I began sailing as a kid on the waters off Port Townsend, Washington, acquiring my USCG Master license at 19 years of age. I then began working as a yacht captain and sailing instructor in Puget Sound and in the San Juan Islands.   

After attending the University of Washington, I embarked on a singlehanded voyage down the Pacific Coast aboard Saint Brendan, my 27-foot Tartan sloop. On this voyage, I explored the Sea of Cortez, Central America, transited the Panama Canal, circumnavigated the Caribbean Sea and explored the Eastern Seaboard from Florida to Nova Scotia.   

After returning to Port Townsend, I enjoyed a career with NOAA National Marine Fisheries and the US Antarctic Program as an expedition leader and science project manager supporting marine mammal and ecosystem researchers in Antarctica, and the coastal waters of the Eastern Pacific from Alaska to Cape Horn. I have had the privilege to sail as expedition leader for various seagoing expedition companies including National Geographic Expeditions, Seabourn Expeditions, leading guests on voyages with highlights being the South Pacific Islands and Antarctica. 

As an experienced yacht captain (100 yacht deliveries worldwide), my highlights include delivery of a Hinckley Sou’wester 59, Andrews 56, Outremer 55, Defever 56, Cheoy Lee 75 and more. I possess a strong background in yacht management/charter, expedition planning and sailing/power yacht training, and outfitting consultation. I am also an avid diver holding NAUI Master Diver and Dive Master certifications.   

Through these adventures over the years, I have developed a passion for working with people providing guidance to assist them in realizing their own seagoing dreams and enjoying the world of yachting.  

My hobbies include writing for sailing magazines, cooking, and sailing with my daughter Sophia aboard our second boat, a Tartan 34C sloop that was based in the Sea of Cortez. In my 60 years, I am lucky to have never had a job that did not involve working on a boat.