Sea Dog
Crew profile

Mike and Julie met soon after high school and have been inseparable ever since. While raising their family, Mike and Julie took family vacations up north which always meant time on the water boating, fishing, skiing, biking and lots of great memories with the family. They also traveled to tropical destinations to escape the cold winter months. When they took a family trip to the Virgin Islands they knew they would be back for good at some point. They bought a sailboat in Florida after their family was raised, spent time there and made the jump to come back to the islands after selling their home and everything they owned in 2019. They have run successful charters in the Virgin Islands ever since.

Captain: Mike Marier
Mike grew up in the land of 10,000 lakes and took full advantage of as many opportunities as he could to hit the lakes.

As a boy and young man he spent many summers up north at the family cabin taking advantage of all water sports. It’s here that Mike developed his love of being on the water. Mike has been an entrepreneur most of his life and has, along with Julie, run a personal training business, owned a fitness center and worked in the oil fields. In his free time, Mike enjoys working out, reading and ‘wrenching’ on things. Mike looks forward to showing his guests a great time and all the amazing experiences the islands have to offer.

Chef/First Mate: Julie Marier
Julie was born in Minnesota and moved to California as a young girl. It was then that Julie fell in love with the ocean and the peace and serenity it brought her.

Julie’s love of cooking and food started at a young age as her mother was a wonderful cook and teacher and had Julie in the kitchen with her. Because of her early start, Julie worked in the service industry in many different fields after moving back to Minnesota. Julie loves to cook a wide range of foods but her favorites are comfort style, using fresh local ingredients. Julie’s hobbies are crocheting, cooking, working out with Mike and people watching :).

Julie looks forward to having you and your family join them for an unforgettable experience. They hope to help others create lasting lifetime memories in their dream destination.

Captain: Nick Wilson
Nick has spent more of the last 20 years on the water than on land. He began his cruising career at the age of 20 in southern California, sailing an engineless 27-ft monohull from San Diego to the Sea of Cortez. After a decade of learning to sail and kiteboard while working as an engineer, he sailed to Hawaii single handed to pursue a career on the water as a Captain. He has driven thousands of charters and tours on everything from high-powered zodiacs to an 87-ft replica paddle wheel. In 2017, he took a sabbatical to prepare his own boat for sailing to the South Pacific, where he spent 6 months in the Marquesas and Tuamotus.

Chef/First Mate: Kate VanVorst
Kate grew up on the coast of Delaware and has loved being in and on the water from a very young age. She has spent the majority of her adult life in North Carolina, where she earned a degree in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management. Her catamaran experience also began in college, working as logistics manager and first mate for a liveaboard summer camp based in St. Maarten. Her cooking and service experience has included high volume beach bars, fine dining restaurants and private country clubs.

Kate and Nick met in St.Thomas, where they both relocated for work during the pandemic. After a successful charter season, they decided to take a season off and invest in their own boat. In 2022, they sailed Calypso, their 32’ monohull more than 4,000 miles from North Carolina to Grenada. The trip solidified their love for Caribbean cruising, and they look forward to running charters again on Sea Dog in 2024.