Lady Joy

Captain: Chris Thomson

Captain (Rotation)
Chris Thomson (British)
Raised on the South Coast of England, Chris started sailing at an early age and travelled Europe sailing both competitively and for pleasure. Now a father of two, time for hobbies is limited, but whenever an opportunity arises, he loves to introduce his children to boat life on the family sailing yacht or take to the water windsurfing. His safety consciousness is more pronounced as a father than ever, and he ensures that safety is of paramount importance on board LADY JOY. When maritime weather conditions are unsuitable, Chris is more than likely to be enjoying a round of golf or a game of squash. Chris’s professional yachting career began over sixteen years ago, during which time he has also graduated from the University of Plymouth with a BSC honors degree in Marine Technology and completed his “MCA Master of Yachts License”. Chris has lost count of the number of times he has crossed the Atlantic and knows the Mediterranean and Caribbean like the back of his hand; he has also spent time cruising the Baltic, Indian Ocean and west and east coasts of the United States. Chris has several exciting itineraries in mind to suit your cruising dreams. You can be sure that Chris will put his all into making your stay on board LADY JOY the holiday of a lifetime.

Captain (Rotation)
Simon Alway (British/Canada)
Simon grew up in the West Country of England, becoming quite the sailor as a teenager during holiday trips on a relative’s yacht. After studying Yacht Manufacturing at Southampton University, Simon worked for a boat building company in the UK, and soon realized that he would rather work on yachts than build them. He then spent the winter of 1999–2000 sailing in and around the English Channel before joining his first motor yacht as a professional crew member in 2000. Since then, Simon has gained invaluable experience working on various yachts while cruising the Mediterranean, The Bahamas, Caribbean, the US east coast and has completed numerous Atlantic crossings. Simon is the father of two boys with his family home now in Montreal, Canada. With his knowledge, expertise and love of the ocean, Simon always makes sure that guests are provided with the utmost safety, care and enthusiasm and that they enjoy a fun and unforgettable cruising experience on board LADY JOY.

Chief Officer
Dan Waters (British)
Dan began his career in 2005 as a cadet in the Merchant Navy and completed a Bachelor of Science in Marine Studies at Plymouth University in England. During his cadetship, he circumnavigated the globe on a variety of commercial ships including several months on a sail training vessel teaching disabled passengers. Since then, he has worked his way through the ranks on a variety of yachts up to 160 meters in length. In his spare time, he enjoys going to the gym and running, but his real passion is fishing. Dan’s adventures have ranged from catching 200lb catfish in Spain to salmon fishing in Alaska! He is also a keen diver and some of his best ones have included swimming with hammerheads in the Galapagos Islands and hand-feeding bull sharks in Fiji. Whether you are looking for a chilled beach holiday or an action-packed adventure, Dan will always go out of his way to make sure that your stay on board LADY JOY is one you will never forget.

Chief Engineer (Rotation)
Nicholas Paul Cook (British)
Nicholas grew up in the south coast of England. His passion for engineering developed at a young age, having learned a great deal from his father. After graduation, Nicholas joined Sunseeker International as an apprentice build engineer, where he obtained his qualifications in Marine Engineering and Industrial Studies. After completing his apprenticeship, Nicholas worked overseas as a warranty and test engineer for Sunseeker International. His vast knowledge and experience in engineering was a natural fit for the yachting industry, and he has not looked back since! In his spare time, Nicholas is an avid diver and keen golfer who loves the outdoors!

Chief Engineer (Rotation)
Morgan Gregoire (France)
Morgan’s father was an engineer in the merchant navy, so he spent his spare time as a child playing with tools more than toys. Morgan studied as a heavy machinery and systems engineer in his hometown of Bergerac, France where wine growing is a prime industry. He first worked overseas in Sonoma valley at age nineteen during a harvest season. Returning to Europe, Morgan travelled to Italy, France, Spain and Germany upgrading cutting edge grape harvesters. He later took his mechanical skills to Australia where he worked on machinery for high output livestock farming. His next move was to South America overseeing a fleet of earth moving machinery used for building dams. Upon returning to Europe, Morgan was introduced to the marine industry in Holland, where he worked as a propulsion engineer. He was sent all over the globe and eventually contracted on a yacht in Malta, only to be offered a permanent job on board. Et voilà, nine years, 40000 miles, three equator crossings later, Morgan brings a wealth of experience to LADY JOY.

Chief Stewardess
Ciara Glossop (Papa New Guinea)
Ciara grew up in Papua New Guinea, and from a very young age, developed a love for the ocean. When she moved to England with her family, she studied at a specialist sports school in a small town in Devon. This is where she developed a passion for swimming, horse riding and all things active. Ciara loves to travel in her free time and one of her favorite places is Fiji where she hand-fed bull sharks on a cageless dive! Along with her father and sister in the yachting industry, she decided to follow in their footsteps and hasn’t looked back since. Ciara has a passion for high level service and her naturally happy, easy going disposition ensures that guests feel at ease and at home during their time on board LADY JOY.

