Born and raised in Dallas, I moved to Colorado at the age of 20 to finish up my degree at the University of Colorado. After school I spent 18 years in Colorado and had a career as a financial auditor and a volunteer firefighter. In 2009 I realized my life-long dream of owning a boat and cruising the world. I cruised my boat along the Gulf and East Coasts of America for a year, the Bahamas for another year, and finally made it to the Virgin Islands.

By the time I arrived in the Virgin Islands I learned that entertaining guests aboard my vessel was my favorite part of the experience.  Since then I have been a charter boat captain for 12 years and 170+ charters… and counting. I have run charters in the Virgin Islands, the Leeward & Windward Islands, the Greater Antilles, and Central America, becoming quite a staple in the Caribbean charter scene.

I have always had a love for cooking and during my long chartering career I have developed many highly received dishes. In fact, I have written a successful cookbook called “Cooking On The Guiding Light” that is filled with recipes I cook on charter and stories from my cruising life. My homemade bread become famous enough it has earned me the nickname “The Bread Captain”.

In addition to being a captain and chef, I love to teach sailing as an ASA instructor, taking people snorkeling to see what is under the sea, free diving, playing board games, sharing my passion for the history of the various areas I have visited, and basically anything else that makes my guests have the “vacation of their life!” You can say that I have set the standard for certain types of charters.


Lilia Pacheco

I grew up in Guadalajara, the 2nd largest city in Mexico, with 6 brothers and a sister. As a person who always has had a quest for knowledge, I obtained a master’s degree in Design & Development of New Products from the University of Guadalajara. I starting my career as a high school teacher, but realized how awful teenagers can be (haha). Over several years I transitioned to becoming a university professor of marketing, which is a position I held for 17 years.

I have three wonderful grown children. My oldest is 29 and became a social media influencer…after obtaining her medical degree! What a world we live in now!!! My second daughter is 22 and studying to become a lawyer, but has become quite the business woman in the meantime. My baby boy is 21 and studying to become an environmental urban planner through the architecture school.

My Voyage
My time on a boat only started once I met Shane, but I have enjoyed every minute of it since then. We have cruised the Greater Antilles and Central America since I have been aboard. My favorite places to visit were Cuba, the Honduras Bay Islands, and Panama’s San Blas Islands. I never knew how much I would enjoy interacting with guests and making sure everyone is happy while I am assisting Shane to show guests the joys of each new location. My favorite parts of a charter is leading a morning workout on the bow, fixing breakfast fruit bowls, and game nights.

Moving Forward
Since meeting Shane I have moved full forward into this new adventure by retiring from my professor position. During the offseason I have loved the amazing adventures we have taken. From Shane showing my my own country to traveling down the Amazon River on a local river boat.

Motto
Well behaved women rarely make history!