Crew Profile

Captain (Rotation)
HENDRE (HENNIE) DU PLESSIS
Hendré (aka Hennie) was born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa, joining the yachting industry immediately after completing his education in 1999. As the son of a yacht builder and brother of a Chief Engineer, Hennie has a firm connection to the water and with a cousin also in the industry, you could say it's in his blood. He became a Captain at the age of 26 on board 157ft Christensen Nice n Easy. Hennie has been at the helm of Remember When since its launch in June 2010, overseeing the build and the maiden voyage from the Columbia River in the Pacific North West, down the West Coast, Central America, through the Panama Canal and San Blas Islands and back to our home port in Florida, and has successfully managed the vessel and crew since. He has traveled independently through the U.S., South America, Central America, Southern Africa, and Australia while pursuing his interests of returning to nature, camping, backpacking/traveling, motorcycle adventuring and cooking out. He enjoys all water sports especially paddle board surfing, scurf boarding and enjoys paragliding. Growing up on a farm and attending Agricultural school drove Hennie to build and run his very own hobby farm, overlooking Table Mountain outside of Cape Town in South Africa. Highly regarded by his peers and loved by his crew, Hennie is an integral part of the dynamics of the vessel and its smooth operation, as reflected by his impressive tenure.

Captain (Rotation)
FRANCISCO CHADINHA
Francisco grew up in a peaceful seaside village in Kleinmond, South Africa. After finishing school his desire to travel led him to the South of France where his yachting career began. His experience as a captain has flourished since he started in the yachting industry 20 years ago. Francisco has extensive knowledge on some of the most pristine and exotic coastlines having cruised throughout Europe, The South Pacific, USA, Central America and the Caribbean. Francisco’s experience as a charter captain has not only allowed him to travel the globe but also meet various people from different cultural backgrounds. He takes great pride in his professional role so that guests can be assured of their safety, comfort and peace of mind while aboard Remember When. Francisco’s aim is to make sure your experience onboard is unforgettable, whether your desire is to visit ancient ruins or sunbathe on secluded beaches in the Caribbean. In his spare time Francisco enjoys being active, water sports and photography.

First Officer
KYLE STRYDOM
Kyle was born in Pretoria, South Africa. At the age of eight his family moved to Paarl in the Western Cape, where he was brought up amidst the mountainous terrain and lush wineries. He joined the yachting industry in 2012 and has spent most of his time cruising the Mediterranean, Caribbean and the East Coast of the United States. Kyle has always been an adventure seeker. He is very active and he enjoys wakeboarding, sports, reading and the outdoors.

Chief Engineer
MARCEL GROBBELAAR
Marcel was born in South Africa and started sailing at the age of 5. He spent most of his childhood sailing throughout Southern Africa, marveling at the silence and soaking up the warm sun. At the age of 18 Marcel completed his first forty-sevenday Trans-Atlantic crossing from South Africa to the United States on a 45ft sailing boat. Marcel completed his Dive Masters and soon found himself working in the yachting industry. Since joining the industry 20 years ago he has completed his Captains license, his Merchant Marine and Engineering licenses. Since the 90’s Marcel has been working on a vast variety of vessels from high performance military spec private yachts to gas turbine yachts in the Caribbean, Bahamas, USA, Atlantic, Pacific and Mediterranean seas. Marcel resides in Fort Lauderdale with his wife who is an award-winning playwright producer. In his spare time Marcel enjoys cave diving, mountain biking, motor bikes and vintage cars.

Chef (Rotation)
TASIA HAAG
Chef Tasia Haag trained in Dunedin, New Zealand qualifying with her certificate in London City and Guilds. She travelled to London for two years where she worked with celebrity chefs. Tasia then moved to Melbourne, Australia also working for celebrity chefs and later becoming head chef of 2 busy restaurants. During this time, she acquired a 6-month contract at ‘Montpelier Plantation Inn’ in Nevis, West Indies, which catered to the likes of Lady Diana and her family. Her yachting career started in Hong Kong in 1999 where she boarded her first super yacht. Since then she would spend time traveling extensively through the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Bahamas, Cayman Islands and the USA. This set her on a remarkable world-wide journey cruising for over 4 years to remote destinations including, Egypt, Golf of Aden, Seychelles, Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, and Australia. The importance of keeping her mind stimulated by training and learning different styles of cuisines is paramount to looking after both guests and crew which is why she trained in Thai cuisine, Cajun creole, (New Orleans), authentic Indian Cuisine from the Seychelles, West Indian and Sri Lanka. Her interests are diving, music/guitar, cycling, and reading. She loves learning, good food and good friends.

Chef (Rotation)
RUSSEL DRAPER
Chef Russell Draper trained as a chef in his home country of Australia before leaving to broaden his experience in London, where he worked in a variety of high-end restaurants by the side of acclaimed chefs, perfecting the craft he is so passionately committed to.
He has worked as a private yacht chef for the past 12 years and loves pleasing the discerning palates of each guest onboard with his unique approach to food, while he remains ready to satisfy special dietary requests and nutritional needs.
While classically trained, Russell’s style is unlimited and draws inspiration from his travel experiences worldwide. He loves using the best produce available, and is always open to experimenting and creating.
Russell is presently based in Sweden with his fiancé and two young children. In his spare time, he enjoys playing the guitar, gardening, keeping fit and foraging in the forest!

