Your Crew
Xander Head Captain
Crew Profile
---CAPTAIN XANDER---Your skipper, Captain Xander, grew up near St. Louis before moving to Arizona to study finance at Arizona State. He spent his initial years out of college behind a desk working for a large wealth management firm. During a trip to Croatia, he fell in love with sailing and quickly realized that office life wasn’t going to be in his future forever.
In 2016 Xander moved to Chicago, purchased an old sailboat, and spent summer evenings and weekends on the water, sailing around Lake Michigan. After a couple of seasons, he decided that the short Chicago summers and splitting time between the office and the lake weren’t enough so he left the finance world to pursue a career in sailing.
Xander has spent most of his time sailing in the Caribbean, Adriatic, and Great Lakes. His favorite part of the day is when the engines are off and you’re truly sailing. Xander is always happy to show guests the ropes and teach a thing or two about sailing. His goal on every charter is to deliver an unforgettable experience and leave guests with a passion for sailing.
---FIRST MATE TAYLOR---
Your chef/first mate, Taylor, was born in Sydney, Australia but grew up in Los Angeles, California. While pursuing a degree in Art History at TCU, she spent a semester abroad in Florence, Italy studying Italian Gastronomy and Culture. It was during this time that Taylor realized her passion for food which allowed her to refine her culinary skills.
After graduating Taylor began working for a family in the US, preparing meals and helping care for their child. She was fortunate to accompany the family on extended trips around Europe and Africa, exposing her to more unique cuisines and cooking methods.
Having visited 50+ countries, Taylor loves drawing on her experiences traveling to create inventive dishes in a wide array of culinary styles focusing on simple, local ingredients. In 2018 Taylor decided to go from kitchen to galley and started working as a chef on boats. She has worked on sailboats in the Adriatic and Caribbean. Her goal on every charter is to ensure some of your favorite memories are the beautiful sunsets and the amazing food accompanying them.
Xander and Taylor first met while working on charters in Croatia before moving to the Caribbean. Both are extremely passionate about yachting and love delivering the best possible charter for all guests. With 3+ seasons and over 60 Caribbean charters together, Xander and Taylor will ensure your itinerary fits perfectly for your ideal vacation. The Virgin Islands have so much to offer and they can’t wait to show you some of their favorite spots!
**Captain Xander and Chef Taylor are both fully vaccinated**
Xander and Taylor look forward to welcoming you aboard KaYachtic!
