C A P T A I N | Jaco Pieterse
Yacht Master Ocean 200 Ton Unlimited

Captain Jacobus Pieterse spent his childhood growing up grew up along the ocean and in the city in his native South Africa. He originally hails from Empangeni, which is a city in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, approximately 157 kilometers north of Durban, set in a hill countryside, overlooking a flat coastal plain and the major harbour town of Richards Bay which is 16 kilometers away,
A very friendly, easy going and accessible person, everyone just calls him JACO (pronounced Yako). Besides swimming, Jaco excelled at rugby and boxing as a youth. His love of the water moved him on to a yachting career, he now has 30 years of experience on the water, from chartering, diving, and delivering yachts, both power and sail.

Jaco is an easy to talk to person, who has a sense of adventure and relishes exploring new places. He spent a lot of time cruising the Indian Ocean, which he loves for its vast unspoiled areas. He arrived to Saint Maarten about 6 years ago and has been cruising the local waters there ever since. The area has become a home of sorts, and Jaco has designed interesting venues for all types of guests, depending on what they want to do, be it intensive watersports, horse back riding, touring, or just quiet pristine places to relax. He feels the service on board should tailor to the guest’s preferences. From a friendly casual atmosphere to a refined discreet silver service, Jaco will deliver what fits!

His motto is “Be honest and real to yourself and others”. His straightforward enthusiasm and attention to details ensures an excellent charter on board Yacht Eclipse!

CHEF VALERIE VINCENT:
Valerie grew up in Antibes, France, surely one of the most famous yachting towns in the world! Her guests can especially enjoy Mediterranean cuisine from her galley; she easily specializes in French and Italian, as well as Spanish cuisines. Guests also rave about her more local Caribbean style Creole cooking along with other international meals.

Having started out in St. Tropez as a yacht chef a few years ago, Valerie has a well-rounded background, she’s a great photographer and fashion stylist. She is great with kids, having a diploma in Child Care and having worked at summer camps. She loves to read, sail, hike, and participate in sports, and has a lot of volunteer work under her belt!

Her service style on board can be either discreet or interactive, depending on the guests’ requirements. She’s serious about her work and her cheerful, benevolent personality makes her adaptable and determined to provide the guests with the finest cuisine to their specifications. She believes in good things and feels everything is possible!

CHIEF MATE – MARCO DE VILLIERS:
Marco is from Welkom, South Africa. He and his 2 brothers spent time on the farm and in the city growing up. As a child Marco pursued soccer and motor cross, and enjoyed a lot of fishing.

In 2018 Marco decided it was time to see more of the world, and he followed his curiosity and love of the ocean to begin sailing. He decided he really liked yachts and watersports and has been working aboard various vessels ever since. His travels introduced him to one of his favorite locations, The Bahamas. There he was able to hone his yacht and water based skills and learn more of the beautiful underwater world.

Besides his love of the ocean, Marco is a musician and DJ, Besides being there to assist in watersports and adventure, he will see that the music and fun is just right for guests aboard. He is a friendly, hardworking, and helpful part of the Eclipse crew!

His motto is the “Life is amazing and is what it should be!”

CHIEF STEWARDESS – MERUGIA VELDKAMP:
Marugia is from The Netherlands. An adventurous soul, she spent time in Australia acquiring skills that have been a great aid to her job on board Eclipse. She has been waitress, hostess, barista, and bartender and also worked as a housekeeper and a social counselor. Some of her favorite activities are water sports, singing and Salsa dancing! But, do not let that sweet demeanor fool you, as this athletic young lady is also a black belt in Tae Kwon Do! Marugia started working on Eclipse as the second stewardess, but her job performance and dedication now have her in the position of Chief Stewardess. She always looks forward to hosting and serving the guests aboard!


2ND STEWARDESS – STEPHANIE