Crew Profile
| Captain Name:
|
Keith Hyatt |
| Nationality :
|
USA |
| Number of Crew: |
4 |
CAPTAIN KEITH HYATT - (USA)
Keith grew up on naval bases in Florida, Alaska and Japan, so he’s been around boats his entire life. Right after high school graduation he began working on his uncle’s shrimp boat. But, a sailor at heart, when in 1983 he did a sailboat delivery to St. Thomas, followed by a job on a charter yacht out of Red Hook, he’d found his passion. He worked diligently to upgrade his knowledge until achieving his first Captain’s license in 1986. He has added hours and experience ever since, and now holds a 1600-ton USCG license.
Captain Keith honed his mariner skills running commercial vessels; ferry boats and ocean-going tugboats to and from Florida, South America and Puerto Rico. He also worked on charter fishing yachts in Corpus Christi, Texas. Aboard the fishing yachts he was the entire crew; captain, cook, mate and stew. This multi-talented skipper knows how to run a ship, inside out, backwards, forwards and flawlessly. Guests who love fishing can anticipate an especially thrilling vacation. Even experienced fishermen are likely to pick up a few tips.
Keith became Captain of Lady Sharon Gale in April of 2018. He managed much of her latest refit and is intimately familiar with the yacht. He always enjoys hosting guests on charter and is adept at putting even first-timers completely at ease. He is a Master Diver and enjoys all types of water sports activities. Should guests want to try something new, or improve their skill level, Keith makes their every endeavor a rewarding experience. Besides his love of the beach, sailing, fishing, and diving, Keith is an avid runner. He easily keeps up with the most active guests! He is easy going, accommodating, flexible and fun. Let Keith and his crew launch your perfect vacation aboard Lady Sharon Gale!
ENGINEER FRANCISCUS PETRUS CORNELIUS - (Netherlands)
Frans is a seriously talented Jack-of-all-trades. If you’ve got some gizmo that you can’t quite figure out how to fix, Frans seems to have a sixth sense about those things. He’s held a lot of interesting jobs over the years that have demanded exactly this sort of adaptive genius.
As a young man in the Netherlands, Frans worked for a few years in construction before joining the military and training in first aid. After completing his service, he joined a traveling carnival, working with customers and building, maintaining and repairing the rides and attractions. Then he became a truck driver and after that he was the maintenance manager of 90 apartments in Amsterdam. In 2014, Frans moved to Dutch St. Maarten to manage a private villa that was also rented to guests. All of these experiences placed a critical emphasis on safety, which is also first priority on LADY SHARON GALE.
CHEF MARTIN PARSONS - (Great Britain)
Martin says he was lucky to grow up in the small town of Exeter set against the backdrop of the lovely rolling hills of Devon, England. Situated twenty minutes from the south coast and one hour from the north coast, family dog walks to the coast, or on the moors, were very common. Friends describe him as kind, loyal, and friendly. They still call him Mart, Marty and now Chef. He always loved sports and aggressive inline skating took up a lot of his time. He also took ski lessons. He made it on to the Exeter ski team and eventually spent six months at Courchevel, the French Alps ski resort center, perfecting his technique.
While Marty was still in school he landed a part-time job as a chef. He found his calling. He says, “As soon as school finished I started a chef apprenticeship and never looked back! But, I am fairly new to the yachting industry. I got my first foot in the door through an old head chef I knew. He asked me to be his crew chef on board a 68-meter superyacht with 18 crew.” Now, Martin is excited to be exclusively in charge of the galley on LADY SHARON GALE. He is even planning special cooking classes for interested guests.
Martin has 17 years of culinary experience. He was trained at a Michelin Star restaurant in classical French/European cuisine, and has an extensive repertoire of international cuisines. He has held numerous prestigious positions at restaurants in Great Britain, in France, and aboard superyachts. His resume includes Sous Chef at Gordon Ramsey Restaurants, Waldorf Astoria Trianon Palace Versailles.
Martin says, “I love European food, particularly French and Italian, but I also love Japanese cuisine, Thai curry, broths and salads, as well as Mexican food. My guests often like dishes the most, which require the least effort. We chefs have a saying; less is more. Let the ingredients speak for themselves.” For more professional insights into gourmet cooking, or just to be spoiled with fabulous fare on a beautiful yacht, charter LADY SHARON GALE!
STEWARDESS LISA VAN VEGHEL - (Netherlands)
Lisa grew up in The Netherlands, in a tiny village with a population of just 800. She lived with Mom, Dad and two older sisters. The local dam and channel were favorite summer spots for swimming, water play and walking the dog. It was an idyllic environment.
Lisa remembers being very active as a child. “I couldn’t sit still. I played with other kids, made forts, played ball, skated and ice skated. I was a competitive tennis player and won many awards, always coming in first or second place. I was prepared to attend a sports academy after I finished high school to become a gym teacher. Then problems started with both of my knees. I went to a therapist for four years but, even after extensive treatments, I had to give up because I did not get better.” Instead, Lisa opted to attend Avans University and was awarded a degree in business innovations. She moved to St. Maarten in 2013.
This year, despite other offers, Lisa had “the best feeling” about Lady Sharon Gale and accepted a position as the stewardess on board. She especially likes the team spirit. Everyone agrees their top priority is to give the guests the best vacation they can have. For the crew, this means providing silver service and privacy, yet with interactive activities always available to guests. If you’d like to play some beach tennis or board games, she’s a ready opponent. Still very athletic, join Lisa and Captain Keith for a boot camp workout. Or, when you’re ready to relax on deck and enjoy the scenery, Lisa has an awesome collection of tropical cocktail recipes from her bartending days. She’ll help you find your bliss aboard Lady Sharon Gale, however you envision it.
