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Kieran Bown
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Valentina Saenz de Regadera
![](https://www.centralyachtagent.com/yachtadmin/yachtlg/yacht5856/5856crew3.jpg)
Michelle Preciado
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Carmen De Vette
Captain Kieran Bown & First Mate Michelle Preciado
Kieran & Michelle met back in 2012 in Mexico whilst working in the dive industry as instructors and photographers. Since then they have been on an unstoppable adventure that has taken them across the Caribbean, Americas, Europe & SE Asia.
They have now been in the charter industry for 8 years and are definitely enjoying their home in the British Virgin Islands. A country full of history and secrets that has allowed them to slowly discover more and more as their adventure continues.
Both Kieran & Michelle were led to the ocean by a passion for scuba diving and adventure, it is was this passion that formed the foundation for a life destined on the ocean. Being on boats has been an integral part of their lives since they were young and it was a natural progression to move on to running sailing yachts in the Caribbean.
Michelle is your 1st Mate onboard. She’s an experienced sailor, holding her RYA Day Skipper, a PADI Dive Instructor and extremely competent Watersport’s instructor whether it’s surfing, foiling, wakeboarding or Free diving she’s got you covered. If that wasn’t enough she’s also professionally culinary trained and has worked as a yacht chef for 5 seasons.
Kieran is an accomplished diver as well as Captain. He enjoys most water sports and has a keen interest in marine life.
Following Irma & Maria in 2017, Kieran & Michelle spent 15 months living on Tortola rebuilding a hurricane damaged catamaran and returned it to the charter fleet. This was an invaluable experience for any charter crew rebuilding a yacht from the ground up and learning every aspect of the rebuild, repairs and upgrades along the way. Here they collectively developed a strong knowledge of Boat Building, Project Management and general Marine Engineering.
In addition to working on charter yachts, Kieran & Michelle’s other passion is adventure and photography. It is this combination that led to the birth of Panga Expedtions. For the past 10 years they have been travelling the world, capturing incredible footage from both above and below the surface and have been featured on countless National TV Channels/Online Media Oulets including Nat Geo, Discovery, Shark Week, GoPro & Google. Whilst enjoying brief sponsorships from GoPro, Light & Motion and other adventure sport companies to help capture incredible footage.
Chef Valentina Saenz de Regadera
Qualifications:
Associate Of Arts: Culinary Arts: Two year technical program. Professional cook for restaurant training
Personal Survival Techniques
Elementary First Aid
Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting
Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities
STCW & ENG1
PADI Advanced Open Water
Chef Valentina Saenz de Regadera was born and raised in the coastal city of Viña del Mar - Chile, by a Chilean mother and Argentinean father, she grew up in a house that blends the culinary traditions inherited by her European great grandparents with the Latin American flavors. From a very young age, she started cooking but it wasn’t until after graduating college that she decided to pursue her passion for cooking, moving to Argentina, where she went to culinary school in Buenos Aires. Her career would take her to work and live in countries such as Australia, Germany and Canada, visiting over 32 countries in the last 7 years. Extremely passionate about food and hospitality, she aims to give the best customer service with an eye for personal detail, paying tribute to that mix of flavors and sea side feel she grew up in.
Over the years she has worked in various kitchens, from trendy bars, to hip cafes, bistros in the mountains to high end restaurants in multicultural cities, constantly learning new flavors and techniques. She has a great sense of adventure, loves to dive, travel, sail and enjoy the outdoors and through her dishes you will travel alongside her memories, tasting the food from around the globe, with a Latin American twist.
Carmen De Vette
Qualifications
Carmen grew up on the West Coast of Canada, near Vancouver, BC. With a love for adventure and the outdoors, she spent much of her time exploring through hiking, cycling, and camping. Having European parents, she was blessed with many travel opportunities from a young age, allowing her to explore all across Europe & North America.
Carmen holds a degree in Biology from the University of Victoria. In November of 2023, her and her partner made the life-changing decision to move to Tortola. Since moving, Carmen has enjoyed the lush natural beauty of the British Virgin Islands and the myriad of opportunities for sailing, surfing, and hiking.
Although new to the charter industry, Carmen brings extensive experience in hospitality, having worked in various roles in restaurants, cafes, and in customer service. Most recently, she excelled as a host at a wellness resort on a private island, where she honed her skills in creating exceptional guest experiences.
Carmen is thrilled to join a team that embody her core values of community, healthy living, adventure and exploring what nature has to offer. She looks forward to sharing her passion for the outdoors and her commitment to outstanding.