Captain: Johannes Buys

JOHANNES BUYS | Rotational Captain | South Africa
The distinguished yacht captain began his yachting career in 1996. Growing up on a farm in South Africa’s Free State, Joe was easily drawn to the yachting lifestyle. He began his yachting career as an engineer and eventually became a yacht captain in 2002. Joe’s natural navigation and mechanical skills combined with his positive attitude make him a true asset to the yachting industry. His dedication to yachting is seen in his many achievements, including obtaining his Y3 Chief Engineer
license. These certifications have provided an impressive foundation for his yachting career. Today, Joe holds 21 years of captaincy under his belt. Boasting a Master Y4 3000 GT MCA Captain’s license, Joe has travelled through the Bahamas, Caribbean, Mediterranean, along with most coastal waters. Well-versed in navigating the world’s oceans, Captain Johannes is sure to provide the ultimate yachting experience.

GRANT HEUNIS | Rotational Captain | South Africa
Grant grew up in East London, South Africa and joined Top Five II from a well-known and successful charter yacht - M/Y Elysian. Grant began his career as a Deckhand giving him an invaluable understanding of each position onboard. He gained his MCA Master 3000 Ton License in 2012 and took over as full-time Captain of M/Y Passion. Having acted as a relief Captain for some time already, this was a smooth transition for Grant, and he has since exceeded all expectations in the role. Grant has extensive cruising experience in the Caribbean, Bahamas, East Coast of the USA, Mediterranean, Adriatic and Aegean waters. Grant is a qualified PADI rescue diver and RYA Jet Ski Instructor. A keen sportsman, having competed for his provincial team in water polo, he enjoys the outdoors, surfing, keeping fit and hiking.

ROB FULLER | Head Chef | England
Chef Rob has been a Chef for many years & has travelled all over the world. Originally from England, where he was formally trained in the culinary arts, Rob seized the opportunity to be a Sous chef at the prestigious Ritz de Paris. From Paris he joined the yachting industry where his culinary knowledge has served him well. Mediterranean cuisine to Japanese cuisine is quite a diversification in the culinary world. Having worked with employers such as the Fayyad family, Danielle Steele and Giorgio Armani in their residences, villas and yachts, Chef Rob is capable of supplying high-end culinary masterpieces for the charter and guests. Chef Rob understands the diverse requirements for the client regardless of location or resources, creating menus from local ingredients is a fulfilling challenge.

LAUREN VAN DE VYVER | Chief Stew | South Africa
Lauren was born and raised in a small farming community in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. After finishing High School, she obtained a Bachelor of Social Science degree in Psychology and Business Management. Before joining the world of yachting Lauren owned a health foods store and still enjoys keeping up with the ever-changing industry; she also holds a Diploma in Nutrition. Lauren has extensively cruised the Caribbean, Bahamas, the Mediterranean, the Atlantic as well as the East Coast of the US. She loves the excitement and adventure that yachting affords, and in her spare time she enjoys hiking, exploring local areas, keeping fit and active as well as photography.

ROB SOLOMAN | 2nd Officer | South Africa
Rob was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. Having grown up on a lake, Rob spent all day in and around the water. He has a strong passion for all water sports and loves being outdoors. Rob joined the industry in 2003 and now has his Chief Mate 3000 qualification. He has worked on a variety of vessels over the years and has cruised the Adriatic, Mediterranean, Caribbean, Bahamas, east coast of Africa and east coast of the USA. He was a crew member on the first Top Five so when the new build was commissioned, he jumped at the opportunity to join the program again. His vast skillset and very friendly nature make him a great asset to the team. Rob loves anything that involves being outdoors and is an avid hiker. After summiting Kilimanjaro, he is planning to do the seven peaks culminating in Everest. The next peak on the list is Aconcagua in Argentina.

LUKE DU PREEZ | Bosun | South Africa
Luke grew up on the East Coast of South Africa and has a passion for fishing and diving and often combines the two to spearfish. Luke completed a degree in financial management and shortly after graduating he went and taught English in Vietnam for a year. Luke then decided to pursue a career in something that complimented his love for being at sea which led him to the yachting industry. Luke loves running in his spare time and would like to do his first marathon in the coming year. Luke has worked on a few yachts, with the most prestigious ones being Symphony and Bravo Eugenia with the latter being Owned by the owner of the Dallas Cowboys. Luke’s favorite places that he has travelled to while yachting has hands down been to Alaska and he also enjoyed certain islands of the Caribbean, mainly Antigua and Grenada.