2nd Stewardess
Alice Green (Northern Ireland)
Alice hails from Belfast, Northern Ireland. After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology and Criminology, she held various jobs in retail and then became VIP manager for a well-known local nightclub. A keen sports enthusiast, Alice became team leader of the Red Bull Ireland Wings Team, and also spent more than ten years playing high level netball, representing Northern Ireland and Ulster University. After embarking on a journey of self-discovery, Alice spent a month in India where she obtained her 200 Hours Yoga Teacher Training Certification. Having enriched herself in so many disciplines, Alice decided to join the yachting industry in 2017 and hasn’t looked back since! Yachting has allowed her to incorporate her love of adventure and travel with her passion for high end service. Alice looks forward to greeting guests with a flute of champagne and a warm smile, ensuring that they will enjoy every aspect that LADY JOY has to offer.

3rd Stewardess
Gina Zerman (South Africa)
Gina was born and raised in Durban, South Africa. After completing her Bachelor of Commerce Degree & Honours in Financial Management at age twenty-one, she decided it was time to immerse herself in different cultures and experiences around the world by joining the yachting industry. Besides basking in the beauty of the ocean and magnificent sunsets, Gina enjoys going for a run, working out in the gym, reading and baking healthy sweets. Gina’s bubbly personality and easy-going demeanor will ensure that our guests have a most memorable stay while on board LADY JOY.

4th Stewardess
Ashley Igesund (South Africa)
Growing up in Durban, South Africa, Ashley’s love of the beach and exploring nature came naturally. While working at local restaurants and bars for three years, she also studied for a degree in fashion design and then decided to venture beyond South Africa and explore more of the world. During that time, she was introduced to yachting and knew that she had found the perfect mix between her love of the ocean and her hospitality experience. Ashley always serves a drink with a smile and ensures that all guests on board LADY JOY will have a most memorable trip.

Chef
Megan O’Neil (American)
Megan, originally from North Virginia, spent five years of her youth growing up in Estonia and Saudi Arabia, traveling extensively with family and friends. This European and Middle Eastern experience gave her an insight into the exotic and creative flavors a dish could bring to the palette and instilled in her a love for travel from a young age. Megan spent many of her summers as a child at her grandparents' farm in upstate New York, where she helped her grandmother bake and cook. It was during this time that she developed a deep passion and love for food and appreciated the happiness it brought to others. Since then, she has continued to pursue her dreams by working in top restaurants, including The Inn at Little Washington, and graduating with a bachelor’s degree from Johnson & Wales University. She then decided to jump into yachting in order to combine her love for food and wine with an opportunity to travel. Megan has worked in yachting for six years while recently spending a season ashore in the Hamptons in Long Island, NY. Ultimately, she hopes to open a restaurant, the first concept being a gourmet sandwich shop and bakery. Megan is devoted to making each dish from scratch, including a plethora of freshly baked treats that are sure to entice your taste buds. She looks forward to creating new dishes for all guests on board Lady Joy.

Bosun and Rescue Diver
Dylard Lenard (South Africa)
Dylan was born in Cape Town, South Africa, but grew up in Bahrain, which he now calls home. At age thirteen, he moved to England to complete his school studies abroad. After graduating, Dylan found he was eager to explore the world, and decided to go on a six-month journey throughout Europe. During his travels, he realized that his love for the water would lead him into a yachting career. Returning to England, Dylan obtained the appropriate qualifications necessary to work on a yacht and is determined to work his way up the career ladder. He received his initial maritime qualifications in March 2015 and joined LADY JOY soon afterwards. Dylan loves sports, whether they are in or out of the water, and he brings his gymnastic expertise to the water on LADY JOY. Very passionate about his job and working in the yachting environment, he is excited to share his enthusiasm with guests on the deck, on the sand or in the water!

Deckhand
Timothy Gallagher (British/American)
Timothy spent the first half of his life in England before relocating to California to be closer to his father’s family. He was introduced to yachting by his parents who met while working in the industry. During high school and university, Timothy worked as a freelance wedding videographer. At university in Southern California he studied environmental science, and in his free time he seized the opportunity to learn to sail along the Pacific Coast. Timothy participated in local regattas and within a short time, became a sailing instructor. His love for the ocean and passion for teaching were a constant source of fulfillment. Outside of sailing and yachting, Timothy enjoys backpacking, world travel and studying ancient history. He managed to combine these interests during the past three summers when he took a job working as an assistant trench leader at a Roman harbor excavation in Greece. Timothy’s unique background and experiences bring a fresh perspective to LADY JOY.

Deckhand and Rescue Diver
Bradley Aleckson (Australia)
Growing up on the pristine eastern coast of Australia shaped and developed Bradley's love and respect for the ocean. He learned to swim before he could walk and engaged in a variety of water sports including surfing, wakeboarding, skateboarding, snowboarding and more recently, kite boarding. Bradley graduated with high honors at Griffith University in 2016, obtaining a Bachelor of Commerce Degree with a triple major in finance, economics and financial planning and was awarded the University Student of the Year Award in 2016 for the Finance Industry in Australia. Realizing that the corporate world did not align with his adventurous leanings, Bradley decided to travel the world and began his career in yachting in 2018. As Bradley’s family ran a commercial fishing business operating a prawn trawler, he brings a wealth of fishing experience to Lady Joy. He is not only a certified rescue diver with extensive experience diving the Great Barrier Reef but is a trained surf life saver as well. His extensive experience will ensure that he will always have his eyes open when assistance is required in or on the water. Bradley brings an array of skills and understanding to the Lady Joy team and looks forward to catering to her guests' needs.