CARTE BLANCHE

Captain: Michael Crosby

Michael Crosby – Captain
Michael was born into a Massachusetts commercial sword fishing family. He started working on fishing boats at the age of 12 harpooning on the Georges Banks off New England and long-lining on the Grand Banks off Newfoundland. After college he joined the US Coast Guard and went to Boatswains Mate Class ‘A’ School. Michael was a coxswain and a rescue swimmer at Search & Rescue Stations. Michael became a yacht captain in 1990 and since has cruised extensively throughout New England, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and S.E. Asia. He holds a USCG 3000 ton Ocean Master's License with endorsements from the Marshall Islands, Cayman Islands, and St Vincent & the Grenadines. Michael routinely updates his certifications including Advanced First Aid, Advanced Ship-board Firefighting, Celestial Navigation, Advanced Radar Observer with ARPA, Global Marine Distress and Safety Systems. It's always "Safety First" on Carte Blanche.

Katie Brewer – Chief Stewardess
Katie was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, and went to a French immersion grade school. Prior to joining the yachting industry, Katie earned a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature from Ohio State and worked in oncology counseling. Running a fine dining restaurant, Katie was able to gain invaluable hospitality experience and perfect the art of service. Her yachting career has taken her to many places, with Alaska, Croatia, and the Exumas being her favorite spots so far. Katie enjoys yoga, film, and when time permits a good book. She looks forward to making your stay onboard Carte Blanche a memorable one.

Gene Fittery – Chief Engineer
Gene is originally from Philadelphia PA. He spent his younger days at the New Jersey shore fishing and boating with his family. His 30+ year career on the sea began with his enlistment in the US Coast Guard in 1982. There he spent over 4 years serving in the engineering department of various shipboard and land based duty stations. This is where he received the basics for a lifetime of engineering. After leaving the Coast Guard, He was hired by the Forbes family aboard their private yacht, The Highlander. He spent the next 21 years as the Chief Engineer of the yacht. Gene has met many interesting people over the years and has been to some of the most beautiful places in the world. He is an experienced diver and loves to boat and fish. Today he lives in Margate FL with his wife and three children.

Jake Griffith – First Mate
Growing up in Palm Beach, Florida, Jake has never been far from the ocean. Jake developed a love for diving, free diving, and spearfishing. He is the go to guy on Carte Blanche for catching lunch, our own underwater assassin! Jake discovered yachting while volunteering for the Florida charity, Freedom Waters Foundation. With Freedom Waters, he took children with cancer and other life threatening illnesses out for fun and relaxing trips on the water, using boats that were donated by local yacht owners. When Jake isn’t on the water he is on the ice, playing hockey in a recreational league. He is a hardworking individual with a team first mentality and he is excited to share his love of the water with you and to make your experience aboard M/Y Carte Blanche as fun as possible

Emma Farndale – Chef
Emma grew up in Northern England and St Andrews, Scotland where she studied Chemistry at University. During this time she spent many of her days on the North Sea competing in 37’ yachts and dinghy racing. After leaving higher education, she moved to London to train as a chef in a French restaurant. From here it was a natural progression to transfer her cooking skills to the water and find work on large sail yachts in the Mediterranean and Caribbean. Having travelled extensively world wide, Emma is constantly looking for new techniques and fresh ingredients to make the dishes on board original and the best that they can be.


Meghan Stewart – 2nd Stewardess
Meghan grew up in Hopkinton Massachusetts, a small town just outside of Boston. Her love for the ocean began at a young age while spending her summers growing up on Cape Cod and the Islands. Meghan’s passion for the water is a family trait. Her oldest brother is an accomplished fisherman who has landed record Bluefin Tuna. Her brother Brian is a 12 year veteran of the USCG. Meghan caught her first sailfish in Hawaii and has loved fishing ever since. When Meghan is not out on the water she enjoys competitive horseback riding, snowboarding and traveling. After working at a luxury retailer for almost 10 years, Meghan decided it was time for a career change. Her spirit for adventure and experience in hospitality landed her in Fort Lauderdale where she was determined to pursue a career in yachting. Meghan is a bright and energetic crewmember who is excited to make your stay on Carte Blanche an unforgettable experience