Chief Stewardess / Dive Master
BIANCA FRANCK
Bianca was born in South Africa but was raised in Mozambique from an early age. She spent her younger schooling years at a Portuguese school in Mozambique where her parents owned and operated a resort and Bianca's mother ran a diving operation. This has given Bianca exposure to many adventures in and around the water from an early age, completing her dive tickets with her mother as an instructor. Her high school years were spent at a boarding school in South Africa. Bianca speaks English, Portuguese and Afrikaans. Bianca has always loved traveling but decided after school to pursue her creative talent and undertake further studies in Interior Decorating. It was here where her flare and love for interior colors, fabrics and finishes became apparent and she was introduced to some of the world's most lavish textiles. A call to the world of yachting followed and Bianca thoroughly enjoys bringing new and creative themes to the table, setting for fine-dining experiences and producing all-round 5-star service for guests a board Remember When.

Bosun / Fishing Mate
JAMES FARREN
Born and raised in South Africa James was a sporty and outdoors person since childhood. Fishing is his favorite sport, a passion he inherited growing up in a family of avid fishermen. James also enjoys spear fishing which came naturally as the family spent most weekends onboard their boat. In his spare time he loves running and staying fit, he has completed the Comrades Marathon twice. James looks forward to fishing with you onboard Remember When, but most of all, to helping make your charter vacation fun and memorable

Deckhand / Dive Master
STEVE MCMANUS
Steve was born and raised on a seaside town in South Africa called Durban, known for its great surf and the warm tropical water from the Indian Ocean. After school, he went on to complete an Honor’s degree in Financial Management while playing field hockey. Steve was passionate about all sports, but especially field hockey, where he excelled and went on to represent South Africa at the Under 21’s World Cup in India. He decided to utilize his talents in field hockey and moved to London where he spent two years as a professional athlete playing for a well-established English Club as well as coaching at local schools and universities. After living in the London for a few years, his desire to get back to the ocean led him to the yachting industry where he has since completed Dive Instructors training. Steve has been fortunate enough to have traveled most of Europe, the Caribbean and South Pacific Islands including Papa New Guinea, Indonesia, Vanuatu, New Zealand and Fiji.

Deckhand / 2nd Engineer
DE WET KNOLL
De Wet was born in Pretoria, known as one of South Africa’s three capitals. After high school, he furthered his education at the University of Stellenbosch in the Western Cape where he completed his bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering. Subsequently, De Wet decided to pursue the Engineering path and sought a job as second Engineer on a motor yacht. Since joining the industry two years ago, De Wet has been fortunate enough to travel most of Europe, Indonesia and the tropical islands of the Caribbean. In his spare time De Wet enjoys skiing, diving, fishing, being active and the outdoors.

2nd Stewardess/ Masseuse
RACHEL MALPAS
Rachel grew up in in the beautiful city of London and studied spatial design at a local university. Rachel had always been motivated to travel the world, so once she completed her studies she moved to France. She lived in the Alps for a few years and enjoyed meeting people from all around the world. While in France, Rachel discovered the yachting industry and soon started as a stewardess. Rachel wanted to provide more than just good service onboard luxury yachts, which led her to find her calling as a massage therapist. Rachel specializes in Swedish and deep tissue massage. In her spare time Rachel enjoys wakeboarding, snowboarding and skiing.

3rd Stewardess / Masseuse
CHRISTINA PRINSLOO
Christina grew up in Mossel Bay, a beautiful coastal town in South Africa. She spent her high school and university years in Stellenbosch, which is the largest wine making region in Southern Africa. Christina studied pre-med and then went to work on a wine farm known for its high-end hospitality and picturesque beauty. After spending a season on the wine farm Christina pursued her desire to join the yachting industry. Since joining in 2016 Christina has traveled extensively throughout Europe experiencing different cultures while working at sea. Christina loves being active and plays basketball, water polo, swimming and she enjoys a variety of outdoor activities.

4th Stewardess
TINA LE ROUX
Tina was born and raised in Somerset West, South Africa. She attended the University of Stellenbosch, where she studied Business Management Science and an Honors in Logistics, subsequently pursuing a career in the fruit export business. However, her passion for travel led her to the yachting industry where she has enjoyed working for the past three years. Tina is passionate about her job, loves to meet new people and is grateful for the adventures yachting naturally brings. She has visited numerus of places around the world, her favorite spots being Livigno, Iceland, Munich and Indonesia. In her spare time, she enjoys watersports, diving, leather crafting, hiking and trying local cuisine.

Stewardess/Masseuse
KELLY JACKSON
Kelly is originally from Yorkshire in the United Kingdom, after completing a three-year diploma in the beauty industry, Kelly decided to move overseas working and traveling as a beauty therapist on cruise liners. She then went on to work for a sailing and water sports company on various Mediterranean islands. After a few seasons, Kelly decided to swap the sun for snow and took a job as a private masseuse in the Alps, where she heard about the yachting industry and the rest is history. Kelly is fascinated with travelling, meeting new people and discovering different cultures along the way. In her spare time, she like staying active, trying new sports and collecting cooking recipes from across the globe.