Aura

Captain Per Pertoft & Chef Maia Gifford & Deck/Stew Kristin Routledge

Meet your crew Captain: Per Pertoft Chef: Maia Gifford

Stewardess: Kristin Routledge

From a young age, Per developed a deep passion for the ocean, spending vacations by the Swedish coastline where he learned to sail and race dinghies. He expanded his love for watersports to include kitesurfing and surfing. Over the past 15 years, he has owned and sailed a sailboat around southern Sweden, continuously honing his skills and deepening his connection to the sea. After earning degrees in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, as well as Economics, Per transformed his oceanic passion into a career. He began as a kitesurfing instructor before moving into the maritime charter and delivery industry, amassing valuable experience. His career spans various roles within yacht sailing, from competitive sailing in his youth to managing private and flotilla charters. He has worked on flotilla charters with more than 80 vessels, handling guest management, overseeing skippers, providing flotilla instructions, planning routes, and stepping into leadership roles as a lead skipper. In addition to his maritime pursuits, Per is a professional kite instructor with extensive experience as a Kitesurf and Wing foil instructor. His hospitality experience includes bartending, where he refined his mixology skills. Per is fluent in Swedish, German, and English, with proficiency in French and Spanish. At 29 years old, he brings a wealth of experience and a strong background as a yacht captain, eager to contribute to exceptional guest experiences and operational excellence.

Maia grew up in a small town north of Boston, Massachusetts in a family of entertainers. Whether it was hosting extended family for Christmas Eve dinner, gathering neighbors to watch sports events, or welcoming friends for a homemade brunch, something was always going on at the Gifford house. Any good party is never complete without the food and Maia was taught from a young age that homemade is always best. Her parents ignited a desire to learn to make anything from scratch and to try to replicate favorite dishes from trips abroad.

After graduating from Worcester Polytechnic Institute with an Environmental Engineering degree, Maia hoped for something more than the typical 9-5 desk job that her degree promised and decided to take some time off to explore the world. While searching for a way to affordably travel Europe for the summer, Maia stumbled upon a position as a yacht chef. This job combined her love for cooking and entertaining with her desire for adventure and spontaneity. What was meant to be one summer turned into four years of working charters in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and French Polynesia. In each new location Maia has learned new skills from locals and fellow yacht chefs that she’s excited to bring to you on charter.

Kristin, a hardworking, energetic, and adaptable deck/stew from South Africa’s Garden Route, has a lifelong passion for the ocean, travel, and exceptional guest service. Her diverse experience spans luxury villa concierge services, hospitality, lifesaving, surf coaching, administration, private tutoring, and marine conservation. A certified PADI Divemaster with training in underwater photography, she is confident in and around the water and regularly participates in reef clean-ups and marine research initiatives. She also serves as a director of the Earth Legacy Foundation, supporting conservation projects and sustainable coastal development. Friendly, professional, and eager to learn, she brings independence, resilience, strong organisational skills, and a positive attitude to her role. In her spare time, she enjoys diving, surfing, travelling, cooking, rock climbing, and creative crafts.

This dynamic crew is excited to be on Aura and look forward to welcoming you aboard, showing you the wonders of the Virgin Islands and creating memories to last a lifetime!