Physalia

Crew Profile

MEET YOUR CREW - Captain Chris Stubbs and Captain/Chef Kaya Carrion


Chris has been sailing since he was a small child growing up surrounded by the barrier islands and marshes of the Carolinas. His first jobs were teaching sailing and then crewing larger monohulls which led to several months aboard a 120’ schooner in New Zealand at 18. At the College of Charleston, he doubled in Anthropology and Geology with a minor in Archeology while first working as a Divemaster and Aquarium Diver, and then later joining the scientific and marine crews aboard oceanographic research vessels. Chris continued working aboard research and survey vessels through grad school while completing his Masters in Geology at UCSB. In this time, he made the first maps of tens of thousands of seafloor methane seeps in offshore California, the Gulf of Mexico, and Siberia. He also began taking friends on epic bareboat sailing adventures in the Channel Islands while advancing his scuba background and exploring his new obsession of kitesurfing.

Following grad school, he continued working in the marine geophysical survey and oceanography industries beginning in Antarctica. In 2013, he established his own freelance consulting business, and to date has worked in all the world's oceans and continents while maintaining an excellent offshore safety record. A passionate maritime tour guide, Chris holds a 100-ton USCG Master Captain license and loves introducing his charter guests to the wonders of the Virgin Islands. A life-long extrovert, Chris loves meeting people from all walks of life and sharing stories. He spends his free time traveling, kitesurfing/foiling, trying to break out of the beginner ranks of free diving and wing foiling, and playing in the ocean with his wife Kaya.



Kaya was born and raised in Puerto Rico. She spent her life fishing, crewing, and living aboard boats traversing the British, US, and Spanish Virgin Islands, particularly Culebra Island where her family vacation home was located. Kaya was introduced into the world of scientific SCUBA diving at Florida International University where she obtained her Bachelor's degree and worked in a seagrass ecology lab. Kaya graduated summa cum laude, with undergraduate research experience, and membership into Phi Beta Kappa honor society. Her marine biology career continued soon after in the Virgin Islands, where she completed her Master's degree and expanded her diving experience, becoming a certified technical diver with TDI advanced nitrox and decompression diving.

More recently, Kaya’s marine science career focuses on tropical coral and fish ecology. Her diving experiences have been incredibly unique with hundreds of scientific dives completing surveys for coral health, coral reef fishes, lobster, and more. Kaya is also a highly skilled captain and holds a USCG 100-ton Master license. Apart from her ocean experiences, Kaya is fully bilingual and grew up in a family of passionate foodies including several professional chefs. Her food passion started with Puerto Rican cuisine, but grew after traveling the world where she learned and became passionate about authentic foods from Vietnam, Thailand, Mexico, Italy, Japan, Greece, Peru, South Korea, Morocco, and many other countries, cooking and learning from locals at homestays throughout her multiple backpacking journeys. Kaya can provide signature dishes from many regions of the world and cater to a broad array of pallets.



Kaya and Chris met on a marine science job in Culebra, PR in 2015 and were soon spending every free moment together. After the job, Chris followed Kaya first around Puerto Rico, and then began visiting her between jobs. Conspiring with her sisters, Chris surprised Kaya during a visit to see family in Ireland when she finally agreed to be his girlfriend. They have since crossed the US via campervan, traveled through dozens of countries, and lived in CA, FL, PR, and the USVI together. They have made a point of taking regional cooking classes as they have traveled the world, and take pride in being adventurous eaters. They are both passionate marine scientists with teaching experience at the university level, and love introducing their guests to the wonders of the ocean world. Their combined skills and experience offer travelers a broad array of options for indulging in all aspects of life at sea. They specialize in the BVI, USVI, and Spanish VI where Kaya grew up cruising and they both know intimately. Chris and Kaya got engaged on a trip to Australia in 2022 and celebrated their wedding in June 2024.

Be sure to follow Physalia on instagram! @sv_physalia

Sample Menu

BREAKFAST

Gravlax, soft boiled eggs, avocado, sourdough

Quiche of the day

Tortilla de patatas

Lemon ricotta pancakes

Sourdough, Caribbean pumpkin, goat cheese, sage brown butter, caramelized shallots, poached egg

Brioche French toast, rum maple syrup

Yogurt, seasonal fruit, granola, honey

LUNCH

Jicama tacos, panko shrimp, mango salsa, spicy mayo

Beer battered local fish sandwich on homemade potato bun

Fresh baked focaccia, turkey, pesto, mozzarella, semi sundried tomatoes, balsamic glaze

Seared duck breast, Vietnamese green papaya salad

Local fish ceviche, breadfruit tostones

Puerto Rican asopao, lobster, avocado, plantain tostones

Lionfish taco on homemade corn tortilla

APPETIZERS

Baba ghanoush, flatbread

Lobster croquettes

Fermented tea leaf salad

Soft shell crab bao bun

Fresh baked potato buns, herbed butter

Fish of the day carpaccio

Mushroom soup

DINNER

Rack of lamb, honey glazed carrots, harissa, saffron couscous

Puerto Rican oxtail fricassee, rice, avocado, plantains

Burmese chicken coconut curry, jasmine rice, roti

Sushi night!

Cedar plank fish of the day, celery root puree, parsley aioli, asparagus

Pan seared local fish, Greek salad, lemon roasted potatoes, flatbread, tzatziki

Homemade pumpkin tortelini, sage brown butter, toasted hazelnut

DESSERTS

pistachio cake

Coquito

Red wine poached pears

Gooey chocolate chip cookies, sea salt

Flourless chocolate cake, vanilla ice cream

Basque burnt cheesecake

Tiramisu

More Locations Details

Summer Operations
Caribbean Windwards, Caribbean Virgin Islands (US)

Winter Operations
Caribbean Virgin Islands (US)