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Meet
the Crew
Captain
Ben Raley and First Mate Rachel Haskovec are a young, energetic,
professional yachting and charter host team. Together they
have a deep passion for all of the adventures that the Virgin
Islands have to offer and enjoy sharing them with others.
As a couple they offer a charming graciousness that helps
people to feel comfortable and fully relaxed, and work closely
with every charterer to match their guest’s level of
interest with the right level of activity, dining, and relaxation.
Captain
Ben Raley
Ben was born &
raised on the Gulf of Maine, and has harbored a love of the
sea his entire life. Building his first rowboat with his father
at the age of six, Ben knew that the ocean was where he belonged.
At eight, he started sailing aboard a Rhodes 19’ and
by the age of 18, he made his way from Portsmouth, NH to Hawaii
via the Caribbean islands and Panama Canal aboard various
sailboats. Eventually settling in Washington State’s
Puget Sound, Ben taught sailing in a community sailing program
during the summer months and apprenticing under a local shipwright
in the winters. Finally aboard his own 32’ sailboat,
he was able to fulfill a dream of sailing back to New Hampshire.
Adventures along the way to fund his dream included, working
as a deckhand aboard ocean going tugboats hauling freight
through Southeast Alaska, commercial fishing for giant Bluefin
tuna, delivering sailboats along the west coast of Central
America, and working as mate aboard a luxury charter yacht
based in Petersburg, Alaska where he learned the finer points
of running top quality charters. Tropical seas calling him,
Ben focused his efforts on the Virgin Islands and has successfully
Captained two charter catamarans based in the BVI. Ben is
excited to be aboard Soterion, sailing the crystal clear waters
and trade winds of the US & British Virgin Islands.
Mate/Chef
Rachel Haskovec
Rachel was born
with an adventurous spirit, and grew up hiking, camping,
fishing, and eagerly exploring her love for the outdoors
near her childhood home in Boulder, CO. With a degree in
Business Marketing, she worked in sales for DEWALT power
tools in Boston, quickly developing a passion for the ocean,
enjoying swimming, SCUBA diving, sea kayaking and catching
and cooking the freshest seafood. Her fascination with sailboats
also started in New England, where she called on and worked
with the manufacturing facilities of Hinckley Yachts in
Maine and observed the construction process from start to
finish of some of the finest yachts in the world. Rachel
has also pursued her passion for food and entertaining,
working with the Culinary Institute of Montana where winters
included skiing and working in fine dining establishments
while the summer months involved rock climbing, rafting,
and racing sailboats on the largest natural freshwater lake
in the western US. Missing the salty air & vastness
of the ‘big blue’, Rachel left the US to live
and work aboard a sailboat and deliver her from Florida
to Bocas del Toro, Panama. Eventually spending extensive
time in Central America, Rachel founded Nicaragua Energetic
Flow Yoga, working as a full time traveling instructor at
6 resorts in the southwest corner of Nicaragua. She also
managed and cooked at a B&B guesthouse in the jungle
outside San Juan del Sur. As an athlete and yogi, Rachel
is adamant about using the freshest quality local ingredients
to create healthy and delicious meals that feed the body
and the soul.
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Captain
Ben
& Chef Rachel |
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Professional
and Courteous |
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Itinerary Set to Suit
You |
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Menu to Your Preferences |
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Gourmet Cuisine |
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Huge Choice of Watersports |
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Friendly, attentive
crew |
Your
vacation,
Your way! |
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"What
a wonderful week! We had always heard this was the best
vacation ever and you delivered!!"
"They
were absolutely the perfect crew, a blend of friendliness,
kindness, and professionalism"
Read more about what our guests say:
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Sample
Itinerary:
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