Jason Stone
Jason grew up in Texas City, raised on video games, not yet knowing the opportunities that awaited out at sea. He eventually took a leap and joined the Army for four years. Then after working as an oil refinery operator for another five years, Jason was determined to find a way to escape the rat race. On a whim, he flew to Romania for lasik eye surgery and with the money saved, he booked a train to Greece and took a two week sailing course. Instantly, Jason fell in love with the lifestyle and quickly bought his own boat which he has been cruising on for the past 10 years.
With now over 60,000 miles of Caribbean island hopping experience, 10 Gulf of Mexico crossings, 2 trans-Atlantic crossings, Jason is always eager to share this world with others. A natural teacher and expert “Coconut Husker”, guests are easily entertained and welcomed to have as much of a hands-on, interactive sailing experience as they like. Jason also takes his knack for entertaining from behind the helm, to beneath the hull. As a PADI Dive Instructor an avid deep sea and spearfishing enthusiast, there’s so much to see and and new activities to try with his guidance. There’s nothing more rewarding than enjoying your own fresh catch, and learning the Captain’s famous Smoked Fish recipe!
The Exumas in the Bahamas have consistently been Jason’s favorite, especially for chartering. He loves how the winds are plentiful, but the choppy seas are minimal as the waterways are blocked by the barrier reef islands. Simultaneously, these reef islands offer so much within a small region that is smooth to navigate. Constantly exploring new places, Jason and Katie spend 6 months chartering to fund 6 months of getting further around the world in their monohull, Windy. Presently in Pacific Mexico, their next leg is Tahiti via Hawaii!
Katie O’Hara – Mate
Katie was raised in northern Idaho spending her winters skiing and summers swimming and sailing on lake Coeur d’Alene. Because her dad grew up in Hawaii, she enjoyed extended family vacations there from a young age, giving her an even stronger love of the ocean and waves. Healthy eating was always a huge part of her childhood and way of life. From a young age she fondly remembers having a large vegetable garden and fresh eggs from their family’s chickens, learning the delights of farm-to-table dining.
Before she could even reach the sink or stove, Katie loved pulling up a chair to help with meal preparation. She was taught all about cooking primarily by her father with an emphasis on fresh, healthy, quality food. Her earliest jobs were also centered around the kitchen training under various chefs. Once Katie started to travel, she found that she could combine her culinary experience with her passion for sailing.
As a yacht chef for the past three years, Katie has had some of her most memorable experiences in both Greece and Croatia, where she was in awe of the outstanding produce found in the Balkan region. She looks forward to this next chapter in the Bahamas on Miss Elizabeth where she can feature the local seafood with some Mediterranean twists!