GERHARDT UYS | Bosun | South Africa
Gerhardt was born and raised in Jeffery’s Bay - a small surfing community in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa. This is where he found his love for the ocean. He has been lucky enough to travel to some amazing places during his yachting career – these include the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, South America and Alaska. Gerhardt has an immense amount of enthusiasm and energy and thoroughly enjoys entertaining the guests with water sport activities whilst also ensuring that their safety is regarded with the highest priority. In his spare time Gerhardt can be found exercising, exploring & finding the best surfing spots in town!

NICO TRUETER | Deckhand | South Africa
Nico was born in a small town called Riversdale in South Africa. Nico developed a real passion for sport, especially rugby from a very young age. Building on his love for rugby, he always enjoys; swimming, water sports, shooting, hiking and running. He always enjoys relaxing and taking timeout while reading a book. Nico studied at the University of Stellenbosch, where he qualified as an account. He returned to his hometown to complete his three years of articles. Once he had qualified, he realised that being tied down behind a desk and crunching numbers was not for him, so in 2018 he took to the seas, where he could be physically and mentally stimulated and has never looked
back. Nico is embracing each day and learning as much as he can to build a firm foundation as he climbs the ladder to being a captain. Nico being as active as he is and enjoying a good challenge and can impressively do a handstand starting from a seated position.

BROC MILLS | Junior Deckhand | South Africa
Broc Mills grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa and can speak both English and Afrikaans. Although growing up in-land he preferred to spend most of his time on the coast, diving and being outdoors. Having a passion for the ocean, Broc always dreamed of working on the water and traveling the world by boat which led him to pursue a career in yachting. This is Broc’s first boat, and he is very excited to be joining the Top Five II team as a deckhand and to learn the ropes of the yachting world. He has his day skipper, powerboat level 2 and PWC. Broc has cruised the English Channel and Atlantic Ocean. Broc likes to spend most of his time outdoors, some of his hobbies include free diving,
scuba diving, swimming, rock climbing, running and hiking. During covid Broc started and ran his own business as well as became a scuba diving instructor.

MILO COEN | Deckhand | American
Milo grew up in Upstate NY, on the Finger Lakes. He started yachting after he graduated high school, as a suggestion from a friend. He hasn’t looked back and is enjoying being part of the Top Five II team. Milo loves being in the outdoors and in his spare time he enjoys fishing, skating and hiking.

ANDRE STEYL | Deckhand | Zimbabwe
Andre grew up on a farm in Zimbabwe. His family had a lake that they spent a lot of time fishing or doing watersports on – this is where his love for the outdoors was born. Andre’s Grandfather also had a workshop where he built and refurbished small boats that he often got to help him with. On a suggestion from his friend, who was already in the yachting industry, Andre decided to take the plunge and complete his courses to become a deckhand. He joined us on Top Five II and hopes to make our guests stay as memorable as possible. A fun fact about Andre, he qualified to shoot (Archery) in the Commonwealth Games. Unfortunately, due to the sanctions against Zimbabwe, he was
unable to attend. In his spare time, he still likes to shoot, as well as keep fit, photography/Videography, playing the Guitar and drawing/painting.

RIKUS | Deck/Engineer | South Africa
Rikus grew up in George, a small town in South Africa. As a teenager he spent his summer holidays working as a lifeguard on the numerous beaches in the area and it was during this time that he discovered his love for the ocean. After graduating from High School, Rikus knew that yachting would be the perfect fit for his future. He obtained the necessary qualifications to start this new journey and thus his career in this industry took shape. Rikus has obtained his AEC Qualification which qualifies
him to assist the engineer, and he am working towards obtaining his Second Engineer Certification. During his free time he enjoys hiking and exploring new areas, especially in nature as well as reading and learning new skills that he can apply to his professional and personal life. Some of his hobbies include playing guitar and harmonica, gaming and spending time with friends and family. A fun fact – Rikus is a qualified custom knife maker and during his free time he enjoys making these custom knives from scratch.

JEREMY COLLISTER | Chief Engineer| New Zealand
Jeremy was raised in Auckland, New Zealand. Growing up he could be found either on the water or pulling apart anything he could get his hands on; this combination naturally lead him to a career as a Yacht Engineer. Jeremy has his SVE 9000kW 3000GT. Jeremy has cruised The Mediterranean, Caribbean and the Pacific oceans. In his spare time he enjoys sailing, kitesurfing and generally exploring the area around us. His early love for sailing helped him understand and respect the ocean in
all forms. This love lead him to sailing from Italy to Australia on his 44ft sail boat, much of it single handed.

