SEA DOG

Detalles del yate

CHARTER BOAT OF THE YEAR - CRUISING WORLD Lounging around on the flybridge a few steps removed from the helm station on a breezy afternoon in the Virgin Islands is pretty darned enjoyable. In fact so is strolling about the boat and taking in the expansive views from numerous vantage points. On this boat, the great outdoors literally pour into the saloon and sleeping cabins thanks to the wall of glass and overhead skylight that spans the saloon.It offers one master cabin with queen berth, lounge area, en-suite bath and equipped with TV and two additional spacious queen cabins each with en-suite bath.

Yacht Crew

MEET THE CREW
Captain: Alan Owen
Chef/First Mate: Iona Matheson

Al was born in South Africa. A country with an agreeable climate, warm water and therefore it should come as no surprise that at the age of 8 he was a regular at the local yacht club. That came in the form of racing in Optimist dinghies and so began his long association with boats and with water sports.

He moved to Ireland in 1997 and spent the next 8 yrs as an outdoor instructor. Disciplines covered included sailing, windsurfing, kayaking and paddle sports. Archery, indoor climbing, orienteering, mountain biking and swimming.
As a slight distraction he spent 13yrs as a police officer where he honed his skills in the art of dealing and communicating with people and their problems before returning to the world of boating.

Al has competed at national and international level in both dinghy and keelboat racing , and represented his country in kayak surfing at World Championships. Offshore racing in J 24’s had whetted his appetite to pursue a career in a maritime setting and he enrolled on a Professional Offshore Yachtmaster course . He then worked as Flotilla Lead and bareboat Skipper for Sunsail, Dubrovnik, Croatia, before setting his sights on the Caribbean where he has been a charter captain fulfilling a lifelong dream to captain a yacht in paradise .

When at home you'll find him hunting surf along the West coast of Ireland, either on a board, windsurfer or more recently his wing foil.

Iona grew up in rural Scotland, and was always eager to travel and explore. She went to the university Galsgow at seventeen where she obtained her Masters in Psychology and English Literature. While studying, she worked mainly in hospitality, funding her travels to Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Canada, and much of Europe.

Her love of cooking was ignited through traveling and attending cooking workshops across the world. Her personal favorite was learning how to cook Sri Lankan curry from scratch in a family kitchen, from lovely women who spoke no English. Her time in Gin71 in Glasgow was especially memorable as she was given the freedom to create a monthly cocktail special, run cocktail making classes and gin tasting experiences with groups of people in private functions such as bachelorette parties, corporate events, and birthdays. They also offered a five or seven course pairing menu with gin or wine. Iona worked closely with the kitchen in this role and absorbed so much knowledge about silver service, flavor combinations, alcohol tasting, and menu creation. She also discovered that she loved working with groups of people, presenting, and creating memorable experiences.

Besides hospitality, leading up to this point in her life, she has been working in outdoor education and watersports, fitness, travel and tourism. She has extensive experience with children, teenagers, adults, elderly, and people with disabilities, and absolutely loves to share her passions with people.

Iona’s career experience so far is well suited to becoming a yacht chef, because she can serve beautiful and delicious food but equally importantly, she can easily tailor the experience, the menu, and provisions on-board to what her guests prefer. Providing this personalized attention through the menu and food/beverage choices could be the difference between a good charter and a great charter.
She loves to balance flavor, texture, and color in her food, elevating classic favorites, and surprising people with creative twists and aesthetically pleasing presentations.

Iona does not shy away from cooking for dietary requirements: She used to be vegetarian/vegan for a few years (it was a phase), so she does have experience in cooking and baking vegetarian/plant-based/dairy free meals, and is confident in her ability to create an impressive menu with these specifications.

She recently furthered by culinary skills and obtained a culinary certificate from the The Avenue Of Cookery School in London.
She is also able to offer yoga, fitness, and kids activities such as water/beach games and acrobatics while on charter.

Al and Iona cannot wait to see you aboard Sea Dog and give you the experience of a vacation of a lifetime!