previously taken on roles of a deck/stew, she enjoys spending time outdoors, getting involved with waterspouts and exploring the Caribbean. She also enjoys the finer things in life such as creating a memorable experience through good service, food, and wine. Ellen is looking forward to creating an unforgettable experience for guests in the Virgin Islands.
Luxurious, well-designed cabins all with ensuite bathrooms with separate showers.
Seahome has A/C throughout.
Guests can either have 5 queens or 4 queens and 1 Twin cabin.
Seahome can now fish in BVI waters, Certificate # JMP 16037 (12/20/16)
Seahome requires a 48 hour turnaround in between charters.
My husband and I along with 8 of our lifelong friends just returned from a BVI trip. First of all …. the trip absolutely exceeded our expectations and we’ve previously sailed to Panama on a private 120 foot yacht with a crew of 5 and a trip to the Bahamas on a 90 foot Private Italian Ferett Yacht with an exceptional crew. Our expectations were high as we’ve already experienced two very special adventures. Well … I must say the crew including Captain Tyler, Chef James and Alex absolutely exceeded all of our expectations. I was blown away each and every day. We could not have asked for a more perfect crew and they serve you and your company with EXCELLENCE!!!! Since I was very young my father owned numerous hotels and I am familiar with the service industry and your crew truly represents your company well!!!
Captain Tyler: An Absolute Professional ... at navigating a large group on the CAT which included numerous excursions. He runs a tight ship and sets high standards for his crew. In all my travels — I’ve never watched the Captain wash the dishes, set the table and assist the crew like I witnessed from Tyler. We had a group of 60+ year olds with numerous requirements and Tyler truly met and exceeded any expectations we may have had. Tyler went above and beyond the call of duty to make our trip not only memorable, but a “trip of a lifetime”!!!!
Chef James: What can I say … I've enjoyed the finest restaurants around the world and our food was the BEST EVER!!! Always paired with special wines - even ones given to him by other guests. James accommodated a laundry list of food requests including Gluten Free, Vegan and numerous food requirements. Seriously James is the best chef …. EVER!!!
Alex (aka Drink Fairy): I knew the first day Alex was exceptional — she really is amazing for a 21 year old! Wow … we all fell in love with her! She started our day with the best latte and ended it with twice daily cabin cleaning which included turn-down service with Fiji waters and handmade treats on our pillows. She taught me many things on our trip including Alcohol with Essential oils for cleaning, how to make a perfect “Pain Killer” which helped my husband’s bad back after a day of scuba and how to smile when asked to clean a boat load of sand from our room. Alex exceeded our expectations with her attention to detail and serving us daily with a smile and EXCELLENCE!!!
I personally can’t describe this crew in words — you must experience them first hand to understand the amazing experience they provided to 10 of the most discerning guests.
We love all of them and really sad to leave.
Cheers to a great crew!
Lisa and Davidl and “The BVT Last Men"
March USVI 2022 Charter
Way beyond our wildest dreams! The best vacation ever! Thank you. Truly.
We all had an amazing time on such a beautiful yacht and with the most caring, attentive, fun, awesome crew!!! Arriba!! See ya again! Muchas gracias para todo! ❤️
-Foreman Family
February 2022 USVI Charter
Captain and crew were absolutely exceptional! You all made the trip so special. Thank you!
All the best!
-Todd and Julie
What an amazing experience. We can’t thank you enough! Words cannot express how amazing the crew has been. Best trip we’ve had by far! Outrageous! Thank you Alex, James and Tyler.
-Brent and Courtney
We wish we could bottle all the experiences during this trip. You certainly made our Valentine’s Day and our Super bowl one of a kind! Vein to able to watch the game on the projector with tailgate food was truly unforgettable. We wish we could stay forever! Thanks for all of the great memories.
-Chris and Cindy
January 2022 BVI Charter
Our 3rd voyage on the Seahome was nothing short of Spectacular. Keep the bar high! Food, fun, snorkeling was all top notch.
-Jeff and Anne
This was our third voyage - best ever! We loved every minute! Feel like we’ve made friends for life. Love you all!!
Thank you for an incredible week aboard the “Seahome” we had an incredible time with great friends and an outstanding crew. Will definitely come back.
-Cytbille and Larry
Every single thing about our trip was perfect. The Seahome was beautiful the crew was clearly the best crew at sea! The smallest details to the biggest were taken care of along the way. There was plenty of space for our family to be together and to find relaxing space.
November 29, 2021
James,
We thought it was going to be cool to have someone prepare meals for us on this trip. We assumed it be a deckhand that knew some kitchen things. Never could we have expected the work class experience you gave us.
Your food was beyond amazing, but you already know that. What you might not know is how awe-inspiring you are to all of us. The passion you have for your craft is generally reserved for the finest artists. You are one of those artists. Each meal was an experience and a show. Oh and the most delicious food we've ever consumed.
Beyond that, you literally have changed all of our lives. The confidence my son has because of your care and effort will positively impact him for years, and his happiness is our happiness. Thank you for caring Thank you for sharing your art with us. Thank you for giving us a joy we will never forget. Don't get jaded on your journey!
Alex,
I was fully prepared for you to hide from us after we fanboyed and fangirled out less than 5 minutes on the boat. Instead of retreating, however, you leaned into our unique brand of crazy, and my family had a life changing experience that we will never forget because of that effort. Anyone can practice for great service. It takes someone truly special to embody it.
The condescending and aegist thing to say would be "You're so self assured... for your age." You deserve more than that. The sense of self you inhabit is rare for anyone no matter their age. If my daughter grew up to to be half as amazing as you, I would consider myself lucky.
I have absolutely no doubt you will absolutely crush whatever comes next on your journey. On those really tough days, I hope you remember how impactful you have been on my family's lives. We are better people for having crossed paths with you.
With peace and love,
The Smiths