Andrew multi-tasks as our Boat Manager and Lead Trainer. With over 17 years under his belt at The Pirate Castle, he brings a wealth of previous experience of narrow and wide-beam craft on both canals and rivers.

Andrew has been registered as a trainer for the National Community Boats Association (NCBA) since 2003 and the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) since 2002 and has held an MCA Boatmaster’s Licence since 2001. He first became involved in Community Boating in 1998 after a varied early career in farming, forestry and horticulture and a childhood around boats on the River Severn. Alongside this he also followed his other passion and became a professional musician, spending several years touring the world with various bands before later training as a cabinetmaker and joiner which he then worked at for some years. He continues to play in bands occasionally. His interests include history, natural history, art, politics, and, of course, boating! Email Andrew

After 10 years’ volunteering at The Pirate Castle around her ‘landlubber’ day job, Kal joined the staff team in June 2016 and is passionate about community boating. She’s been a skipper on our canal boats since training with us in 2006 and is a Paddle UK Level 1 Paddlesport Instructor. Kal also qualified as a Certified Trainer for the National Community Boats Association in October 2021, broadening our in-house training capacity.

A true water baby, Kal’s been living on her own 60-foot narrowboat since 2009 and loves life afloat. Before joining us, Kal was Fundraising Manager for a community regeneration charity, worked on policy and governance at a not-for-profit housing association and even ran an export division for a trendy radiator company! Email Kal

Our Head Coach, Beate Hohmann, is passionate about giving everyone the opportunity to try out paddlesport and give them a chance to excel. A passionate advocate for inclusivity, she believes that paddlesport should offer equal opportunities for people of all backgrounds and abilities.

Before becoming a coach, Beate held senior leadership roles in the IT industry, where she gained extensive corporate experience. Her journey into paddlesport began with a personal passion for the sport, and she quickly discovered that what she enjoyed most was helping others experience the same joy and growth. She’s since coached at paddlesport centres across London, gaining a wide range of experience – including setting up a youth club specifically for Orthodox Jewish girls from the Charedi community, where she trained the first female Orthodox Jewish to qualify as paddlesport instructors. During her previous role as Lead Coach at The Pirate Castle, Beate also established the first regular LGBTQ+ paddlesport club in the UK, creating a welcoming space for underrepresented communities. Email Beate

Arta joined The Pirate Castle as Charity Administrator in mid-March 2020 and is our go-to lady for hall hire bookings and office administration. She’s been a local Camden resident for many years and has two sons, one of whom attends Primrose Hill primary school just down the canal from The Pirate Castle. She’s worked in administration for most of her professional life, most recently as Office Manager for a construction/residential renovation company for several years. Arta likes music, walking in the park with her boys, jogging and hanging out with friends and family. Email Arta