CAPTAIN (ROTATION)
JARRYD VERMAAK
Captain Jarryd was born in South Africa. He grew up in Durban and studied Marketing and advertising while working for a successful restaurant/cocktail bar opening new franchises around the country. Jarryd entered the yachting world in 2009 as deckhand onboard a 188’ Feadship. He has since crossed the Atlantic 5 times and cruised the Mediterranean, Caribbean, US East coast and the Gulf of Mexico. His hard work, attention to detail and ever-growing knowledge, along with strong communication and entrepreneurial skills paved his path up to Captain of busy private and charter programs. Jarryd first joined LADY J in 2015. His longevity and ample charter experience have allowed him to hone the skills necessary to provide a five-star experience to all guests. His lively, joyous personality ensures his guests are happy and relaxed while enjoying a memorable charter experience. During his free time, Jarryd enjoys diving, water sports, traveling, and reading.
FIRST OFFICER
PAUL SHELTON
Paul was born in Durban, South Africa and grew up surfing on the beach front. In 2009 he moved to London and worked on the London Underground as an electrician’s mate before moving to the Mediterranean to begin his yachting career. Paul started working on classic sailing yachts and spent five years on a 109-year-old classic schooner. While onboard, Paul took part in over twenty classic sailing regattas in the Mediterranean and Caribbean. Since then, he has worked on both sailing and motor yachts and climbed his way up from deckhand to first officer. Paul has spent most of his yachting career in the Mediterranean but his desire to have some time in America, led him to Lady J. During his free time, he enjoys playing rugby, surfing and more recently took up learning to play golf.
CHIEF ENGINEER (rotation)
MATTHEW STALLARD
Matt is from Winchester, Virginia in the Blue Ridge Mountains. He grew up sailing in the Chesapeake Bay and sport fishing in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. After earning a degree in economics from the College of Charleston, South Carolina he decided to follow his love for the ocean and pursue a career at sea. He has been onboard yachts for 15 years. When not turning wrenches, Matt enjoys being in the mountains hiking and camping, or on the water paddling and fishing.
CHIEF ENGINEER (rotation)
MICHAEL BISHOP
“Mikey” was born in Durban, South Africa where he grew up surrounded by water and became an avid surfer. He worked as a mixologist in cocktail bars in Durban before leaving to work as a Mechanical Mate for the London Underground Railway. After five years in London, he missed the ocean and moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida to begin his career in yachting. He began working as a deck hand, quickly finding his way to the engine room where he excelled. Nine years later he comes to Lady J as an extremely talented engineer planning to continue his education and attend more engineering courses during his free time. He currently resides in Mallorca, Spain with his beautiful wife and baby boy. Mikey considers himself lucky to work on a rotation schedule onboard Lady J so that he can be home and spend time with his family where they enjoy hiking, swimming, reading, and surfing.
CHEF
ANTHONY HORNER
Anthony grew up on the Mississippi river in Wisconsin. He attended the University of Wisconsin and obtained a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. He moved to France where he volunteered at an organic farm, and trained in an intensive culinary program focused on Gastronomic French Cuisine & Pastry. Anthony traveled through Central America and Thailand, where he acquired his Thai cuisine certification. He returned to the United States, and worked in a Spanish tapas restaurant in Miami, which led him to the world of luxury private yacht charters. While not whipping up culinary delights in the Lady J galley, Anthony enjoys training for Olympic distance triathlons, swimming, cycling, reading, playing trombone and bass guitar. While Anthony considers himself a jack-of-all-trades in the galley, his strength lies in Mediterranean, Thai and Central American Cuisine. With his well-rounded culinary expertise, Anthony intends to wow guests with his international flavours.
CHIEF STEWARDESS
NATALIE EDWARDS
Natalie was born in Sheffield, England. She is a fully qualified beauty therapist and in 2012 she took to the seas, working in the Spa onboard a cruise ship. She instantly fell in love with ocean travels and has never looked back, spending the last 10 years working overseas, from resorts in Greece and the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, to chalets in the French Alps, and on Richards Branson’s private island in the BVIs. In 2016 she joined the yachting industry, starting out on a 262' motoryacht in the Med. She is friendly and outgoing with a passion for pulling out all the stops to provide exceptional service with a smile. She loves exploring new places and trying new experiences. Natalie completed her open water and advanced diving certificates in Thailand and her 200 hour yoga teacher training in Goa, India. She has recently spent 3 months traveling South America where she enjoyed a mix of hiking and multi-day treks, to quiet days relaxing on beautiful beaches.
SECOND STEWARDESS
SOPHIA KAZADI
Born in Boise, Idaho, Sophie left to see what the world had to offer at a young age. After graduating from college, she embarked on a solo trip to Australia, and then lived in the Netherlands for a short period of time before joining yachting. She enjoys trying new things, experiencing new cuisine, and making great friends along the way. She is a bubbly, outgoing girl who is always ready to lend a helping hand. Sophie enjoys all things about the water, with a long background in competitive swimming. She loves to relax on secluded beaches with a book and some good music. She has a silly and sassy sense of humour and can always be counted on for a laugh or a specialty cocktail that will enhance your taste buds.
THIRD STEWARDESS
GILLIAN GIACHINTA
Gillian was raised in Leesburg, Virginia, developing a love for the outdoors, spending summers at the lake and winters skiing. She then attended the University of Tampa and obtained a degree in Biology. Her curiosity for the world and passion for the ocean led her to attend a Semester at Sea, where she traveled to multiple countries within Asia, Africa, and Europe while taking courses on the ship. This program sparked her love for living on the water and motivated her to pursue a career at sea. Yachting was an obvious avenue given her hospitality experience, the industry complements her adventurous, outgoing personality. She is passionate about creating memorable experiences for others as they explore the world, making her a great fit for Lady J.
BOSUN
TYLER FRANKS
Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Tyler grew up playing on his high school basketball and golf teams. Tyler then moved to Knoxville where he attended the University of Tennessee and studied Marketing. While in college, Tyler—an entrepreneur at heart—started up his own valet company which became and continues to be very successful. Throughout his life, Tyler has enjoyed boating on lakes all through Tennessee fostering his love for the water. His adventurous personality and his passion for exploring led him to pursue boating career which brought him down to Fort Lauderdale, and eventually onboard Lady J. During his spare time Tyler enjoys playing golf, basketball, fishing, and spikeball on the beach.
DECKHAND
ANDREW DUCKHAM
Andrew grew up in Pietermaritzburg South Africa and attended school in Durban. He worked as an apprentice mechanic which sparked an interest in engineering that later led him into the world of yachting. Andrew is currently pursuing engineering courses and working towards becoming a yacht engineer in the future. He finds great enjoyment in the yachting industry and continues to grow his knowledge while onboard Lady J. During his free time Andrew loves to practice scuba diving and is always eager to explore new places and cultures. Constantly active, Andrew grew up riding motorbikes in the bushes of South Africa and has spent time exploring Lesotho—he currently keeps fit in the gym. He has a passion for classic films and has recently taken up golfing with the crew of Lady J.
