GALAXY

Heine was born in South Africa to a sporting family that spent most weekends competing in sports or in the outdoors. After completing his senior year at high school, he got the opportunity to join his first super yacht. After his first couple of seasons, he found himself still yearning for the water and it became clear that he needed to follow his passion for the ocean. 11 years on and Heine is looking forward to a long, and successful career, aiming towards his Masters license.

Omer was born in Bar, a small town on the coast of Montenegro. As a teenager he spent his summer holidays working as a lifeguard and during that time he discovered his love for the ocean. After graduating from Maritime Nautical Science University, he joined the yachting industry. During his time working on yachts, Omer has obtained his Officer of the Watch license and sailed on one of the biggest sailing yachts in the world. Omer loves spending time in the water, swimming, paddle boarding and in the gym while training other people. He has an immense amount of energy and enjoys entertaining guests with water sports activities, whilst also ensuring that their safety is regarded with the highest priority.

Steven has spent most of his life in and around Cape Town, South Africa. For the last two years, Steven has worked for a yacht company where he was responsible for the installation of plumbing and systems on new builds. This led him to pursue a career in the super yacht industry where he could have the opportunity to put his skills to good use, travel the world and meet new people whilst gaining further experience.

Christiaan grew up on a wildlife farm in northern Namibia. He is passionate about wild animals, archery, sharp shooting and nature in general. He even had a pet giraffe growing up! He has been a rugby player most of his life, plating school grade and club rugby. Christiaan also has a talent for cooking where he completed in school grade chef competitions as a junior chef. When Christiaan isn't busy working on deck he loves fishing, diving and is always up for an outdoor adventure.

Jean is kind, outgoing and full of energy. He grew up in South Africa where his life revolved around sports and the outdoors. He has a great passion for golf, surfing and rugby. Jean joined yachting in 2021 where he wanted to begin a new adventure and travel the world seeing incredible places. He met his girlfriend Rebecca and since then they have been on a yachting adventure together. Jean is thrilled to be a part of the GALAXY crew and excited to grow within the yachting industry with hopes to work his way up to Captain in the future.

Nathan is from Yorkshire, England and is easily recognised by his Northern British accent. He joined the crew as a well-qualified engineer having studied for 4 years and then work for 6 years as an engineer on heavy machinery, specialising in hydraulics and welding. Nathan also has a hospitality background having managed a high-class restaurant owned by his family. This exposed him to all aspects of the service industry. Nathan is a self-confessed 'petrol head' (motorsports. fanatic!) but when he is at home, he also enjoys riding his two horses and playing polo cross. Nathan has won the regional snooker cup 6 years in a row and has a very eclectic taste in music.

Arrie was born in Bequia, St Vincent and loved sailing from a very young age after growing up in a fisherman's family on the sea. He had a desire to travel and explore the water so he joined the British Navy at the age of 20 where he spent 12 years as a fully qualified engineer. Seeking a new challenge, he joined BP and worked for 2 years on deep sea tankers. Arrie joined S/Y BLACK PEARL as 2nd Engineer and spent 4 and a half years in this role. After completing his Chief Engineer studies, he was looking for his next challenge and joined GALAXY. In his spare time, Arrie loves sports and has played football for the national under-17 football club. He also played basketball for the Navy and loves any racket sports.

Having grown up in the shipbuilding town of Greenock on the west coast of Scotland, Steven was surrounded by shipping from a very young age. Both of his grandfathers worked in the shipyards, one as a turner working with lathes whilst the other a draughtsman working with the design and planning of ships. After school, Steven undertook a 3 year engineering apprenticeship at the Glasgow Nautical College leading to an Engineering Office of the Watch qualification. He then worked for 2 years onboard the P.S Waverley, which was build in 1947 with a triple expansion steam engine. Steven's main passions are hiking, camping and motorsport.

