Crew

Captain – Peter Martin

Born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, Peter spent his vacations on the Cape where he found his love for the ocean. After working in the service industry during his early years, he quickly found himself in management positions. Having managed many successful nightclubs and restaurants he finally opened his own Portuguese restaurant with a childhood friend. After four years in the restaurant business, he moved to Florida where he discovered the wonderful world of yachting. Peter is well-known from the popular charter yachts ARIOSO and UNFORGETTABLE where he was Captain for over 11 years. For the last 12+ years, he traveled extensively along the East Coast of the USA, Bahamas, and the Caribbean. Peter and his wife Bronwyn have been a team since 2012 where they first met onboard ARIOSO. He is extremely competent, enthusiastic, and loves utilizing his hospitality background on charter. Peter holds his MCA Master 3000-ton license and looks forward to using his vast knowledge of yachting and chartering to create a safe and memorable vacation for all onboard motor yacht LADY J.

Chief Stewardess – Bronwyn Martin

Born and raised on the Wild Coast of South Africa, Bronwyn always had a passion for the open seas. In 2008 Bronwyn entered yachting and since then most of her experience has ranged from 130ft to 230ft yachts. Bronwyn recently completed a three-month course in Events Management and Co-ordination through the University of Cape Town and thereafter she gained her Sommelier Level One and Two certificates. Bronwyn holds the “Medical Persons Onboard” and “Medical Person in Charge” certificates and is well qualified in-service skills, bartending, event organizing and catering to all the guests’ needs. Bronwyn led her team to win the Antigua “Tablescaping” contest in 2012, competing with vessels ranging from 100ft to 160ft. Creating good memories and designing fantastic theme evenings for guests to enjoy is the best part of yachting for her. Bronwyn is an amateur horticulturist with a penchant for flower arranging. She dreams of one day opening her own florist shop in South Africa to continue bringing joy to people. Bronwyn also enjoys reading, fine dining, and painting in her free time. With Bronwyn’s friendly personality and great organizational skills, LADY J’s guests are sure to be happy and smiling throughout their charter.

First Officer –  Jarryd Vermaak

Jarryd grew up on Durban Beach in South Africa. He spent 6 years in hospitality where he played an intricate role in the progression of taking a Cocktail Bar to a successful franchise, ultimately opening several stores across South Africa. During this time he competed in flaring competitions (think Tom Cruise in Cocktail) and studied a Masters in Bartending. He also has a degree in Marketing and a Diploma in Advertising/Brand Management. Jarryd started yachting in 2009 and since then he has completed five Atlantic crossings and sailed around the Caribbean, Bahamas, U.S.A, Mediterranean, and the Gulf of Mexico totaling 60,000+ nm. Jarryd currently holds the Officer of the Watch (OOW) and is working towards his Masters’ license. He enjoys exploring the outdoors, traveling, adventures, diving, surfing, and longboarding.

Chief Engineer (Rotation) – Robert Buchar

Robert Buchar hails from New Jersey, USA and currently holds a Y4 Engineering license from the MCA and a 100GT Captain’s license from the US Coast Guard. At the age of 24, Bobby moved to the beach and started working for his brother as a Marine Diesel Mechanic. This exposure resulted in a love for the ocean and a desire to become a full-time Marine Engineer. Bobby quickly moved from being land-based to working full time on yachts. He initially started working in design and construction for a boat building company out of New Jersey, and then joined a 75′ Viking Sportsfish as Captain/Engineer, cruising from New York to South Florida between 2007 to 2010. Bobby has never looked back and has concentrated on his career as an Engineer with over 13 years in the business and having completed multiple trans-Atlantic crossings. Bobby’s other interests include fishing and off-road mountain biking.

