An exceptionally qualified and widely experienced captain, Harry has been in the yachting industry for over two decades and has logged more than 100,000 sea miles.
His impressive credentials include licensing from three countries. He holds a Master Class 4 3000-gt license together with RYA Yacht Master Ocean, Yacht Master Offshore Sail, and Yacht Master Offshore Power endorsements, all from the UK. He also holds Australian Master Class 5/Commercial Captain and Marine Engineer licenses and South African Marine Engineer Officer Class and Yacht Master Offshore Sail licenses.
Born in South Africa to Dutch parents, Harry began sailing when he was 12, learning the ropes on small boats built by his shipwright father. He raced 14-foot Paper Tiger catamarans and Finn-class dinghies, and competed in many provincial and national championships around South Africa. While serving in the South African Navy as a communications technician on strike craft, he was active in one-design keelboat racing all along the coast.
During his subsequent apprenticeship in Telecommunications and Electronics, Harry took a six-month leave of absence before gaining his National Diploma to help with a wintertime delivery of a classic Rhodes 77 ketch from Singapore to San Diego via Hong Kong and Japan. The crossing from Japan to San Diego took 47 days, during which this native of the southern hemisphere first saw snow it blanketed the decks for a dozen days.
Enthralled by his first offshore experience, Harry soon gained his Yacht Masters license and signed on as captain of yachts cruising in the Indian Ocean. He later sailed to Europe via the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, and since then his postings have taken him from one end of the Mediterranean Sea to the other; across the Atlantic Ocean; along the entire length of the US East and West coasts; to the Bahamas, Cuba, and Central America; and throughout the Caribbean Sea. He has also cruised the southern Pacific Ocean to Australia.
Prior to joining Northern Lights, Harry served as captain of a variety of notable vessels, including a classic Alden schooner, an ocean-going tug converted to a yacht, a Chinese junk, and several prominent large motor yachts.
In addition to his love of yachting, Harry has a deep interest in wildlife, and he is qualified as a National Park Ranger with Environment Australia. He also enjoys carpentry and fishing, and continues to race sailboats when time allows.
Harrys hospitable nature and wide knowledge of the worlds best cruising grounds make him ideally suited to be not only your captain, but also your host and guide during your cruise. It will be his personal pleasure to welcome you on board Northern Lights.
ENGINEER: JUSTIN HALLOCK
AUSTRAILIAN
Justin was born in 1981 in Tasmania with a spanner in hand and a love of anything mechanical. Growing up he spent a lot of time diving, and fishing on the far north east and west coast of Tasmania with his farther. At the age of 18 he joined the Specialized Transportation division of the Australian Army and was quickly deployed to East Timor to serve as a Peace Keeper in 2001. Upon returning to Tasmania he purchased and self managed a small Italian restaurant and take away outlet for over 18 months. In his spare time he achieved his dream of building and racing his own race car which to this day holds the top time for the quickest non workshop sponsored Skyline GTR drag car in Australia. Wanting to pursue a professional career and travel at the same time he decided to departed Tasmania with his love Michelle to join a busy charter yacht as a deckhand/ 2nd engineer which would lead him to his ultimate career goal of becoming an engineer upon a world traveling yacht. Since then he has cruised the waters of the Caribbean, Bahamas and the East Coast of the United States. With an enthusiasm for all things mechanical, oily and fun Justin would like to make your time aboard Northern Lights, a care free and enjoyable escape.
CHIEF STEWARDESS-SKYE HANDBY
AUSTRALIAN
Chief Stewardess Skye Handby grew up in Launceston, Tasmania. Early on the travel bug got her and in 1995 at the age of 17 she decided to see what else was out there. She started off by spending a year living in Brazil as a Rotary Exchange Student. Upon returning to Oz, she moved to Queensland where she undertook a degree in Hotel Management. The travel bug soon returned and after working in hotel marketing for 5 star hotels in Launceston, Wollongong and Brisbane she left to travel oversea once again. While enjoying the great experiences of living and working in the cooler climates of Canada and the UK she longed for warmer weather and cooler beverages. Luckily for her, she discovered yachting around this time and fell in love with the idea of the never ending summer. Through yachting she has had the chance to work as stewardess aboard yachts that visited the Mediterranean, the Caribbean and the East Coast of America and she remains fascinated by the never ending array of different cultures and people she meets along the way.
CHEF TBD
STEWARDESS: MICHELLE WILLIAMS
AUSTRALIAN
Born in 1982 in the far North of Queensland Australia, Michelle moved with her family to Hobart, Tasmania were she grew up. As all Aussie girls do, Michaelle loved the outdoors and any excuse to be out in the sun. After successfully graduating from the University of Tasmania with a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Finance and Economics in 2004, she gained employment as a Capital Financial Analyst with Hydro Tasmania. During this busy time in Michelle life she was able to fall in love with Justin Hallock and found herself ready to explore new sights and cultures. In pursuit of a job as a stewardess upon a world traveling motor yachts. Michelle left the corporate world and Tasmania behind with a handful of certifications in Sea survival, fire fighting, first aid, silver service and bar tending. Since joining the yachting industry, she has had the pleasure of being a professional crew member aboard both private and charter yachts. These yachts have cruised the Caribbean Islands all the way down to Grenada, the Bahamas and up the East Coast of the United states via Bermuda to New England. With a passion for travel and adventure and a friendly smile Michelle hopes to make your dream escape upon Northern Lights an enjoyable and relaxing experience.
FIRST MATE: TIM BREAN
AMERICAN
First Mate Tim Brean hails from San Diego, California
And enjoys mountain biking, surfing, diving and snowboarding. He grew up with a hammer and a chisel in his hand due to the fact that his family volunteered him to be the mater apprentice at their family run cabinetry business. He also dabbled with being an electrician around this time and a fireman and EMT. As a way to rinse the sawdust out of his system, he became very passionate about surfing. Most of his weekends were spent as a lifeguard along San Diego’s busy beaches. His quest for the perfect wave had him
On many a surf safari to Mexico and all the way to Australia. Then on a fateful night in a yachtie bar in San Diego in 2003 he was introduced to a way of melding his wanderlust with the water and next ting he knew he was a deckhand in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with Tahiti being the next port of call. Tim has enjoyed time crewing aboard yachts in the South Pacific, Central America and the Caribbean. All of this cruising experience allowed Tim to obtain his Yacht Masters offshore license.
Regency Yacht Vacations, Ltd. - Kathleen Mullen
PO Box 2238, Road Town, Tortola, VG1110, Virgin Islands
