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.
Michelle Preciado
Qualifications:
Certificate in Professional Cookery
Level 2 Award in Food Safety in
Catering
PADI Open Water Instructor
STCW-95
RYA Competent Crew
RYA Day Skipper
ENG-1
RYA VHF Certified
DAN Insured
AIDA Level 2 (Freediving)
EFR Instructor
Chef Eva Gooijers
Eva is a Dutch yacht chef with a deep passion for travel-inspired cuisine and thoughtful, creative cooking. Before entering the yachting industry, she worked as an online editor for the largest culinary magazine in the Netherlands. A sailing holiday ignited her love for yachting, inspiring her to completely change her path and pursue life at sea as a yacht chef.
Over the years, Eva has cooked on yachts in Greece, Croatia, Italy, and French Polynesia, and since 2025 she is based in the British Virgin Islands. She draws constant inspiration from traveling, discovering local ingredients, and dining at restaurants with cultural food around the world.
Eva has a strong interest in healthy food and nutrition and believes that nourishing, well-balanced meals can be both flavorful and satisfying. At the same time, she is a firm believer that enjoyment is an essential part of dining — with dessert being her favorite course to create. She places great importance on inclusivity in her cooking, carefully accommodating allergies and dietary preferences while designing menus where flavors, and presentation come together seamlessly.
Qualifications
STCW
Food Safety For Catering Level 2
Quarterdeck.co Academy
Glutenfree bread baking, The Bakery Institute
Cameron Keefe Stewardess/Deckhand
Cameron grew up between the rocky coastline and snowy mountains of Portland, Maine. While she’ll always love her home state, and skiing its peaks, her love for the ocean and warmer weather eventually pulled her further afield. After graduating from the University of Maine, Cameron joined the yachting industry in 2018, a path that has since taken her around the world. She has worked aboard both large sailing yachts and catamarans, from the crystal-clear waters of the Bahamas and Caribbean to the far-flung coasts of Patagonia, Alaska, and even Greenland.
Holding her Yachtmaster Offshore certification, Cameron brings a strong foundation in seamanship while balancing her role with a natural flair for hospitality. Her time managing a boutique hotel in Costa Rica gave her valuable experience in creating exceptional guest experiences, which she now blends seamlessly with her life at sea.
Cameron is happiest when she’s in or on the ocean- surfing, scuba diving, free diving, or simply under sail. She also loves hiking, traveling, and discovering new corners of the world. With her adventurous spirit, love for the sea, and diverse background, Cameron is excited to contribute to the crew and deliver an unforgettable season for guests."
Qualifications:
RYA Yachtmaster Offshore (Sail)
STCW 10
ENG 1
Power Boat Lv. 2
Security Duties
PADI Adv. Open Water