Chief Engineer (Rotation) – Ben Mayo

Ben grew up on the scenic shores of Lake Champlain in Colchester, Vermont. After serving in the US Marine Corps and working in the auto service industry, he decided to pack up and head to Alaska to crew on salmon commercial fishing vessels. Ben then worked in the Gulf of Mexico aboard offshore supply vessels as a Ship’s Engineer which resulted in him cruising all over the world including Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, Iceland, Greenland, and the Caribbean. Currently holding a US Coast Guard Chief Engineer 3,000 KW License, Ben ensures that LADY J is in good mechanical hands. Since his start in the yachting industry Ben has worked onboard 130′ Motor Yacht APHRODITE, 164′ Motor Yacht MICHAELA ROSE, and 160′ Sailing Yacht GEORGIA. In his free time, he likes to travel the world and keep active by running and participating in varied water sports. 

Chef – Benoit Mercier

From Quebec, Canada, Benoit started cooking at an early age for his family where he would always prepare breakfast on the weekends. This led him to culinary school at the reputable École Hôtelière des Laurentides in Sainte-Adèle. After his graduation, Benoit traveled to over 30 countries and has worked in some of the finest restaurants around the world. From Libya to Bermuda and France to Japan, Benoit worked with amazing chefs and in particular, the Michelin star rated restaurateur, Hiroyuki Hiramatsu in Tokyo, Japan where he learned the Feng Shui way and discipline to run a kitchen. He then moved to the yachting industry to challenge himself further. Benoit has been an Executive Chef on yachts for over 15 years. He keeps up with the diet trends of today such as gluten-free, vegetarian, raw diets as well as creating his own superfoods such as chocolate, healthy preserves, and protein bars. In January 2015 he graduated from the Integrative Nutrition School of New York as a professional coach in improving health and happiness through nutrition. 

Bosun – Ronaldo Dos Santos

Ronaldo grew up on the East Coast of South Africa in sunny Durban. Having studied finance, he worked at Standard Bank’s head office in Durban but it was not long until he realized the corporate life was not for him. Having spent most of his time competing in water sports, he knew a life at sea would be ideal. Ronaldo joined the yachting industry in 2013, working in both the deck and engineering departments. Obtaining certifications for both departments, he continues to grow his knowledge and passion for the industry. He has cruised the waters of the East Coast of America, Bahamas, Caribbean, South Pacific, and the Mediterranean. Ronaldo received his Dive Master certification in 2014 and looks forward to showing the guests the wonderful waters of the Bahamas. Ronaldo enjoys interacting and bringing a wealth of experience to entertain the guests onboard LADY J.

Second Stewardess – Sarah McFarlane

Sarah grew up on her family’s farm in the beautiful Drakensberg Mountain range in South Africa. Whilst growing up she was exposed to the hospitality industry at a young age helping her mother with their Bed & Breakfast as well as her mother’s Cafe restaurant. After completing her University studies in Business and Entrepreneurial Management Sarah set off to travel the world. It was in January 2013 when Sarah decided to complete her yachting courses and join the yachting industry where she could combine her love for travel as well as her hospitality experience. Over the last 5+ years, Sarah has worked on both private and charter motor yachts traveling the East Coast of America, the Gulf of Mexico, Central America, South America, Europe, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean. Sarah has many seasons of charter experience working for and with Captain Peter and Chief Stewardess Bronwyn in both the Bahamas and the Caribbean and looks forward to using her skillset and sunny disposition to ensure LADY J’s guests have a memorable time on board.

Third Stewardess – Danne Cameron 

Danne is originally from South Africa and brings an eclectic background of hospitality and brand management experience with her to the Lady J. Before joining the yachting industry in 2017, Danne worked promotions for various industries from clothing to wine as well as bartending and waitressing with experience ranging from bistro-style to 5-star services. In her spare time, Danne enjoys reading, hiking, cooking, health, and fitness. She also enjoys fine dining/wine appreciation experiences.

Deckhand –  Bruno Mkhize

Bruno is from Durban South Africa, where he grew up on the beach and is a big sports fan. He is fluent in two languages, Zulu and English. He is a good communicator with an outgoing yet mature personality and a good sense of humor that allows him to be a successful team member. He loves traveling; his love for the ocean and traveling is why he is in the yachting industry. He has been in the industry for over 6 years and during that time he has traveled to South East Asia, Europe, USA, and the Caribbean. Bruno hopes to be a captain in the near future.