One of the newest charter crews in the BVI fleet arrived at the 2009 Charter Yacht Show this week – Dan and Susie. Their “story” is as unique and special as all of the crews at this year’s show. They are from London. Dan was a London fireman, and Susie started out in the world of investment banking and then owned her own sports physical therapy company there. They love traveling the world and were seeking out new adventures. They were both weekend sailors as their passionate hobby. But, being stuck in the world of very traditional jobs finally brought them to the realization they wanted to disconnect that cord and experience the world in a much different way. It started with Dan ending his career as a firefighter and taking on a position with Overland Adventures leading expeditions in South American and Northern Africa for several years. One day, while standing on the shore looking out at the sea, they talked about how they were tired of saying, “Wouldn’t be fun to just get on a boat and set sail for distant shores and discover new adventures?” So, they came up with a three year plan of doing exactly that.
They jumped in with both feet by securing their commercially endorsed RYA Yachtmasters Offshore license and extensively sailing in South Africa, plus twice around Cape of Good Hope and Cape Agulhas – the southern most tip of Africa. While in South Africa they met the eventually owners of SEMPER FI. The brand new Leopard 46 cat was being built for the owners and they needed to get it to the Caribbean where they wanted to put it in the BVI charter fleet. They needed a crew, so they contracted Dan and Susie to do the job. With the help of a 1st Mate, the owners and Dan and Susie sailed her to Trinadad. Dan and Susie managed the completion of her fitting and they sailed her to the BVI arriving last month. Their dreams are now coming true with day.
Dan is currently pursuing his PADI certifications and is following his interests in photography, 
discovering his new Caribbean sailing grounds, and his love for rugby. (Australia did beat England yesterday, but he missed the match because of entertaining Brokers all day.) Even though Susie has her Commerical Yacthmaster Certification, too, she has taken on the duties of 1st Mate and Chef. As part of her preparations for their new life she completed the Yacht Cookery Class from the Gables School of Cookery in Gloucestershire, England. She is loving the opportunities that are unfolding with creating her gourmet Caribbean cuisine using only the freshest ingredients possible. She also brings aboard her professional sports massage therapy, her love as competitive swimmer and triathlete.
The SEMPER FI was built by Robertson and Caine - the exclusive provider of catamarans to the Moorings. Sailing is the ultimate “green” method of seeing the world. One of her design criteria was to be as energy self-sufficient as possible. The owners worked with Paul Landino of eMarine Systems to design a state of the art solar and wind system along with an optimized conventional charging system. ( Paul is an accomplished Electrical Engineer who specializes in the design of efficient, green systems for the yachting industry.) These systems allow SEMPER FI to operate on a minimal amount of shore or generator power. They are using the same consciousness with the trash created from a charter, and when diving only take pictures and leave behind only bubbles.
Dan and Susie are SEMPER FI’s first crew and are guaranteed success because of combining their talents and experiences to create an unforgettable sailing vacation for the guests. Plus, I believe this is the first Leopard 46 that his arrived in the private chartering community. There great interest in this 4-Pack that is perfect for honeymoons, anniversaries, and family sailing adventures. They are a welcomed addition to the charter yacht crew family. I look forward to you discovering what I have with these two delightful professionals. Until next time…your Caribbean lifestyle reporter remains on duty.
