YOUR CREW

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Michael Plotner

Captain & PADI Dive Instructor

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Sara Hogan

Chef

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Shelley Black

First Mate

Michael was born in Northwestern Pennsylvania by Lake Erie. Being around lakes and fresh water rivers fishing and boating was a big part of
growing up. After attending university at Edinboro PA for business/accounting his career plans took a turn when he took an interest in Maritime in San Francisco in 2015. The rest is history and his love of the ocean, care and safety of vessels, and providing the best experience to guests and friends around him to the top standards has become his main goal.
Michael worked as an engineer on larger yachts before adventuring into a captain role aboard catamarans. He ran Floatation
Therapy a 450 lagoon for 3 seasons as well as Liquid Zen a Lagoon 52' for one season, and always provides the best guest experience and highest standards of vessel maintenance.

Sara was born in Texas and lived her younger years in San Antonio. At 13 years old her parents decided to move onto their 41’morgan out island sailboat. She lived onboard invincible until she was 18. During those 5 years onboard, she traveled through the eastern and western Caribbean learning Spanish, surfing, sailing, and living a life on the ocean. Growing up on the ocean inspired her to pursue a career in maritime. She loves entertaining and sharing her knowledge of the water to ensure the most spectacular time for her guests and friends alike. Being the chef onboard it will be her pleasure for her to provide you the absolute best entrees and hors d’oeuvres. Sara with her sense of adventure, love for the water, and culinary skills she will ensure you to have the best experience on any vessel. Sara has taken her cooking to the next level over the past 3 seasons on Floatation Therapy and 1 season on Liquid Zen, attending culinary courses, and always coming up with the next best dish in her menu.

Michael and Sara first met on a 160’ sailing yacht in New York City working as crew. Michael was the engineer and Sara was the deckhand/crew chef. They hit it off instantly developing a relationship both professionally and romantically. The couple worked for 2 years together sailing and exploring New York, Newport in the summer, the Caribbean, and Bermuda in the winter. Michael and Sara took their skills to the sailing catamaran Floatation Therapy for 3 seasons and Liquid Zen for 1 season, providing the best experience for all their charter guests. They are thrilled for new adventures aboard Justified Horizons.

Shelley was born and raised in sunny California. She fell in love with the ocean at a young age and would often sail to Catalina island with her family. After studying graphic design in college she started working on a private yacht in Mexico. Exploring all around Baja California deepened her desire to travel and she has been doing so across different boats for the last 8 years.

Shelley enjoys yoga, freediving, mixology and any board sport. She will be happy to lead you in morning yoga or get you up on the efoils in no time!

Going into her third season on the beautiful Justified Horizons, Shelley excels in curating unique experiences for every occasion. From theme parties with specialty cocktails, to snorkel adventures and water sports, or wine paring one of Sara’s phenomenal dinners- she’s got you covered!


Captain Michael Plotner

Qualifications:

USCG 100 ton Masters
PADI Dive Instructor
AEC 1
AEC 2
STCW

Chef Sara Hogan

Qualifications:
USCG 100 ton Masters
RYA Day Skipper
STCW
PADI Open Water
CULINARY ARTS CERTIFICATE Ashburton


First Mate Shelley Black

Qualifications:

STCW

PADI open water

YT200

WSET level 1

Crew fully vaccinated
Client reviews

What they say.

We planned this trip to make lifelong memories for our family. From certifying the kids, dinghy launching, eating with a pirate, scuba diving, enjoying beach days, playing cards and dice, drinking on the boat while sailing, to simply floating on the lazy buns, each day was filled with so many memories. Dani’s cooking was so fantastic! I have never eaten so many different and wonderful meals and desserts! Watching our kids try new things and enjoy them was real treat! Captain Ryan was so great with the kids certifications and calming us old timers down. We will never forget either one of you or our wonderful trip. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Steve

You fit right in with the crowd and hopefully you had as much fun as we did! Wishing you health, love, laughter, and safe travels for the remainder of the season!
Love,

Joenne and Donnie

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Chef Dani rocks and who doesn’t love a fellow softball player?! Diver Ryan, great dives and I loved all of the toys (especially the sea bobs)! We had a wonderful time…BEST VACATION EVER!
Love,

Kim and Kingsley

To the best crew EVER! We have enjoyed our first time on a catamaran trip immensely. The boat is beautiful and very roomy. Food was spectacular. The three of you have made this the most comfortable, relaxing experience. We will definitely look forward to our next time on Justified Horizons!

Love, Jeff and Donna

We can’t thank you all enough for the most amazing trip! The food was off the charts! Best salmon, sea bass, shrimp, pork!! The snorkeling, sailing, swimming, and beaches were spectacular. Christians table settings were beautiful. It was a trip of a lifetime with great friends and crew.
Love,

Donna and Kevin

I will never forget any of these moments or any of the other amazing things we saw (especially turtles and sting rays). Your kindness, humor, and patience (looking at you Reed!) really made this week unforgettable! Thank you and hopefully we will see you next year!

~ Scarlett 16

Thank you for such an AMAZING week! We started as passengers and as the week went on, we became more like family. Your hospitality and kindness were truly appreciated. Dani – you have mad skills in the kitchen! We loved your creative and tasty dishes – and your delicious cocktails! WELL DONE! Thank you, Ryan, for your great commentary throughout the week and always leading us in our off boat excursions. We felt so safe knowing you were in charge! Please look us up if you ever want to visit Minnesota!

Angie and Brad

You were our Captain, our Chef, our tour guide, our cartographer, our activities coordinator, our first aid specialist, our euchre players, our videographers, our dinghy drivers, our bartenders, but most of all you were ever so amazing to our kids. Most important, you made our daughters 11th birthday the most amazing event! You also managed to entertain the family members in their 70’s, 50’s 40’s and teens to make it a vacation that no one will forget. We can’t thank you enough for that. You guys are amazing! And we can’t thank you enough for it!

Jason and Susan

When we came on this trip we were hopeful to have a crew that would not only provide a great experience but also join in the fun! Fortunately for us, we were here on your birthday week and your participation made our week even that much better! The food, tours, and drinks were spectacular. More than that, we enjoyed “winning our age group” with help from you! You are welcome in our homes any time you are in N.C. and I hope our paths cross again. You have a special spirit about you that makes you naturals at your jobs in the best living room in the world! Thank you so much from all of us!

Thank you so much for making a lifetime dream of mine so memorable. This trip was part of a 20 year wedding anniversary for my wife and I. We have planned it for over a year, researched the internet, and read extensive reviews. Your reviews sealed the deal for us to book our trip with you. It was also a bonus to have our dive instructor as our captain. You both exceeded our expectations. We were blown away with your outstanding customer service, outstanding meals, and the yes boat attitude!

Captain Ryan and Admiral Dani