Captain: Roland Schaeffer

Your Captain and Chef Roland and Vanessa, both vibrant, energetic and charming hosts, with an unfailing sense of humor hail from Cape Town South Africa, where they met through mutual friends while still in their 20’s. Married in 2010, they are both well-travelled and have chartered together since about 2012.

Roland has been boating since a very young age, hanging around the Royal Cape Yacht Club and offering his services as a boat cleaner, (literally starting from the bottom up) and being invited onboard on race days as rail bait! While remaining a keen boater, he went on to working as a industrial technician before becoming an entrepreneur. Owning his own business afforded him the flexibility to keep sailing, and Roland assisted or captained on a variety of long-distance sailing yacht deliveries, accumulating in excess of 100 000Nm. It was during one of these yacht deliveries to the Caribbean, Roland discovered the world of charter yachts.

While in her 20’s, Vanessa embarked on a live-aboard dive vacation in the Red Sea. Her first live-aboard boating experience inspired her to abandon her life in the South African hospitality/culinary industry and set a course for new horizons. Vanessa was for many years in the restaurant industry, from South Africa, to Europe, to South and Central America to finally owning her own eatery in the prestigious London-Marylebone area. Vanessa’s mom was her first inspiration, teaching Vanessa to create dishes that please, and accommodating various dietary requirements.

Shortly after marrying, Roland and Vanessa combined their respective skill sets and moved from South Africa to Antigua to manage a live-aboard term charter sail boat. Between 2012-present, Roland and Vanessa have run charters from the Virgin Islands to Grenada, gaining an intimate knowledge of the leeward and windward islands on sailboats of different shapes and sizes.

Roland and Vanessa are both avid scuba diver/free diver, Roland also happens to be a PADI Instructor, Vanessa is a PADI Divemaster.

When not in the galley, Vanessa is swimming in the ocean or hiking on land, and she loves white water rafting. Roland’s love of sailing keeps him busy but he also enjoys kite surfing and heraldry.

First Mate Thomas was brought up in Durban, South Africa, where he fell in love with ocean surfing and free diving. He then joined the sailing industry in 2018, gaining sailing experience while voyaging 80 000 nm. Tom is not a typical “ achtie”—he's a true sailor with tons of traditions he loves to bring up on charter. Tom has a great reputation with previous guests, always striving to make sure they have a great time. He takes time teaching guests new and exciting sports (like kite surfing!) and takes time to explain what the crew are doing while sailing.

Engineer Jacob hails from the coast of New Jersey in the northeastern United States. Surrounded by a family of sailors, divers, and fisherman, Jacob's love and appreciation for the ocean developed from an early age. In 2010 Jacob's family traded their life in New Jersey for the warm waters off the pacific coast of Costa Rica. Jacob was first introduced to the yachting industry in 2016 and Immediately he knew he belonged. He excelled for the next five years fulfilling the role of steward/deckhand aboard sailing yachts executing luxury term charters throughout the Caribbean. In 2021, Jacob began pursuing his ultimate dream of becoming a ship's engineer; in early 2023 he got his chance. After accepting a lead role on Abide’s extensive refit project, Jacob’s mechanical skills and knowledge were honed and put to the test during a twenty-month yard period. Over the past eight years Jacob has cemented himself as a well rounded and competent crew member. So whether you need your oil changed, your sails trimmed, or your cocktail mixed to perfection Jacob is truly a jack of all trades.

Deckhand Elizabeth is from Houston, Texas, where she grew up sailing on Galveston Bay and where she fell in love with being in the water. She left the bureaucratic world of Washington, D.C., to pursue her dream on the water and has been in the industry since 2022. She looks forward to welcoming you aboard and facilitating your dream holiday!

Stewardess Samica having moved to the seaside town of Sedgefield, South Africa in 2014, fell in love with the ocean. It was this love for the ocean where her dream of sailing one day grew. She has always loved the outdoors and the beauty it provides. So come 2024, she was driven by this desire to complete her certifications as Competent Crew and Day Skipper. During this period, Samica became ever more inspired by the culinary world. This inspiration to be a qualified chef in future coupled with the dream of sailing is what drives her, and is looking forward to her adventures at sea.

Not available for Sale or Charter in the USA.