&Beyond Yacht Charters. All-Inclusive Crewed Yachts Charters

PHYSALIA

Detalles del yate

S/V Physalia, crewed and operated by her owners Chris and Kaya. Masters level marine scientists, Chris & Kaya can offer your clients a deep immersion into the ocean world, each of them able to engage in discussion on any point of curiosity about the ocean, geology, and wildlife that abound in the Virgin Islands. They also cater to specialty water sports including kitesurfing and wing-foiling support, as well as onboard SCUBA diving with diving instruction available. Possibly unique to Physalia, they even have a 15’ double/single scull crew-style row boat on-board in addition to their normal dinghy. They love treating their guests to out of the way anchorages, scenic naturalist guided hikes, fishing, free diving, paddle boarding, and kayaking. Their top-notch culinary offerings feature local ingredients and cuisines from around the world and have gotten rave reviews. The third member of the crew and official ship’s ambassador is a very well-behaved and well-trained local pup named Waldo who melts hearts everywhere he goes. Please consider them for your clients, they won’t be disappointed!

Plazas

6

3 camas dobles

Número de camarotes

3

3 baños en suite

Costo

Low Rate: USD 18000

High Rate: USD 23000

per week

Yacht Crew

MEET YOUR CREW - Captain Chris Stubbs and Captain/Chef Kaya Carrion


Chris has been sailing since he was a small child growing up surrounded by the barrier islands and marshes of the Carolinas. His first jobs were teaching sailing and then crewing larger monohulls which led to several months aboard a 120’ schooner in New Zealand at 18. At the College of Charleston, he doubled in Anthropology and Geology with a minor in Archeology while first working as a Divemaster and Aquarium Diver, and then later joining the scientific and marine crews aboard oceanographic research vessels. Chris continued working aboard research and survey vessels through grad school while completing his Masters in Geology at UCSB. In this time, he made the first maps of tens of thousands of seafloor methane seeps in offshore California, the Gulf of Mexico, and Siberia. He also began taking friends on epic bareboat sailing adventures in the Channel Islands while advancing his scuba background and exploring his new obsession of kitesurfing.

Following grad school, he continued working in the marine geophysical survey and oceanography industries beginning in Antarctica. In 2013, he established his own freelance consulting business, and to date has worked in all the world's oceans and continents while maintaining an excellent offshore safety record. A passionate maritime tour guide, Chris holds a 100-ton USCG Master Captain license and loves introducing his charter guests to the wonders of the Virgin Islands. A life-long extrovert, Chris loves meeting people from all walks of life and sharing stories. He spends his free time traveling, kitesurfing/foiling, trying to break out of the beginner ranks of free diving and wing foiling, and playing in the ocean with his wife Kaya.



Kaya was born and raised in Puerto Rico. She spent her life fishing, crewing, and living aboard boats traversing the British, US, and Spanish Virgin Islands, particularly Culebra Island where her family vacation home was located. Kaya was introduced into the world of scientific SCUBA diving at Florida International University where she obtained her Bachelor's degree and worked in a seagrass ecology lab. Kaya graduated summa cum laude, with undergraduate research experience, and membership into Phi Beta Kappa honor society. Her marine biology career continued soon after in the Virgin Islands, where she completed her Master's degree and expanded her diving experience, becoming a certified technical diver with TDI advanced nitrox and decompression diving.

More recently, Kaya’s marine science career focuses on tropical coral and fish ecology. Her diving experiences have been incredibly unique with hundreds of scientific dives completing surveys for coral health, coral reef fishes, lobster, and more. Kaya is also a highly skilled captain and holds a USCG 100-ton Master license. Apart from her ocean experiences, Kaya is fully bilingual and grew up in a family of passionate foodies including several professional chefs. Her food passion started with Puerto Rican cuisine, but grew after traveling the world where she learned and became passionate about authentic foods from Vietnam, Thailand, Mexico, Italy, Japan, Greece, Peru, South Korea, Morocco, and many other countries, cooking and learning from locals at homestays throughout her multiple backpacking journeys. Kaya can provide signature dishes from many regions of the world and cater to a broad array of pallets.



Kaya and Chris met on a marine science job in Culebra, PR in 2015 and were soon spending every free moment together. After the job, Chris followed Kaya first around Puerto Rico, and then began visiting her between jobs. Conspiring with her sisters, Chris surprised Kaya during a visit to see family in Ireland when she finally agreed to be his girlfriend. They have since crossed the US via campervan, traveled through dozens of countries, and lived in CA, FL, PR, and the USVI together. They have made a point of taking regional cooking classes as they have traveled the world, and take pride in being adventurous eaters. They are both passionate marine scientists with teaching experience at the university level, and love introducing their guests to the wonders of the ocean world. Their combined skills and experience offer travelers a broad array of options for indulging in all aspects of life at sea. They specialize in the BVI, USVI, and Spanish VI where Kaya grew up cruising and they both know intimately. Chris and Kaya got engaged on a trip to Australia in 2022 and celebrated their wedding in June 2024.

