SOLAR WAVE

Captain: Ufuk Turkes

Captain Ufuk Turkes
Captain Turkes grew up in a small farm village in Çanakkale, Turkey. Like Istanbul, Çanakkale province has both European and Asian parts, which straddle the Dardanelles strait, connecting the Sea of Marmara and the Aegean Sea. No surprise that as a child Ufuk was already passionate about the sea and was always boating. He also liked carpentry and began making wooden boats at age 10.

When Captain Turkes was just 15 years old he moved to Marmaris, Turkey, to pursue his dream career in hotels and tourism. He immediately found his first job at a hotel and launched his career in hospitality. Captain Turkes has always loved working with people and boating. It was a natural progression to merge these two passions into one career. At 27, when he began yachting, he truly found the perfect calling.

Captain Turkes has crewed on motor yachts worldwide. Most recently, he captained SOLAR WAVE all around the Med, Canary Islands, Cape Verde, on the Atlantic crossing to Barbados, to West Palm Beach and the Bahamas. He is honest, fearless and kind, even to pigeons. He recounts, “In Canary Islands, a tired pigeon joined my boat. She was tired with no escape to nearby land. She spent nine days total, as a guest on SOLAR WAVE. She traveled all the way from the Canary Islands to Cape Verde. She has a new life now, in a totally different country.”

In his spare time when not on the water, Captain Turkes takes to the roadways with his wife, riding his motorcycle all over the world, especially in the mountains and beach towns of Turkey. He is a charming host and a highly qualified Captain, holding a 500 Gross ton yacht master and RYA power boat certificate level 2. Guests chartering SOLAR WAVE can anticipate an extraordinary experience.

Chef Lauren Viviano

Guests rave about Lauren's menu. She grew up working in several Italian family restaurants and bakeries. Her repertoire includes many marvelous recipes handed down through the generations. But she is certainly not limited to Italian cuisine. She says, "Given my background, Italian/Mediterranean are obvious favorites, like Penne Pasta ala Vodka and mushroom leek soup. Modesty aside, I can cook almost anything without limitations, and can execute all types of meals, from formal diners to great beach barbecues." Friends describe Lauren as loyal and creative. She also has a playful sense of humor, evident in her motto: Life's short, eat dessert first!