SKIMMER

MICHEAL AND JENNIFER LANG:

Michael and Jennifer's love affair with sailing evolved from a desire to travel at a pace slow enough for all the colors of the world to soak in and leave a stain. They are adventure seekers on a quest of discovery, excitement and thrills. You can rely on them for exposure to places seldom visited and being introduced to a lifestyle outside of ordinary.

Michael is originally from Silicon Valley outside San Francisco, California. He approaches life as an everlasting expedition always in search of the next adventure. His career prior to working as a Captain on charter yachts was spent working in the Renewable Power Industry for a Wind Turbine Manufacturer based in Denmark. He worked in the field installing new generators and maintained the Renewable Power Facilities during power production. Later he worked in after-sales operations to coordinate resources and engineering support as a Product Platform Specialist, Key Account Specialist, and Data Analyst. He has constructed, and troubleshoot power plants all over the United States and overseas in Germany and Denmark. But Michael left the corporate world in search of a bigger adventure.

Their wanderlust for exploration developed into a dream to build a Catamaran capable of ocean passages. In 2012, they found a suitable Catamaran in the early stages of construction that needed a new builder to finish. A year after taking over the project they launched it for the first time. It is presently 45ft in length, with plans to extend it to 52ft and an amalgamation of modern multi-hull design concepts for open ocean cruising. A significant construction milestone positioned them in a palpable position to operate charter yachts in the Caribbean while refining the final aspects.

To embark on a lifestyle of travel, they put their careers on hiatus, sold their home and booked flights to the Caribbean to work on crewed charter yachts.

In 2013, they moved to the British Virgin Islands to start their first season as a Captain and Chef team. Michael and Jennifer operated a number of different charter catamarans in the 45-60ft range. A highlight was being part of the crew delivering Richard Branson's 105ft catamaran to Florida. At the end of their first season, they found full-time positions on AdAstra, a 57ft Lagoon catamaran to operate for their 2nd and 3rd season. Then operated Catsy a 62ft Sunreef Catamaran for their 4th season. Over the course of four seasons they have operated over 60 charters, including voyages in the British Virgin Island, Spanish Virgin Islands and the Saints (St. Maarten & St. Barths).

Michael is happy to be a guide for outdoor activities, sailing and water sports. His practice in addressing challenges has fostered an even-keeled character, reinforced with the patience to reap the potential of hard work while leading life with imagination. He accentuates the pursuit of his dreams with a can-do attitude. Michael enjoys sharing his life experience with guests.

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Jennifer is originally from the beautiful Pacific Northwest near Portland, Oregon. With a passion for fresh local food and world cuisines, she went on to develop her craft as a chef by earning a degree from the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. As part of her schooling she traveled to Paris, France, where she honed her skills and specialized in patisserie. After seven years as an executive chef for tasteful startups, and a jaunt in artisan bakery, she was ready for a new challenge by pursuing a career in health care. While attending Portland State University, she worked as a professional nanny and personal chef for busy families. The culmination of these experiences is that today she is both an outstanding yacht chef and stewardess.

Now, as Chef on Skimmer, she is excited to be back at her roots, allowing her adoration as a chef to shine through. She has high standards for quality food. Her methods of cooking from scratch with raw ingredients cater to fastidious and well-trekked palates. Jennifer is an expert when it come to food allergies (gluten, soy, egg, nuts, dairy, shellfish etc.) because she lives with one of the most difficult food intolerance afflictions. She has a genetic autoimmune disorder that prevents her from eating gluten, called Celiacs disease. She will provide a safe haven for those with allergies or other dietary restrictions. Jennifer doesn't eat chocolate, she loves to garden, and she is a perfectionist in (and out) of the galley.

Mate/Steward: DAVID SHILTON

David Shilton, affectionately called “Naval” by his friends, grew up in the coastal town of Knysna, South Africa, in the district aptly named Eden. With spectacularly beautiful and consistently perfect weather, conditions are ideal for year around boating and watersports activities. Naval started sailing as a schoolboy, competitive dinghy sailing, canoeing, and excelling at rugby. The year the school Principal wrote a report that stated “David is the backbone of the rugby team” was one of his proudest moments.

However, Naval’s acknowledgement as a team anchor was just one of many accolades. In 2007, 2008 and 2009, he won various men’s single-handed sailing championships. This perfect candidate for the Navy joined up after finishing school, studied seamanship and trained as a diver. He represented the Navy in two world championships and sailed the Cape to Rio Race 2011 as the Watch Captain for the navy yacht.

Naval went on to work as a commercial diver, a skipper, a guide, and a captain on passenger and charter yachts. He completed numerous ocean crossings and has extensive experience in worldwide racing. When he is not at the helm in a professional capacity he is usually found out in his own boat, fishing, skiing, diving, tubing, or just cruising around. He is elated to be part of the crew aboard SKIMMER and sums up, “I have always loved boats. Sailing as a sport has always been my passion. Yachting as a career just came naturally.”