BELLA CONTESSA

Captain: Bill Kurtz

Captain - Bill Kurtz

Bill was born in Illinois between the cornfield and the beanfield. His parents moved to south Florida when he was 10 years old. He hit the ocean running. Fishing, surfing, at first. Then sailing, windsurfing, waterskiing, scuba diving were daily activities while growing up.
He was first offered a mates job on a 56' Hatteras and obtained his Captain license. He was the build Captain on the 116' Margaux, which was a very popular charter yacht. He chartered Margaux for several years throughout the Bahamas, and Caribbean in the winter, and New England in the summer. When his family started to grow (wife plus three children) he left the Charter side of yachting for private motor yachts: 118' Alcor, 112' Ubiquitous, 96' Ches Soirée, 112' Attitude. He loves the Bahamas and all it has to offer, but most of all enjoy's showing guest's all the treasures and his secret favorite spots. Captain Bill welcomes you and your guests to a fun, active vacation aboard 112' Bella Contessa.


Chef - Kimberly Ann Kurtz

Education/Certifications: Founders Award Graduate, Johnson & Wales University, Providence, Rhode Island
Languages Spoken: English

Chef Kim was born in Holyoke, Massachusetts and raised in suburban Enfield, Connecticut, hours away from the ocean that she loved so much. As a child, she loved to read, paint, and most of all, bake. She mastered pastry and soon her pies were in high demand. During her college years, she took part in several specialized programs that allowed her to travel to Egypt and Europe. She briefly returned home following graduation, but seaside life beckoned and she moved to Florida. This is where she met her future husband, Bill Kurtz (captain of the BELLA CONTESSA), on a blind date. He opened up the world of yachting to her, so she gave up her position as a travel agent and joined him on a successful premier Caribbean charter season. She has never looked back. Her travels have taken her to many exciting destinations, but her favorite place is Greece where her dearest friend from college resides. Chef Kim brings her culinary skills and passion for life at sea to her role as Chef aboard BELLA CONTESSA.


Stew - Nora Marie Frisch
Education/Certifications: CPR
Languages Spoken: English

Nora Frisch was born in Jacksonville, Florida and grew up in North Palm Beach along the Atlantic coast. When she was younger, she divided her time between the beach and babysitting. Her love of the ocean brought her to the world of boating in 2007 and she’s never looked back. Nora’s background includes 10 years in the service industry and eight years in private yachting before joining the crew of BELLA CONTESSA.

She is an outgoing and friendly person who enjoys meeting new people and believes that every day is a learning experience. When Nora is not at sea, you’ll find her working in her yard at home or out with her friends. She looks forward to welcoming you aboard BELLA CONTESSA with a big smile and a helping hand.


Mate - John Thompson
Languages Spoken: English

John was born in Nassau, Bahamas, his family lives in Deep Creek, Eleuthera, a small coastal settlement, which farming and fishing are the mainstays of the area. John has 9 brothers and 2 sisters Growing up around the sea, fishing and diving was always and still is, his main interests. By the time he was 16, he was working as a mate on a fishing boat. After winning a few local tournaments, he had proved himself as a mate. Through his 20's John fished all over the Bahamas and got his Bahamian Captain's License at 25 years old. He started running sport fishing boats for various yachts between 40' to 100'. John is interested in all sports, but basketball and the Miami Heat will always be his favorite. John's passion is fishing and loves to teach people about the fish, diving and boating. His best qualities are honesty, patience, knowledge of the ocean and his outlook on life. His motto is "One day at a time". John truly considers the Bahamas as the best place on earth and brings a wealth of knowledge to Bella Contessa.