MAGNUM RIDE Yacht Charter

Captain: David Meyer

Captain David Meyer - Capt. David has been on the water since as long as he can remember. Growing up in Central Illinois he spent his summers running boats on Lake Michigan, Lake of the Ozarks and the rivers of the eastern half of the United States. As his family migrated south he added the Gulf of Mexico, Florida Keys and Atlantic Ocean to his CV before he was fifteen. He ran his first 40 meter yacht at age nineteen and he knew at a very young age that his future was at sea. Since that time he’s run vessels up and down the East Coast and Bahamas. “In more than forty years of running private and commercial vessels of all sizes I have gained experience that only miles under the keel can give you. From storms at sea to the most amazing sunrises, sunsets and destinations, the sea brings something new and wonderful to each day. I make it my personal goal to give each guest the safest, most enjoyable experience possible.
Capt. David is a veteran of the United States Navy and holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Norfolk State University and a Master of Business Administration from Grand Canyon University. He has also studied at Maritime Professional Training and Resolve Maritime Academy in Fort Lauderdale. When not at the helm you can find David traveling with his wife Arlene, or spending time with their three children and one grandchild

Chef - Arlene Meyer - Chef Arlene was trained in the classical technique of French cooking. Her joy and passion comes from growing vegetables and tropical fruit trees in her Chef’s Garden and growing up and living in the Philippines and Japan where fresh fruits, vegetables and seafood are in abundance. “I do what I do because I put passion and love into the ingredients that come into my kitchen. They’re not just slabs of meats and bundles of fruits and vegetables to be tossed into the fire. To me, they’re alive like children that are meant to be nurtured and brought to their fullest potential in the kitchen so my customers get to enjoy the stars that they really are.”
Chef Arlene studied at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts and studied International Business at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. She was the founder of Celebration Catering / Joshua’s Bistro in Tampa and also did freelance work on day charters and superyachts before joining Magnum Ride. In her free time she enjoys skiing, vegetable gardening, fishing, traveling and cooking Mediterranean and Asian cuisines.

Mate / Engineer - Ben Meyer - Ben is a Florida native and has spent time on vessels in the Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas and the Atlantic Coast. He’s been a valued crew member on two fifty-meter yachts out of Fort Lauderdale in the deck department and was the Mate on a forty-five-meter yacht out of Boca Raton. Most recently he spent time as a Sr. Deckhand and Second Engineer on an ocean-going tugboat out of Boston, MA. He returned to yachting to join the crew of Magnum Ride where he’s looking forward to increasing his skills in engineering, navigation and ship handling. “I love being at sea because no two days are the same. Every horizon brings a new adventure and every mile under the keel is a mile closer to the next destination. I enjoy sharing my love for the ocean with guests and seeing them enjoy the yachting experience.”
Ben has studied at Maritime Professional Training and Resolve Maritime Academy in Fort Lauderdale, as well as Gulf Coast Maritime in Tampa. In his free time, Ben enjoys skateboarding, snowboarding, rock climbing, creating online content and working on cars.

Stewardess - Sierra Laatsch
Sierra is in her second season onboard Magnum Ride. She is from Plant City, Florida and considers her family as her biggest supporters no matter what she does in life. She got into the Yachting industry with the help of Captain David and Chef Arlene who have know her and her family since she was very young. During her first season onboard she was able to sharpen her skills in service and really came to love providing top quality experiences along with seeing the guests enjoy themselves which supporting the rest of the crew to accomplish the goal. “It’s really the most rewarding part of the job when you see people who come to us for a relaxing vacation, and knowing that you were a part of helping them have the vacation of a lifetime.” When she is not working, she enjoys being outdoors (usually with her dog), photography, traveling, reading as well as rock climbing and painting. She enjoys the yachting industry because each day is different. She enjoys the variety that this job brings and she enjoys seeing people enjoying their life and creating memories with those they love.