Luxury Motor Yacht 'Te Manu' - Crew Profiles

Luxury yacht Te Manu will be chartering in the Mediterranean this summer and the Caribbean during the winter. She was superbly built in 1998 by Codecasa and is an extremely impressive yacht with an equally impressive crew of 11 who are dedicated to making your cruise a very warm, personal and memorable experience. Here is a run down of their experience and skills.

Mediterranean & Caribbean Charter Location Info >>

Luxury yacht Te Manu Captain: Dave Johnson (American)
 
 
Captain Dave Johnson was born in the United States. He was brought up & educated in the North West of England where he completed his academic studies in 1989. Dave graduated from Liverpool University with a degree in Mechanical & Production Engineering. His professional yachting Career began in 1990 when he sailed on the Motor Yacht 'Stefaren' a 54 meter Brooke Yacht built in Southampton, England and Dave served on deck for 2 years before obtaining the necessary qualifications to take over as the yachts First Officer. He held this position he for over seven years, whilst working for two different owners and working with different captains. Dave joined M/Y Te Manu (ex M/Y Andale) as the first officer in April 1999 and during this time he completed four Atlantic crossings and numerous coastal voyages throughout the Mediterranean as Captain. In 2004 Captain Dave received the award for the best captain of the year.

First Officer: Phil Baker (New Zealand)

 
Phil was born and raised in Christchurch, New Zealand where he qualified as a cabinetmaker and gained experience in Antique restoration. Phil has worked on yachts for over 22 years and completed his 3000 ton Masters license in 2002. He is a world travelled yachtsman who likes to explore different cultures and enjoys hiking. Phil has been a valuable crew member aboard Te Manu since 2002, where he joined in Tahiti and cruised the Pacific, Caribbean and Mediterranean.
 

Chief Stewardess: Suignette Van Den Berg 
 
In 1997 Suignette begin a new career in the Yachting industry in the United States. During the next four years, Suignette worked successfully as a stewardess on several sailing and also power yachts. During her career she has and travelled extensively throughout the Caribbean waters and also up and around eastern coast of the United States, Canada and the Mediterranean. Suignette joined Te Manu in 2001 cruising the Pacific and later became Chief Stewardess. She is dedicated and always looking to make the most out of every situation.

Chef: Joanne Dew
 
Joanne has completed a 4 year long Diploma in Professional Cookery & Food Management at the Cape Town Technical Hotel School. She also has a three-year Diploma in Cordon Bleu cooking. Since 1995 she have been traveling and working throughout the world. Joanne enjoys cooking with robust Mediterranean flavors as well as cuisine with an interesting Asian influence.. She joined been on the yacht since April 2001 where she is a well loved Chef and Crewmember. 

Chief Engineer: Finn Abramsson
 
Finn was born and raised on a Island named Aeroe in Denmark. After his school studies, he became a Ships Mechanic apprentice for Soeby Shipyard. After completing his 4 year apprenticeship served in the Danish Army for nearly 2 years. After his time in the Army, Finn went to engineering school in which he spent some sea time in the Merchant Fleet. His love for travel and devotion to his line of work has driven him to pursue his career in the Yachting Industry. Finn joined Te Manu in December 2006 and has enjoyed the opportunities to meet people from all over the world and to see so many beautiful places.
 

Bosun: Dudley Salt

 
Dudley was born in Cape Town, South Africa and was raised in a small town called Swakopmund, Namibia. After enjoying farm life where he found his interest for hunting and fishing, he moved back to Cape Town to complete his academic studies. Following his love for the ocean Dudley joined the Te Manu crew in March 2007 as a deckhand. After completing his Yacht Masters and becoming a Jet Ski instructor he was promoted to Bosun enabling his meticulous skills on deck to be passed onto others. Dudley enjoys spending his spare time diving and surfing round the hot spots of the world.
 

Stewardess: Kate Morrison
 
Kate was born in New Plymouth, New Zealand and then moved down to Christchurch, where she completed her schooling. After her studies at boarding school she followed her parents footsteps into the hospitality industry, specializing in restaurants and wineries including managing a busy city café in Brisbane, Australia for 2 years. Having a taste of the hot climate in Queensland she took up flying for the Virgin Group where she had the chance to visit the many tropical sites of the South Pacific Islands. The travel bug then took her to Fort Lauderdale to seek a career in yachting, pursuing her goal to see more of the world. Kate joined Te Manu in December 2008 granting her the opportunity to capitalize on her love of travel and interest in people.

Stewardess: Myla Trestiza

 

Myla grew up in Manila, Philippines and moved to France to begin her Yachting Career. After completing 4 years in the industry on both private and charter yachts, she decided to get her feet back on land and fulfill her childhood dream of becoming a Nurse. Her nursing Diploma was completed in California where she practiced for 2 years. She joined Te Manu in Fort Lauderdale and has been on board since May 2007. Myla brings a lot of hard work and energy to the boat, and her love to help others is valued immensely.

2nd Stewardess: Iloise Moolman
 
Iloise was born in Pietersburg, now known as “Polokwanie,” South Africa in 1983 and was raised in Cape Town. She is the second oldest of four sisters. Iloise is an active person with a love for outdoor sports. She has competed on a provincial level in Jet Ski racing and surfing for Western Province in South Africa. Iloise loves travelling and studied Travel and Tourism. Iloise realized soon after her first employment as a travel agent that she has a lot more of the world to see and accepted an opportunity at a summer camp in the US, Wisconsin as a Ski Instructor for an all girls summer camp. Once she had completed the summer she went on to travel through the states eventually meeting up with Te Manu in The Bahamas in May of 2005, making her dream come true of travelling and working at the same time.