**** Returning Crew - Heiko and Rebecca were previously on sailing vessels 3 Sisters, Felix, Tedavi and Big Nauti. Thrilled to have them back now on Sail Away!
MEET YOUR CREW for 2024/25 season
CAPTAIN: Heiko Franken
CHEF: Freelance Chef Leanne Ho-Chung
STEWARDESS: Rebecca Wu
Heiko, born and raised in Germany, is an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore. He left his job in IT management in 2014 to begin his dream to travel. Initially intending to be away for about a year, he soon realized that going back to an office-based job did not feel right for him anymore. Since then he has travelled throughout South and Central America, Europe, Southeast Asia, Africa and Australia. During this time he visited 30+ countries, speed-hiked the Camino de Santiago, hiked up 5000m high mountains, learned to speak Spanish, went scuba and freediving around the world and had many more beautiful experiences above and below the water. He is a Freediving Instructor and PADI Divemaster. Heiko loves to be out in the blue of the ocean and enjoys sharing his passions as a guide by creating safe and unique experiences.
Rebecca was born and raised in New York City but has lived all around the world since 2004. After graduating from NYU in 2002 with B.A. in Economics & Psychology, Rebecca worked in the financial services industry in New York and Hong Kong. A trip to Australia in 2005 changed her life - she learned to scuba dive on the Great Barrier Reef and fell completely in love with scuba diving. Two years later, she left the concrete jungle and trading floor for real jungles and sea floors.
She spent two months diving her way around the Philippines, three months on a marine conservation expedition in Madagascar and four months completing her Divemaster internship in Malaysia. Afterwards, life took an unexpected turn and she found herself living in Sweden for a year, where she discovered her love for sailing and life afloat. Still holding onto her dream to teach scuba and share the underwater world with others, she put her plans for sailing to the Caribbean on hold to become a PADI Instructor in 2009. She has worked in Thailand, Hawaii and Indonesia for a over decade in nearly every facet of the scuba diving industry, from guiding and instructing to dive center and resort management to working on a liveaboard. She loves life in the tropics, surrounded by water, nature and wildlife and thrives on sharing her passions with her guests.
Heiko and Rebecca met in Utila, Honduras while they were doing their Master Freediver course in 2015. After several years of working in different countries and flying across oceans to see each other, they decided to create a life together in 2020. Their mutual love for the ocean, travel and exploration led them to obtain their RYA Yachtmaster Offshore qualifications together in Gibraltar in 2020, sailing thousands of miles along the coasts of Spain, Portugal and Morocco, dodging the infamous orcas along the way. Shortly afterwards, they crewed their first yacht together in the USVI and have been flourishing as a team ever since.
They are passionate about providing a highly professional level of service in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere while creating the most memorable experiences for their guests. They love getting to know you and tailoring each charter to your preferences and desires, allowing you to kick back, relax and enjoy. With a deep love and respect for the natural world, they maintain a strong focus on environmentally aware hospitality and best practices to ensure minimal impact on the environment.
Heiko and Rebecca are back for their fifth charter season in the Virgin Islands after three four seasons running a total of 50+ charters. This dynamic couple is excited to be on Sail Away for 2024/25 and look forward to welcoming you aboard, showing you the wonders of the Virgin Islands and creating memories to last a lifetime!
Chef Leanne
Leanne, born and raised in Sydney, Australia, donned her backpack when she was 18yrs old and has been on a worldwide travel and work adventure ever since.
Having completed a Hospitality Traineeship at TAFE College, Sydney in 1996, her extensive experience in the service industry has facilitated her to work in countries such as Hong Kong, England, parts of Europe and Canada, to name a few. She has been a children’s ski instructor in Austria and Australia, as well as a TEFL English teacher in Cambodia.
Her love of different cultures and the ocean led her to Roatan, Honduras where she completed her PADI Dive Master. In 2013, after four years in Central America she took the opportunity to assist in a boat delivery from Honduras to the BVI where her new career in the culinary world began.
Since 2013, Leanne has delighted guests with flavors from around the world, keeping meals balanced and nutritious whilst including plenty of decadent options to satiate any palate. Extremely adaptable, she can accommodate a wide range of dietary requirements and guest preferences.
Leanne looks forward to making you delicious food that matches the beauty of the British Virgin Island surroundings.
Leanne has worked on Sail Away for a couple of years and is now a freelance chef onboard.
