Your Crew
CAPTAIN John Salzmann & MATE/CHEF Caitlin Mahoney
John was raised on Southern-home cooking and charming hospitality. He grew up cooking with his Mom, learning recipes from his Alabama heritage. His first job was in a fine dining restaurant where he worked his way up through both the front & back of house positions.
While living in the mountains of Colorado and Wyoming, John fell in love with activities offered by the rivers and snowy peaks. He completed training for White Water Rescue & First Aid & Wilderness First Responder which allowed him to explore some of the most isolated river gorges and backcountry terrain.
During John’s quest of 100 days of solo travel around the world, he discovered a new love, one for exploring the underwater world during his Open Water scuba certification. His love for diving has only gotten deeper as he completed his advanced and rescue diver certifications while diving with Caitlin all over the world.
After completing the STCW and SYCA Culinary training in Cape Town in January of 2026, John and Caitlin were hired to join a delivery team. They sailed a 53’ Majestic Catamaran across the Atlantic to the Caribbean for 10 weeks and over 6,000 nautical miles. John fell in love with sailing and this crossing allowed him to complete all the necessary prerequisites for the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Captain’s license. These certifications and combined life experiences are the foundation that will provide this dynamic-duo in hosting a once-in-a-lifetime adventures for their guests.
Caitlin was raised with the values of hosting social gatherings and creating memorable events to last lifetime. Her family owned a small fine dining restaurant in a beautiful ski town which held the space for celebrations including proposals, anniversaries, birthdays, and special holidays. Caitlin’s earliest memories include preparing the restaurant for dinner service, taking reservations, decorating for the holidays and on the busiest nights of the year working as a hostess. She has always loved the art of entertainment shared over a fabulous cocktail, a delicious meal and perfectly paired glass of wine.
After 6 years of working as a concert marketer in the music industry, Caitlin made a career change and began working for a dive shop out of Boulder, CO. This new position opened her eyes to exploring the other 72% of our planet beneath the surface and she knew she needed to find a role at sea where I could show guests the true magic of our ocean. She lived in Cozumel, Mexico and Utila, Honduras while completing her professional dive certifications before receiving her dream job offer. She spent three seasons in the Virgin Islands onboard sailing catamarans creating once in a lifetime experiences for her guests. She learned the roles of a chef, first mate, deckhand, stewardess and dive instructor and discovered that she thrives in a role with variety focusing on service
and the guest experience.
Caitlin is so excited to have found her lifelong partner and cannot wait to blend their love for hosting and entertaining at sea. With our warm inviting nature and desire to dazzle our guests, we are the perfect team for creating an experience they will never forget.
Captain John Salzmann
Maritime Qualifications
RYA Dayskipper ticket
RYA Yachtmaster Offshore 200GT
SAMSA SRC VHF Radio
RYA Power Boat Level 2
ENG1 Medical Valid through 2027
STCW 2010 valid through Jan. 2031
PADI Rescue Diver
Caitlin Mahoney
Qualifications:
Maritime Qualifications:
2025 SAMSA SRC VHF Radio
2025 RYA PB Level 2
2025 SYCA Food Health & Safety Lvl 2
2025 SYCA Intro to Barista Course
2025 The Stewardess Co. Stew Course
2025 ENG1 Medical Valid through 2027
2022 PADI, EFR Instructor
2022 STCW 2010
Past Reviews John and Caitlin
<p>S/V 3 Sisters- May 24-28th-<br> </p><p>Dear Captain & Caitlin,</p><p>Where to begin? You two lovely humans helped to create some amazing core memories for our<br>family. We will be forever grateful for the seamless way in which we slipped into the world of S/V<br>3 Sisters.<br>Johnny, Teagan, Claire and I will cherish the magical experience of sailing, exploring,<br>snorkeling, laughing, eating and drinking and then laughing some more. Kudos to the expert<br>guidance, exceptional meals, fun and friendship. You are both truly talented in every way!<br>We had much to celebrate and can’t imagine a better way to toast our new chapters. Hope our<br>stories reconnect again someday! XO, The McKitricks<br> </p><p>S/V Valentine- June 2024-<br> </p><p>We could not imagine a better charter experience then the Valentine crew! Caitlin, we snorkeled<br>and scuba’d with you everywhere. We hope all of our friends can have this incredible<br>experience. We will always remember this week! - Connor Kemby<br>Thank you for giving us the best vacay ever! The crew is the perfect balance of professional and<br>FUN! Scuba diving with Caitlin was one of my favorite memories that I will cherish forever! Best<br>crew ever! - Kendall <br>What an incredibly talented and complimentary crew. Caitlin, I wasn’t aware this boat came with<br>an excellent host, photographer and divemaster! Thanks for my intro to diving! - Cody Kemby<br>Caitlin, your enthusiasm for the sea infects us all. I wanted to go back and do it all over again, a<br>thousand times more. You are super charismatic and fun. I enjoyed talking to you and listening<br>to your stories. I'm going to miss your enthusiasm when taking pictures. Our memories are<br>better captures of each day. - Valeria <br> </p><p>May 2024-</p><p><br>To the Valentine vessel and crew, this has been quite the week, one of the best of our lives for<br>sure! Caitlin- jack of all trades - you kept us hydrated, entertained and on time! thanks for the<br>best time, the adventures, the opportunities to see things we never have before. The Baths<br>were amazing, jumping from Willie T’s, Snorkeling, seeing the world through a different<br>perspective was amazing!<br>Thank you for being so accommodating and for meeting and anticipating all the needs of<br>everyone on board. Thanks for all the trips to the beaches, the best we have been to. Thanks<br>for the best meals and snacks. This has truly been a once in a lifetime experience and I will<br>remember it all and each of you. thank you for sharing your stories and your passion with us!<br>Safe Travels - Ashley & Ryan</p>
April 2026 BVI Charter
<p>Henru & Clara,<br>Thank you so much for a fun & relaxing 10 days aboard OAW 3! The food was simply amazing & we loved the casual pace blended with some fun & shenanigans! So many great meals & memories, and each night the beer fairy would come to top off the cooler with tasty beverages & ice :) So sad to leave your company and the beautiful waters & beaches of.<br><br>The BVI! ♡ Aaron, Claudia, Volker,<br>Dagmar, Clay & Lisa<br><br>Henru & Clara - <br>We had a fabulous time on OAW3! You both took great care of us - your hospitality was awesome, the food was fantastic! So sad to leave! <br>♡ Lisa & Clay<br><br>Dear Clara & Henru, <br>thank you for an absolutely amazing time aboard OAW III. You took such great care of us with drinks, Michelin Star worthy meals, and showing us around the most beautiful spots in the BVI. Until next time,<br>Dagmar & Volker<br>xoxo</p>