Crew Profiles

CAPTAIN | Dave Schlitz | Australian
Born in Melbourne, Australia Dave followed in his sister’s footsteps into the world of yachting and now, 14 years later, he hasn’t looked back! Though Dave has worked on a number of vessels he has been with KNIGHT for many years under her previous ownerships.
In school Dave grew up playing classic Australian sports such as Cricket, Australian Football and Skateboarding. He is a big fan of rock music and enjoys live concerts.
Dave enjoys being out in the open waters. Some of his favorite cruising destinations are in the Eastern Med such as Croatia and Palma, Majorca.

Fun fact: Dave was in a commercial as a child for a furniture store while singing and has appeared on TV show Deal or no Deal!

CHEF | Ingo Martens | German/Namibian
Ingo was born in Namibia, South West Africa and has been in yachting for 11 years. He speaks many languages including Afrikaans, Dutch, German, English & Flemish.
He attended culinary school in Frankfurt where he completed an internship at Arabella Sheraton (dubbed one of the Finest Hotels of the World) and has been French Culinary trained.

In his spare time, Ingo likes to dabble in photography and fly his drone named Toby whilst in interesting locations. During a weekend of downtime, you can find him enjoying a movie marathon, listening to a variety of different music genres or attending heavy metal rock concerts.

CHIEF MATE| Bruno Mkhize | South African
Bruno has been in yachting for 16 years and previously lived in London for two years as an engineer, focusing on machine operations. His love of the ocean expands to surfing which has taken him to Bali, Puerto Escondido and Nicaragua a couple of times for three months. He has a family back home in Durban with his partner and a 6-year-old son. His future itinerary dreams are Alaska and Tahiti.

ENGINEER | Jib Mitchell | Canadian
Growing up in Florida, USA, Jib enjoys skateboarding and fishing. One of his favourite spots in the Marshall Islands where you can find Marlin and Tuna in abundance. Straight after high school, he was a welder in power plants all over the United States. His love of the ocean has brought him to exploring yachting for the last ten years as an Engineer. Jib’s father owns a coffee plantation in San Jose, Costa Rica called Cachi, which he helps out on, whenever he has an opportunity.

CHIEF STEWARDESS | Melissa Twitt | Australian
Melissa has been in the yachting industry for almost 20 years. Over that time, she’s developed a deep appreciation for the incredible places she’s visited, but more importantly the people she’s had the privilege to meet. The experiences, friendships, and ever-changing horizons have shaped not just her career but her outlook on life, making her time in yachting as rewarding personally as it has been professionally.
On her down time you most often find Melissa on a golf course, mountain snowboarding or anywhere outside.

STEWARDESS | Courtney-Jae Fabry | South African
Courtney was born in Johannesburg, South Africa with her parents and younger brother. For 15 years, Courtney competed in weekly horse jumping competitions, riding a horse named Romeo. She enjoys keeping active playing sports, swimming and always going for walks and hiking. After completing school she was an Au Pair in Hamburg for a year, perfecting her German speaking. Courtney’s dream locations to visit are New Zealand and Alaska.

STEWARDESS | Claire Archer | Scottish
Claire is from a small town in the east-coast of Scotland. She has recently joined the yachting industry with Knight being her first permanent position as a Stewardess. Prior to joining the industry, Claire began her career at the famous Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland, where she was lucky enough to meet a handful of celebrities, sports icons, and rising stars. Transitioning to working on small commercial cruise boats, and navigating the beauty of the Scottish Highlands, Claire is excited for her new chapter. Claire enjoys traveling, walking in nature, and exploring new cities and cultures.

BOSUN | Pierre Vermaak | Namibian
Born in Otjiwarongo, moved to Windhoek in 2009 with his parents and older brother. In school he was fond of Field Hockey, Cycling & Mountain Biking. Pierre has obtained a Private pilot license flying small planes and worked in a number of alternative roles such as a bakery, sales & before starting in yachting 4 years ago. His favourite location he's travelled to is Mexico.

DECKHAND| Mikel Garchitorena | Australian
Mikel, a skilled cabinet maker from Sydney, Australia has recently taken an exciting leap into the yachting industry, combining his passion for craftsmanship with a desire to see the world. This new chapter allows Mikel to pursue his love for adventure and design, all while exploring the world one port at a time.
Mikel enjoys the outdoors and practical projects, working in a team and all with a positive attitude.