BELLA CONTESSA Yacht Charter Motor Boat

Captain

Crew

Brief

Captain - Bill Kurtz

Bill was born in Illinois between the cornfield and the beanfield. His parents moved to south Florida when he was 10 years old. He hit the ocean running. Fishing, surfing, at first. Then sailing, windsurfing, waterskiing, scuba diving were daily activities while growing up.

He was first offered a mates job on a 56' Hatteras and obtained his Captain license. He was the build Captain on the 116' Margaux, which was a very popular charter yacht. He chartered Margaux for several years throughout the Bahamas, and Caribbean in the winter, and New England in the summer. When his family started to grow (wife plus three children) he left the Charter side of yachting for private motor yachts: 118' Alcor, 112' Ubiquitous, 96' Ches Soirée, 112' Attitude. He loves the Bahamas and all it has to offer, but most of all enjoys showing guest's all the treasures and his secret favorite spots. Captain Bill welcomes you and your guests to a fun, active vacation aboard 112' BELLA CONTESSA.


Chef - Claire Eckert

Education/Certificates: STCW, Food Hygiene Level II, Security Awareness
Languages Spoken: English
Claire Eckert hails from South Africa and currently resides in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Since 2009, she has worked as a Chief Stewardess on yachts ranging from 121’- 206’ in size. In many of these programs, Claire was asked to cook for crew or help the Chef in the galley, leading her to become more interested in cooking.

As Claire’s cooking abilities became highly desired by Captains and Owners, she was eventually asked to cook for Owners off the yacht and in their homes. This led to Claire taking Crew Chef and Sole Chef positions in between Chief Stewardess positions.
Since 2020, Claire has focused solely on Chef positions, and has made the transition to working as a full-time Chef. Claire can cook a range of cuisines such as Mediterranean, Caribbean, Italian, Classic American, Farm to Table, English, Mexican, Thai, Asian Fusion, and more! She also excels in accommodating dietary preferences such as vegan, kosher, keto, and gluten free diets.
Claire has worked on several charter yachts in various Chef roles including 206’ PARTY GIRL, 164’ SHES A TEN, 108’ ALANDREA and more.

Claire is excited to provide a high quality and consistent culinary experience for all guests coming onboard 112’ BELLA CONTESSA.


Stew - Sarah Diaz

Nationality: American
Languages: English
Education/Certificates: STCW PYA Yacht Interior PYA Yacht Interior Basic Food PYA Wine & Cocktail VPSD/Vessel Personnel w/designated Security Duties

Sarah has been active in the yachting industry for the past four years. Her genuine, enthusiastic, consistent personality has proven to foster an amazing charter experience. Sarah prides herself on executing high quality to service that is detailed oriented. During her yachting career, Sarah has held the positions of Sole Stew, Cook Stew, Service Stew, and Deck Stew. Her creativity and proactive thinking ensure guest satisfaction during their time onboard. Aside from 112’ BELLA CONTESSA, Sarah has also worked on 130’ PLAN A, 124’ HAVEN, 118’ ARTHURS WAY and 117’ HAPPY HOUR. With her fun personality and dedication to high level service, Sara is sure to make your time onboard BELLA CONTESSA one to remember!



Mate - John Thompson
Nationality: Bahamian
Languages Spoken: English

John was born in Nassau, Bahamas, his family lives in Deep Creek, Eleuthera, a small coastal settlement, which farming and fishing are the mainstays of the area. John has 9 brothers and 2 sisters Growing up around the sea, fishing and diving was always and still is, his main interests. By the time he was 16, he was working as a mate on a fishing boat. After winning a few local tournaments, he had proved himself as a mate. Through his 20's John fished all over the Bahamas and got his Bahamian Captain's License at 25 years old. He started running sport fishing boats for various yachts between 40' to 100'. John is interested in all sports, but basketball and the Miami Heat will always be his favorite. John's passion is fishing and loves to teach people about the fish, diving and boating. His best qualities are honesty, patience, knowledge of the ocean and his outlook on life. His motto is "One day at a time". John truly considers the Bahamas as the best place on earth and brings a wealth of knowledge to 112' BELLA CONTESSA.