PORT TO VINO Samana 59

Captain: Jeff Nichols

Nationality: American

Jeff and Caitlin have been working together since they met on the job at a dive shop in coastal North Carolina in 2010. Employment opportunities have taken them around the globe and back, settling in the BVI in 2012. They transitioned to crewed sailing charters from running dive boats in 2014 and haven’t looked back, logging over 150 charters with many happy guests who often return to make more memories. Their specialty is active, adventurous groups who want to explore all that the BVI has to offer above and below the water and love introducing kids to the ocean, so bring on the families! The BVI has been home for Jeff and Caitlin for many years but will always hold a special place as it’s where they were married on a beach in Virgin Gorda.

Captain Jeff holds a USCG 200 ton Near-Coastal Masters license and has been operating boats commercially for over 15 years. Hailing from Mississippi, Jeff cultivated his love for boats and the water in his adult life and can’t imagine doing anything else. He is originally trained as a high level dive instructor and naturally progressed to earning a captain’s license to operate the boats he’d previously worked on as crew. Running crewed charters allows for a more relaxed pace and the ability to tailor charters to each guest’s preferences, something that was more difficult to accomplish on dive boats. Jeff is a wealth of knowledge about the BVI, so make sure you listen in for “story time with Captain Jeff” while on charter.

Chef Caitlin also comes to chartering from a professional diving and marine research background but has been cooking since she was a small child and has the photos to prove it. She grew up in Pennsylvania and spent her formative years in the kitchen with her mom and Italian grandmother. Most of her menu items are cultivated through family recipes and world travels, bolstered by training at Ashburton Chefs Academy. She loves incorporating fresh, local ingredients with Mediterranean and Asian influences. Virtually everything Caitlin cooks is assembled from scratch, including an assortment of breads and pastas. She’s happy to accommodate a range of allergies and specialty diets. When her schedule allows, Caitlin loves getting in the water for guided snorkel tours with the guests, dusting off her marine science degree to talk about fish behavior and biology.
In the off season, Jeff and Caitlin spend time in the mountains of Western North Carolina where Jeff enjoys riding his motorcycle through all the twisting, scenic roads and Caitlin spends time volunteering at the local animal shelter. No better way to recharge after a busy charter season than with mountain views, crisp air, and not a large body of water in sight. They’re not able to have a dog on board during the charter season, so they “rent” as many as possible through the foster program at the shelter and take them out camping and hiking as frequently as they can!
Jeff and Caitlin are fully vaccinated for Covid-19.