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 2023.