ANDREW DAVIS | Second Engineer | Ireland
Andrew is from a small seaside town called Skerries in Dublin, Ireland. He came into yachting from a J1 in Vancouver, British Colombia, having worked on Joe’s BBQ Boats on Granville Island. A captain on a small vessel called Lady Sovereign offered him a job by chance and he hasn’t looked back. So far he has travelled the Pacific, Mediterranean and Atlantic. Prior to joining the yachting industry, Andrew worked for 4 years on the History Channel show called Vikings – he has even appeared in the show in Season 4. In his spare time, Andrew enjoys being outdoors, running, playing rugby & keeping fit in the gym.

LIZELLE MARAIS | Second Stew | South Africa
Lizelle is from a small fishermen’s town just an hour away from the city of Cape Town. During her childhood she spent a lot of time doing water sports and has always loved the ocean. A friend got her interested in the yachting industry, after hearing all her wonderful and adventurous stories of her time traveling the world. Lizelle has since cruised the Mediterranean, the Bahamas and USA. In her spare time, she loves spending time outdoors (camping, any sports), singing, and building her own furniture. Lizelle is also an avid country music fan and has travelled to Nashville numerous times to experience all it has to offer its fans.

ROELENE VAN ASWEGEN | Third Stew | South Africa
Roelene was born in a small town in South Africa, called Hartswater. She grew up on a farm close to a river. Roelene was raised in an Afrikaans speaking home, but has
mastered the English language and now speaks both languages fluently. Roelene is an avid traveller and enjoys exploring and discovering new places as often as she can. Before joining yachting, Roelene ventured to many different countries, learning about their different cultures and traditions. She loves being outdoors and embracing the flora and fauna environments. Roelene is an active person and enjoys; hiking, travelling, chasing sunsets and tapping into her creative side through drawing – she does this by working on a children’s’ books in her spare time. Although Roelene is relatively new to the industry, she is a quick learner and a great asset to her team.

NIM SUJANTA | Stewardess / Masseuse | Thailand
Nim was born in Sisaket province in the North East of Thailand. Nim can speak Thai, Lao, Cambodian and English. She started working in the hospitality industry initially at the top class Banyan Tree resort and Spa in Phuket, Thailand before moving overseas to the UAE where she began to work on the princess cruise liners. Nim later moved from the cruises over to yachts. She previously worked on motor yacht Eminence and cruised the Bahamas, East Coast of the US, Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean and Caribbean seas. Nim loves to treat people and make them feel fresh, relaxed and comfortable and she is very excited to be joining the Top Five II team as Stew/Masseuse. Nim likes to spend her spare time outdoors and in nature and enjoys cycling around and exploring new places. Nim loves to experience new cultures and meeting people from around the world. Back in Thailand, she proudly owns a small oyster mushroom farm.

MICHAELA OTTOVA | Stew | Czechia
Michaela grew up in a small village in the wine region of the Czech Republic. She started working in the hospitality industry during high school and this is where her big passion for exploring the world begun. Michaela left home when she was 18 to au pair for a family in Antigua – this is also where she discovered the yachting industry. She really enjoys travelling and seeing exotic locations as well as learning about different cultures. In her spare time Michaela loves to dance and keep fit. She enjoys practicing yoga, hiking & exploring her surroundings whenever she can.

KYRA LOWERY | Junior Stewardess | America
Kyra was born in Louisiana but grew up in Texas, USA. She spent a lot of time traveling in her childhood, which is where she fell in love with traveling and being on the Ocean. Before Yachting Kyra was a Flight Attendant and also spent some time Nannying on Private Yachts. Kyra is new to the Yachting Industry but she is a great addition to the interior team. In her spare time, Kyra can be found doing Arts & Crafts or Traveling.

BRANDON POLLITE | Sous Chef | America
Brandon grew up in St Louis, Missouri and after High School he attended the Military. He has lived in various states across the country and ended up going to Culinary school in Colorado. It was here, working on the Ski slopes, that he was introduced to the yachting industry. He decided to jump at the opportunity and has loved every minute. Brandon likes spending his free time reading various cookbooks, as well as bike riding and relaxing at the beach. Thanks to his time in Colorado, he is also an avid skier.