Captain | Chris Seago | South African
BIO: A KwaZulu-Natal born and raised adrenaline junkie, who spent his high school years building a 32ft sailboat with his family and set sail to greater horizons after high school. From island hopping in the Caribbean, Bahamas and South Atlantic to settling in Fort Lauderdale. Chris joined the yachting industry late 1993 where he met his wife of 18 years & still happily married and in love. Chris got out of yachting for 6 years to raise a family and moved to Canada where he flipped houses. He has since moved back with his family and has resided in Fort Lauderdale for the past 8 years. When Chris is not at home spending time with his wife, 2 kids, 2 cats and 2 dogs – you’ll most certainly find him kiteboarding, cycling or dirt biking. Chris joined M/Y Como in April 2017 in France, after now owners, Mike and Terri bought the boat, Como was renamed M/Y ODYSSEA.
Captain | Duncan Stephenson | Rotational Cptn.
BIO: Duncan was born and raised in Cape Town , South Africa. Duncan's love of the water started at a young age when he learned to sail on dinghies. He has been hooked on the water ever since. He joined the yachting industry in 2003. When he's not pottering around on the water, he's rebuilding homes and spending time with his wife and young daughter. Duncan is easygoing and has a calm, genuine personality. His experience, meticulous attention to detail, excellent communication skills, and keen understanding of the charter industry means that MY ODYSSEA and her guests are in safe hands at all time and will have an amazing charter experience.
Head Chef | Tiago Laranja | American
BIO: Tiago was born in the coastal Lake Michigan town of Grand Haven, Michigan. Having started waiting tables in a cafe in high school, he always found himself drawn to the kitchen. After studying Food Industry Management at Michigan State, the yachting industry was calling; combining his passion for travel, cooking and hospitality. When Tiago is not on a boat, you will probably find him at the beach or on a hike. When he has a chance, he enjoys going back to Michigan to get a taste of its four seasons. Tiago started yachting in 2019 and hasn’t looked back
Engineer | Gary Wienburg | South African
BIO: Gary grew up in the sunny Cape Town suburb of Sea Point, South Africa. As a child Gary would have been found taking apart the microwave, the lawnmower, and other household machines, just to see what was inside before putting them back together. He spent holidays water skiing, afternoons swimming or playing water polo, and weekends volunteering for the National Sea Rescue. Once he finished studying, Gary spent 10 years working as a marine engineer and moved up the ranks to Chief Engineer in 2018; after joining the superyacht industry. If Gary isn’t home in Cape Town or out at sea, he’s likely visiting family and exploring the world with his Florida native wife.
First Officer | Hayden Laubscher | South African
BIO: Hayden is from Johannesburg, South Africa. He grew up fishing, cycling, and pretty much doing any sport he could get his hands on. As time went on golf and fishing soon became his favorites, but it doesn't stop him from having a friendly game of football or touch-rugby whenever the opportunity arises. After school he followed in his father and brother’s footsteps and studied Accounting. A craving for the outdoors always had him staring out the window, looking for his next big adventure. Now, living his dream of working outdoors, Hayden has enjoyed every minute of his yachting career, and always pushes himself to learn more and give all guests the best possible experience. Hayden joined ODYSSEA in May 2018 and has loved every minute ever since.
Bosun | Michael Burt | American
BIO: Hailing from Scituate, Massachusetts, a small coastal town south of Boston, Michael’s love for the water began early. Graduating from University in spring of 2019, Michael quickly realized an office job wasn’t for him and found himself pursuing a career in yachting. When the work day is over, Michael is eager to get behind a boat on the wake surf or wakeboard. However, he is currently in the process of mastering the hydrofoil. In the rare occurrence you find him off the water, Michael is An avid skier, chasing the best powder day. s. Michael looks forward to welcoming you onboard and making every experience a memorable one!
Deckhand | Nick Alvarez | American
BIO: Nick was born and raised in small town, Scituate Massachusetts. Although he is new to yachting, he was raised in a family of commercial lobstermen and has spent many long days on the ocean. Nick was drawn to Marine sciences at Coastal Carolina University but found that sitting in a classroom wasn't the way forward for him. Yachting was the perfect blend of working outdoors while growing his knowledge of life at sea. When Nick is not working he spends his time offshore fishing with family and friends. He enjoys playing soccer, a game he has loved his entire life , as well as skiing in the cold winters of New England
Chief Stewardess | Hayley de Jager | South African
BIO: Hayley is from Johannesburg, South Africa, where she completed her Honors degree in Psychology. She worked in a Center for Autism for 2 years and spent a lot of time volunteering at a Crisis Call Centre and a Community Youth Development Organization. Hayley started her yachting career in April 2018 in the beautiful city of Antibes. Like many of the crew aboard, Hayley loves being active and chooses to lead a healthy lifestyle filled with outdoor explorations. Hayley has a passion for animals and loves every moment spent with a furry friend. She developed a great love for travel and the ocean while on family vacations, which were mostly oriented around scuba diving and learning about new cultures. She takes great pride in her work and hopes to use her passion in hospitality to ensure all guests have a once-in-a-lifetime experience onboard.
Stewardess | Holly Bicknell | South African
BIO: Holly was born and raised in a small town called Mazowe surrounded by lakes in Zimbabwe, and attended boarding school from the age of 5 where she developed a passion for rowing and went on to represent her country competing in the sport. Growing up around the water Holly is very enthusiastic about all kinds of water sports, swimming and diving and also enjoys skiing, snowboarding and any sort of adventure in her free time. Shortly after finishing high school in 2020, Holly made her move into the yachting industry and has been working on boats ever since.
Stewardess | Ashley McWilliams | South African
BIO: All the way from sunny South Africa, Ashley was born in a small city called Port Elizabeth. After finishing school, she moved to Stellenbosch and then Cape Town to complete her honors in Psychology. While completing her masters is her end goal she decided to pursue yachting as she grew up on sailing holidays with her family. Being on the sea is her ultimate happy place, as well as going on adventures in her free time and living an active lifestyle. She’s also worked in the hospitality industry for 10 years and is dedicated to giving guests onboard M/Y Odyssea the best experience possible.
