Travel with Indigo

When Indigo first arrived in Vina del Mar, it became apparent that some crew changes were necessary. This decision led to the hiring of Capt. John Watson and his wife Fiona. John is a veteran of twenty years as an officer in Her Majesty’s Royal Navy distinguishing himself as a superb leader and navigator. Following this career he entered the yacht world and was issued in short order an unlimited mariner’s license, meaning he is qualified to captain the world’s largest vessels. With a wry British sense of humor and a dedication to his work, he is an inspiration to the crew and most especially to me.

Fiona is the most charming lady you can imagine, ever smiling and cheerful, and importantly an excellent chef. Her energy and irrepressible humor are a joy to us all. Fiona and our stewardess, Darcie, have become best friends and that, of course, makes life on board Indigo a real dream. Fiona is a long awaited and welcomed addition to the crew.

Upon joining Indigo, Captain John searched for and eventually located and hired a new engineer, thus did Sean Rosen recently join the Indigo team. Sean was raised in the tiny Alaskan village of Sand Point and learned his trade working on the crab boats that ply the Bering Sea. Superbly qualified and experienced, Sean brings to bear the talents we will need as we make our way across the Pacific on long passages. Already Sean has made a difference in the operational performance of systems on Indigo.

Each morning when I arise from my cabin to greet the day, I first encounter the attractive, bright, always smiling face of 27-year old Darcie Callahan. As ship’s stewardess, Darcie brings long experience to the task gained from working in her mother’s B&B in Fredricksburg, Virginia and on other yachts. Her talents at flower arranging, decorative place settings, guest service and the all important bar tending makes Indigo a 5-star yacht in every respect.

Twenty-five year old First Mate Bobby Graffam is a lanky, even tempered, hard working guy from Ft. Lauderdale and an FSU grad. He plays the guitar and piano among other interests. When teen age girls visit Indigo with their parents, they flock immediately to Bobby. On Indigo, he tends the exterior surfaces, anchoring, and docking lines and assists the captain and engineer with repair work, performing all his tasks with professional competence and a uniformly cheerful attitude.

Without 28-year old Tomas Miranda, a native Chileno from Vina del Mar, Indigo’s visit there would have been far less fun than it was. After serving two years in the Chilean Navy and attending the Naval Academy, Tomas decided his future was in the yacht world, and so he joined up with Indigo as deck hand to learn the trade. He is always smiling, always cheerful and helpful. His language skills proved invaluable in Chile,a country where English is not commonly encountered.

What is most important about this crew is that we have formed a team of adventurers. Each person is dedicated to the mission of circling the globe in high style and with loads of fun. All of us get along well together, enjoy sharing our many and varied experiences, and operate as a cooperative team. It has taken me a long time finally to assemble such a group but at last we have it and it’s a real joy.