C A P T A I N | Ish Alexander
C H E F | Ashley Cook

Meet the resident crew onboard Southern Comfort!

As a child, Ish anxiously awaited the arrival of summer when he would head to his grandparents’ cottage in Ontario. The waters of Lake Huron became the playground where Ish learned to sail his grandparents’ 16’ Wayfarer. On any given sunny summer day, he could be found out on the lake struggling to untangle himself from a rat’s nest of lines or being caught by a sneaky gust that caused him to capsize. Those first few years with the Wayfarer served as a foundation for a great passion for sailing. After graduating from high school, Ish attended Prescott College in Arizona where he fed an insatiable appetite for the outdoors. College orientation, a 3-week backpacking trip through a canyon in Arizona, opened a whole new world of outdoor pursuits and possibilities. Over the next 4 years, he filled his spare time with surfing, backcountry skiing, white water rafting, rock climbing, stargazing, campfire-ing, and howling at the moon! A desire to sail in salt water persisted, even in the desert. Ish satisfied his salt water cravings with a job living and working aboard sailboats in the British Virgin Islands. Over 6 summers with Sail Caribbean, a summer camp for teens, Ish served as captain, fleet captain, and program director. He was able to also fulfill his aspiration to work on a commercial salmon fishing boat in Alaska before finally realizing his lifelong dream of leading unforgettable charters for guests in the Virgin Islands. His time in the VI has given him outstanding knowledge of the local culture and natural treasures to be enjoyed here. He has a deep love for these beautiful islands and the surrounding waters and is excited to share this passion with each and every guest who comes aboard.

Born and raised in Louisiana, Ashley grew up on soul food and southern hospitality. With her grandparents being travel agents, she started traveling at a young age, which sparked her interest for exploring other cultures and cuisines. After graduating university in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science, Ashley became an au pair on the coast of Italy where she was introduced to the Yachting Industry. Since then, she has been a chef on charters and deliveries in various places such as Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, French Polynesia and the Virgin Islands. Her love of travel has brought her to 50 countries, including England where she received her Culinary Certification from the Ashburton Chefs Academy. She’s also attended cooking classes all over the world, so guests are guaranteed a trip around the globe with Chef Ashley’s dishes.
Ashley’s love for learning doesn’t stop in the galley. She has received her PADI Rescue Diver certification and plans to be a Divemaster by 2025. She’s also working towards becoming a nutritionist by 2026.
Her love for food and the water grows with each season spent in the VI’s, and she can’t wait to create some unforgettable experiences for her guests.