Justin is from a little village called Duloe in Kernow, or Cornwall for the non-Cornish. He has been sailing since he was six years old. Justin completed an apprenticeship in electronics and telecommunications. After nine years of working for the Ministry of Defence he decided to live up to his surname and try his hand at yachting. He hasn’t looked back. Prior to Galaxy, Justin spent seven years working on the steam yacht NAHLIN. During his time on NAHLIN he cruised around the Caribbean, Mediterranean and Pacific. Justin’s spare time is dedicated to reading, mountain biking, computer games and modern jive. Executive Chef (Rotational) Gareth Evans Gareth’s passion for food was nurtured from a young age learning to cook with his grandmother in stunning rural New Zealand. Gareth spent 13 years prior to yachting in top restaurants and boutique lodges throughout New Zealand, and he was heavily involved in the local food community doing regular cooking demonstrations and seminars. Within that period, he won numerous culinary medals including the 2007 Young Chef of the Year and 2011 Kitchen Team of the Year. Gareth is excited to share his passion and love of food with you during your time onboard. Gareth is very passionate about New Zealand rugby on both a national and international front. Executive Chef (Rotational) Kieran Gilbert Kieran was born and raised in Newbury South West England. After moving to Bournemouth at the age of 16 Kieran was accepted onto the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Specialised Chefs Scholarship, where his career started. This Scholarship led him to the 5* country house hotel Chewton Glen where he stayed for 5 years, progressing through the ranks. After gaining experience in Michelin Starred restaurant and cookery school, Kieran decided to pursue a career in yachting, working on a number of boats in the industry including M/Y Tango, M/Y CHOPI CHOPIi, M/Y LADY S and the 134m M/Y SERENE. More recently he has been Head Chef at the 5* 3 rosette Vineyard Hotel and Spa. Kieran is active and in his spare time you can expect to fine him on the golf course, or skiing down the slopes and even getting an adrenaline fix!

Steven grew up in the Flemish part of Belgium and has spent the last 20 years working in restaurants specialising in French / Belgian cuisine with other European influences. Steven likes to travel and discover new destinations, cultures and new food. He has spent his time traveling around Europe and Asia. Steven’s hobbies including hiking / off road cycling and running.

Gillian hails from the vibrant city of Melbourne, with roots nestled in the scenic Yarra Valley - Victoria's own wine country. Her journey, deeply etched with passion and adventure, led her from an eight-year tenure in restaurants and restaurant management to the superyacht world in 2014. It was in the shimmering waters of Southeast Asia where she found a profound love for diving. As her voyages took her from the coasts of the USA to the Caribbean and the enchanting Mediterranean. When off-duty, Gillian's zest for life shines through diving, water-skiing, staying active, or savouring a fine glass of wine, all while soaking in the natural splendour around her.

Leah grew up in the seaside town of Mount Maunganui where at the age of 10 she competed in surfing and surf lifesaving events right into her adult years. Leah attended Auckland University of Technology where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in lens-based media and business. This took her to the Cook Islands as a Commercial Photographer for small wedding boutique. From there she discovered the yacht industry. Leah has been in yachting for over 5 years, aboard both charter and private vessels, providing a high level of service. With Leah’s creative side, she aims to give guests an unforgettable and unique experience with flair and excitement. In Leah’s spare time she enjoys scuba diving, fishing, surfing, and is up for any outdoor adventure!

Hannah grew up around the beaches of Europe, surrounded by family and friends involved at many different levels within super yacht industry. Hannah moved to the USA four years ago with her parents and proceeded to join to yachting world just as they did. She loves traveling and experiencing different cultures, so this lifestyle suits her well. She enjoys swimming and any outside activities. She is very social and will help you with any needs you may have.

Rebecca was born in England however has lived most of her life in Wales. Rebecca loves to travel and recently spent some time in Savannah, Georgia exploring the historic haunted grounds to travelling to the southern hemisphere to visit south African where she enjoyed many wine farms in Cape town and even managed to tick a bucket list item off by sky diving out of a plane. Rebecca enjoys every moment of life, which led her to become a yacht stewardess – to travel the world and share experiences with incredible people.

Maeve is from the Outer Banks, North Carolina in the United States. She spent a good part of her childhood in the Netherlands and travelling the world with her parents who are in the air force. This is where her love of travel began. Maeve worked in a small wine bar in the Outer Banks where she grew her passion for service. After studying criminology and homeland security she decided to try something new and yachting seemed like the perfect career to follow. Maeve enjoys reading, journalling, water sports.