OCELOT Yacht Charter

Captain: Devan Snyder

Devan was born and raised on Long Island. Having a father who was a captain and growing up
with boats right in the backyard, being out on the water very quickly became her escape. She
started dreaming about sailing around the world around the age of 10, before she'd ever
stepped foot onto a sailboat. Little did she know where life would take her.

She went to college at UNC Charlotte in NC where she pursued a degree in Civil Engineering.
After she graduated she spent 2 years in the highly competitive NYC construction industry as a
project manager, utilizing her skills both in the office and out on the job sites. Then one Friday
evening, after an especially exhausting 60+ hour work week, she had an epiphany. She quit her
job and within two weeks, moved out to Hawaii where she was able to get a job as a deckhand
on a sailing catamaran. And that was it; she was hooked. She spent a couple years doing term
charters in the Hawaiian Islands, some time sailing around Southeast Asia and the south
Pacific, and then moved to NZ for a year to work on a private motor yacht. When she's not
working or playing on boats, you can find her scuba diving, cliff jumping, hiking or playing beach
volleyball. Anything to get her adrenaline pumping.

Devan has logged over 5,000nm of blue water sailing and of all of the places she's been, has
without a doubt fallen in love with these islands. She is a high energy captain eager to show her
guests all of the hidden gems the Virgin Islands have to offer, both above and below the water.
Therefore, each charter is different and can be tailored specifically to the group’s interests and
desired locations. Aside from being a 100ton USCG Master, she also holds her STCW 10, First
Aid/CPR/AED and is a certified PADI Divemaster.

Hailing from a family full of watermen, Davis often jokes he is the “son of a son of a sailor” and has been on boats his entire life. He started sailing the Virgin Islands over 25 years ago and has vast knowledge of the oceanography, marine life, and ecology associated with the Caribbean as a whole. Growing up in North Carolina, many of his sea-days have been acquired along the Eastern Seaboard, mostly within the “Graveyard of the Atlantic” - an area specifically known for its treacherous passages and abundant shipwrecks. Sailing more than 15,000 nautical miles, Davis has acquired multiple American Sailing Association certifications and has a pending Master Captain’s license from the United States Coast Guard. He is also STCW and First Responder/CPR certified.

Having the fortune of a mother who is a phenomenal cook and hostess , Davis gained culinary insights through osmosis originally; furthermore, his older brother is a notable Restrauteur. Line cook, pizza boy, bartender, senior serverDavis has had many titles related to food, but his most beloved role has been in the galley aboard sailboats.

While attending Appalachian State University, where he received degrees in Biology, Environmental Studies, and Conservation Ecology, Davis gained employment at one of the most well known fine dining establishments in the South.

He is prideful about his southern and Cajun heritage and roots which is directly reflected in his cooking and hospitable ways. Spicy, savory, and hearty are his preferred types of dishes but having now cooked for many types of preferences on many different boats, his menu is quite diverse- though his epic entertaining remains the same.

Additional, Davis enjoys playing guitar, telling stories, slingshotting, biodegradable water-balloon fights, and snow skiing (he is a Professional Ski Instructors of America certified skier.)

As he paraphrases Marcus Aurelius, who said “As a citizen- I am a man of Rome. But as a man- I am a citizen of the world.” Davis now calls the Virgin Islands home, but considers himself a citizen of the world. When he is not on the water aboard Ocelot or his own vessel Fleur de Lea, he is hopefully checking another country off his list.