Meet the Noble House Crew

Experienced, friendly, and attentive, the crew of Noble House will ensure  every minute of your stay is enjoyable.

Steve McDonald | Captain

Steve, from Sydney, Australia,  is a Master Mariner who has been working at sea for the past 35 years. Having sailed extensively as a captain in the commercial shipping industry he moved full time into the super yacht sector in 1990. He served as captain of the 136m Savarona, 117m Le Grand Bleu, 77m Samson, 81m Bart Roberts and has completed many refits and build projects. Steve has vast cruising experience of the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Indian, Pacific, Arctic, Antarctic and South-East Asian waters, and is dedicated to ensuring the best possible itinerary for your voyage.

Jim McCreery | Chief Engineer

Jim has worked in the Engineering field since 1985 when he began his studies in his hometown of Perth, Western Australia. He has been a well-respected figure in the yachting industry for the last 12 years, having worked on several notable yachts before becoming one of the first crew members to join the original Noble House. After only a few seasons on board, Jim was appointed Project Manager for the build of the current Noble House, and journeyed south to Auckland. Although he enjoyed being land-based he looked forward to life back on the water, and since the proud moment of her launch, Jim is very glad to be part of the onboard crew once more.

Rory Kenrick| 2nd Engineer

Rory is from Shellharbour, Australia.  Growing up in a coastal town, he spent much of his youth in and on the water.  He is an intrepid traveller who has visited 60 countries and taken up residence in 20 of them.  His passion for travel is well suited to the yachting lifestyle, and he has enjoyed working in this industry since 2007.  When Rory isn’t putting his Electrical Engineering degree to good use here on Noble House, you can find him surfing or snowboarding, performing martial arts, or playing pub sports.

Robert Ginsberg | Chef

Robert was born and raised on Long Island, New York.  From an early age it was apparent that he had a love for the ocean: he learned to swim before he could walk, and in his youth he worked any job he could find as long as it involved the water.  Robert’s other great passion is food:  he has worked with legends such as James Beard, Julia Child and Anthony Bourdain, and  while in New York he worked in notable restaurants such as the Gotham Bar and Grill, Cafe Tabac and The Black Sheep.  Desiring more sunshine in his life, Robert made the shift into the yachting industry over 10 years ago. Since then he has worked on distinguished yachts such as MY Maridome, MY Indefensible, and has completed a  world cruise on MY CV-9.  He is truly a world-class chef, creating delicious dishes from a variety of international cuisines and confident in his ability to tailor his menus to guests’ tastes.  When he has time off you can find Robert at his home in the Piedmonte region of Italy enjoying fine wine and food.

Rob Reed | First Mate

Growing up near the coast of South Texas, Rob has fished and surfed for as long as he can remember.  He began his  career on sport fish boats, traveling extensively through the Caribbean and Central America.  His love of the boating lifestyle inspired him to make yachting his profession; he currently holds a USCG 3000 Tons captain’s license.  Rob has over 10 years of experience on private and charter yachts cruising the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Central America, SE Asia and the South Pacific; he has also captained commercial vessels in the Gulf of Mexico.  His interests include fishing, surfing, diving, wine, and food.

Luke Henkel | Bosun  

Luke hails from Newcastle, Australia where he formerly operated a marine plumbing business.  While working as a contractor on a sailboat refit, he was enticed by the idea of joining a yacht’s crew and traveling the world. Since joining Noble House 2 years ago he hasn’t looked back: he has cruised with the boat through parts of the Caribbean, Central America, Europe, SE Asia, and the South Pacific, and holds a Yacht Master Oceans certificate.   Luke is an avid water sportsman, enjoying surfing, wake boarding and water skiing.  He is also a professional photographer and is always happy to capture guests’ vacation memories both over and under the water.

Matt O’Sullivan | Deckhand

Matt, from the South Coast, Australia seaside town of Tathra, has been working on boats in the family fishing business since his youth.  He is unsurprisingly a great fisherman, and is an integral part of the Noble House fishing experience.  Matt is new to yachting but learning quick: he took part in the yacht’s 2011 refit, and has recently gained his Yacht Master certificate.  Matt is extremely active and enjoys surfing, free diving, stand-up paddle boarding, working out, and any other adventure that comes his way.

Romano Gomes | Deckhand

Romano, from Cape Town, South Africa is the latest addition to the crew. He fished commercially around South Africa for several years, eventually deciding to seek travel and adventure abroad. He had enjoyed his work on a sailboat refit, and couldn’t think of a better way to earn a living than yachting, where his love of water activities, boating and travel could be combined.  Romano joins us after a busy year on a well-known charter yacht.  He holds his RYA Yacht Master Certificate and looks forward to helping Noble House’s guests make the most of their time on the water.  Romano’s interests include wake boarding, skate boarding, and any extreme sports.

Cindy Manning | Chief Stewardess

Cindy, born and raised in South Texas, has crewed on Noble House for 5 years.  Prior to yachting she worked in a variety of resorts and private residences as a chef and joined her first yacht in that capacity.   When given the  opportunity to join Noble House – a bigger boat with a better itinerary –but as a stewardess– she didn’t hesitate to try something new.  While food (and wine!) is still a passion of hers, Cindy takes great pleasure in providing guests with excellent service and  friendly hospitality.  She and her interior team happily go the extra mile to ensure every aspect of your onboard experience is the best!

Ming Nomchong | 2nd Stewardess

Ming, a positive and enthusiastic crew member since June 2010, is originally from Sydney, Australia.  She pursued her Fine Arts degree there while working as  a professional photographer; she also established her hospitality background while employed at some of Sydney’s best restaurants and bars.  A desire to do a bit of traveling led  her to seek out a year’s employment on a yacht ….three years later, she still hasn’t looked back.  Ming is an experienced sailor and previously worked in the deck department on a variety of motor and sailing yachts; she now enjoys her current role providing great service to Noble House’s guests.  She regularly practices yoga and enjoys surfing, diving, photography, and wine–especially when she has the chance to do it all while visiting her current home town of Byron Bay.

Jess Kent | Stewardess

Born and raised on the sunny Gold Coast of Australia, Jess’ personality is bright and cheerful to match.  Jess has a strong customer service and hospitality background, and has built on those skills since her foray into yachting a year ago.  She is trained as a massage therapist and has worked in high-end spa resorts as well as for sports professionals in this capacity–she is well and truly qualified to keep guests feeling great!    Jess enjoys traveling and exploring new places, snow boarding, and is a water sports enthusiast.