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.

Deckhand Matt Burns - Matt was born in Durban South Africa and moved to a farm at Balgowan in the Natal Midlands where he spent the first 10 years of his life. Here he developed his love for the outdoors as well as the invaluable lessons learnt growing up on a farm.
Living back at the coast Matt’s love for the outdoors drove him to fishing and he spends a lot of his spare time at their beach cottage on the KZN South Coast fishing. Having been a keen sportsman at school where Matt played provincial squash and excelled at field hockey and well as indoor hockey sport is in his blood. Currently Golf is his true love when it comes to sport and he plays as regularly as he can.
Growing up in a family who have always owned boats and deep sea fished, he has a love for the ocean and this love drove him to pursue the life of working on a yacht. He has a desire to see the world and expand his horizons and what better place to do this than on a boat on the ocean. Matt has completed his Advanced Deckhand course as well as attained his RIB Master License with Professional Yachtmaster Training in Durban, South Africa

Stewardess Maxine Parnell - Maxine was born and raised in South Africa. The ocean is in Maxine’s blood, growing up as she did on a farm where the boundary stretches down to an unspoiled, rocky beach from which she and her father go fishing for crayfish. She has even been out into the deep waters of the Indian Ocean off the North Coast of Durban, South Africa, with her grandfather, who has been a commercial fisherman almost all his life. Her biggest catch was a 25kg Rock Cod. She is passionate about all animals and quite fearless in this regard. Handling snakes is child’s play for her and she and her sisters have often kept snakes as pets. And her parents’ pack of dogs keeps growing as Maxine returns home with another puppy she has rescued. She is one of twins, and they have an older sister. Maxine has always longed to travel and has worked hard to try and make this a reality for herself, working long hours after school lets out as a waitress at an upmarket restaurant in Ballito, a popular South African seaside town, where she was a favorite amongst customers for her efficiency and service. During the last year, she received her qualifications as a Green to Gold Stewardess in South Africa and will continue work hard to ensure every guest that steps aboard Motor Yacht Magnum Ride receives the very best.