C A P T A I N | Alan Owen
C H E F | Eleanor Thomson

Meet the resident crew onboard Sweet Ann Marie!

Al was born in South Africa. A country with an agreeable climate, warm water and therefore it should come as no surprise that at the age of 8 he was a regular at the local yacht club. That came in the form of racing in Optimist dinghies and so began his long association with boats and with water sports.

He moved to Ireland in 1997 and spent the next 8yrs as an outdoor instructor. Disciplines covered included sailing, windsurfing, kayaking and paddle sports. Archery, indoor climbing, orienteering, mountain biking and swimming.

As a slight distraction he spent 13yrs as a police officer where he honed his skills in the art of dealing and communicating with people and their problems before returning to the world of boating.

Al has competed at national and international level in both dinghy and keelboat racing , and represented his country in kayak surfing at World Championships.

Offshore racing in J 24’s had whetted his appetite to pursue a career in a maritime setting and he enrolled on a Professional Offshore Yachtmaster course . He then worked as Flotilla Lead and bareboat Skipper for Sunsail, Dubrovnik, Croatia, before setting his sights on the Caribbean and fulfilling a lifelong dream to captain a yacht in paradise .
When at home you’ll find him hunting surf along the West coast of Ireland, either on a board, windsurfer or more recently his wing foil.

Eleanor grew up in the small seaside town of Dover in the Southeast of England. She grew up with a great appreciation of the outdoors, nature and adventure. Her mother, born and raised in Africa, and her father, having a military background, she has lived and worked internationally. As such, trotting round the world on her own adventure is something that has come very naturally to her!

At nineteen she left the UK to study Mandarin at Nanjing University in East China, a real-life highlight and a great food tasting opportunity. Since graduating Eleanor has travelled most of Far and South East Asia and has worked in China, organising cultural programmes for westerner students – a very rewarding role. She is passionate about authentic experiences and the best of local food and culture.

During the pandemic, she took a corporate travel job in London. It gave her a detailed understanding of the travel and hospitality industry, however she needed to get back to the frontline. She was keen to do something that combined all that she loves most; cooking, meeting great people, good weather, and an adventure! Since starting her dream job, she has worked as a chef on private charters in Greece and Croatia, and now the U.S. Virgin Islands.