In a life that spanned two different careers – first as a captain of aviation and later as a captain of industry – Captain Robert Hamaty brought the same courage, passion, and drive to everything he did. The only place that success comes before work, he would often tell his children, is in the dictionary.

Monique and Basil were 14 and nine, respectively, when their father and his wife, Carlene, founded the Tortuga Rum Company in 1984. They watched him build his business from the ground up while still employed full-time as a Captain with Cayman Airways. They witnessed the struggles and triumphs, his forced retirement from aviation, his successful heart transplant, and the expansion of Tortuga into a global brand – and every experience shaped their worldview and the paths they would follow.

Family Ties and Transitions

One of Captain Robert’s favourite maxims was, “If you don’t know where you came from, you can’t know where you’re going,” and the siblings grew up well aware of their family history.

Although their father was born and raised in Jamaica, the Hamaty family traces its roots to the Middle East. Captain Robert’s grandmother emigrated from Palestine to the Caribbean three generations earlier, in search of a better life. Tales of the hardship she endured on that journey, and of how her son would study by the light of street lamps when there was no money for kerosene at home, are told to this day.

Monique and Basil were also born in Jamaica – but their parents, too, chose to leave their homeland and resettle abroad. “When I was born, in 1975, Jamaica was at a crossroads,” Basil explains. “The Michael Manley era was marked by political violence, and many Jamaicans moved overseas in search of a more stable life. It can’t have been an easy decision for my parents to move to Miami, but it was the right one.”

Wisdom and Influence

Not long after their parents divorced, Captain Robert moved to the Cayman Islands to fly for the newly established national air carrier. With their family now spread between Jamaica, Florida, and Cayman, Monique and Basil became frequent flyers.

For Basil, being able to join his father on the flight deck whenever he travelled was a formative experience. He felt part of the crew even then and knew that he, too, wanted to be a pilot.

Yet, despite sharing a love of flight, his father did not actively encourage his son in his career choice. Now that he is a father himself, Basil understands his reticence. “He of all people knew the risks – particularly during training – of aviation, and the tremendous responsibility a pilot has, and I think he was afraid for me.”

Basil never wavered, however. Like his father, he is now a proud captain at Cayman Airways, with 20 years of experience behind him and a fervent desire to pass his knowledge, high standards, and professionalism on to young, aspiring aviators.

Monique, on the other hand, always knew she wanted to go into business. “Before Tortuga, my father had started various other businesses that failed,” she reveals. “And it was seeing his determination to try again, to succeed, and to grow a company from the ground up that inspired me and made me want to become a businesswoman.”

Her fondest childhood memories are of helping out in the tiny Tortuga office on North Church Street during the summer holidays. At first, it was writing letters and sending faxes, but as the business grew, so did her responsibilities, and she credits her father for teaching her everything she knows. But, she emphasises, neither of their parents ever pushed them towards any particular career: their only concern was that they
choose a profession they loved.

From Cayman to the World

While the Tortuga Rum Company was initially formed to create a Cayman Islands rum for tourists, it was the launch of Carlene’s now famous Caribbean rum cakes in 1987 – made from a family recipe that remains a secret to this day – that set the business on the road to success.

The rum cakes proved so popular that a commercial bakery was established, followed by additional bakeries on other islands. But while the business was flourishing, Captain Robert’s health was not. A flu virus had left him with a heart condition that meant he was no longer qualified to fly.

For such a dedicated aviator, it was no doubt a bitter pill to swallow. But he poured his energy and drive into his business instead, and by the time Monique graduated from Florida University in 1996, the company had grown to the point that its international operations needed to be consolidated – and Monique was uniquely qualified for the job.

Alongside her husband, Marcus Simmonds, she established Tortuga Imports in Miami the following year to handle overseas distribution of the company’s products. At the same time, her father and Carlene focused on operations in Cayman.

As Chief Marketing Officer, Monique became the face of Tortuga Rum Cakes in the US, making multiple appearances on the Home Shopping Network, attending food fairs, and getting airports, retail stores, and online vendors to stock them.

“Within five years, we were named one of INC Magazine’s 5000 Top Fastest-Growing Companies in the United States, a milestone I attribute to sheer determination in getting Tortuga Rum Cakes onto cruise lines,” she says.

While she is incredibly proud of this accomplishment, it doesn’t mean the hard work is done. “I’m a firm believer in the motto ‘If you’re not growing, you’re dying',” she says, “Tortuga will continue to adapt and evolve to a changing world and to expand locally and globally.

Service Above Self

While he was widely recognised for his business achievements – perhaps most notably being awarded the Order of Distinction in Jamaica in recognition of his outstanding service and accomplishments in the fields of tourism, manufacturing and global brand-building – Captain Robert’s legacy is far greater than his business endeavours.

As an aviator, he was instrumental in establishing the Cayman Islands Pilots Association to protect the rights of pilots in Cayman, while as a diplomat, he served the Jamaican community in Cayman as Honorary Consul for 17 years.

The flu virus that affected his heart ultimately required him to receive a heart transplant, something he faced with incredible courage, his children say. That surgery granted him over 20 extra years, during which he was not only an ardent supporter of the Cayman Heart Fund, but also advocated tirelessly for organ transplants in the Cayman Islands, and was a founding member of the Human Tissue Transplant Council. One of his last gifts to the community he loved was establishing a registry so that Cayman Islands residents could become organ donors, an option not previously available.

Captain Robert Hamaty not only raised a loving family and built a global brand, but he also lived his life embodying the values of resilience, dedication, and service. Through the challenges, both professional and personal, his strength was an inspiration to both his children and his community.

Today, Monique and Basil carry that spirit and drive forward, following in his professional footsteps, and striving to inspire, empower and mentor the next generation of pilots and entrepreneurs.