Be sure to follow Physalia on instagram! @sv_physalia




Water Sports
  • Icono de vector de un kneeboard

    Kneeboard

  • Icono de vector de una máscara de snorkel

    Equipo de Snorkel

  • Icono de vector de una persona en un wakeboard

    Waterski Sobre Tabla

  • Icono de vector de persona en kayak

    Kayak

  • Icono de vector de una alfombra flotante

    Floating Mats

  • Boarding Ladder

  • Beach Games

  • Icono de vector de una tabla de remo

    SU Paddle Boards

  • Icono de vector de un pez con un anzuelo cerca de él

    Equipo de Pesca

  • Icono de vector de un buceador

    Deep Sea Fish

  • U/Water Camera

  • U/Water Video

  • Kite Boarding

  • Icono de vector de un buceador

    Buceo Desde el Yate

Qué dicen quienes nos conocieron

Bucket list checked off! What an amazing trip! Kaya and Chris were amazing hosts. From their knowledge of the area, boats, and marine life, to the amazing, yummy delicious food. This was more than just a charter trip. It was an experience! An experience worth repeating. Of course, we can't forget Waldo. Perfect boat dog and host. Thank you, Chris and Kaya for fulfilling our bucket list!
Kim and Chris

- Physalia Charter Guest

We were the two who did not participate in the hardcore water activities but good gawd, Chris and Kaya were (to quote our other guest friend) Aquaman and Wonder Woman. Their knowledge base and expertise were nothing short of spectacular. Oh! But what might have surpassed their skills in all things land and water, the meals exceeded all expectations! From morning until evening we dined on fresh (sometimes caught that day) fish prepared and presented to perfection! It was as much a Caribbean vacation as a gourmet food tour. Anyone looking to tour the USVI or BVI need look no further than this gracious team. Johnny and Jane on the spot for every activity my other family and friends engaged in. Loved these past days and won't forget this time! Thank you Chris, Kaya, and Waldo!”

Tim and Suzanne

- Physalia Charter Guest

We have done much traveling with many guides. Never have I encountered hosts, captains, guides with as much passion, knowledge, enthusiasm, intelligence, grace, talent, diligence, meticulousness, energy, and joy as the two of you gave to us this week.
You are exceptional people and we are grateful for sharing your lives with us.

“May the four winds blow you safely home.”

- Physalia Charter Guest

Imagine the coolest couple you know, then make them cooler. Like some mystical hybrid between merpeople, Michelin chefs, and national geographic guides. People who honeymoon in Mongolia, take climate change data in Antarctica, ride reindeer, and dive below 200 feet.

Then imagine you get to accompany them for a week in their catamaran, where they curate an itinerary specific to your tastes and personalities. You want to drink all day on the beach? Done. SCUBA straight off the boat? Snorkel? Kiteboard? Paddleboard? Fish? Hike? You name it, they effortlessly make it happen. If you’re missing your pet, their dog Waldo is as loving as he is unobtrusive (coming from a cat person). Then the food. Kaya’s daily Michelin star quality ocean to table cuisine bordered on a religious experience. A mouth watering chicken recipe from a cooking lesson in Morocco, fish tacos from freshly speared lionfish, pasta made from scratch.

I have snorkeled all over the world, but I have never been accompanied by such ambassadors to ocean life. With masters in marine biology and geology, they showed us the world above and below the sea with unbridled passion and expertise. Like a long haired goddess from Atlantis, Kaya freedove 30 feet to turn over a rock and expose a shy sea star she carefully brought to us to examine (then returned it). We snorkeled into dark caves where Chris waited with a flashlight aimed at an otherwise invisible crevice housing a small lobster chilling with his shrimp friends. With preternatural skills, Chris knew how to avoid the hoards of cruise ship tourists, describe the best route to land to avoid rocks invisible to us mere mortals, and deftly threw on SCUBA gear in the dark of night to retrieve a pair of prescription glasses that had fallen overboard.

Tourists from other boats gazed longingly in our direction, always inching closer, desperate to be part of the magic we captured at each destination.

Bottom line, I would follow these captains to the ends of the earth. Your private charter is only as good as the people running it, and in this regard there is no parallel!

Love,
Marc and Karen”

- Physalia Charter Guest

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