Tell us about your boating experience!

I am a professional mariner, and I have been a licensed captain for 37 years (starting as a sail instructor for the Annapolis Sailing School in St. Croix, U.S.V.I.)

For most of my career I’ve been a Captain for organizations focused on sail training and education. I’ve led programs for a variety of ages, teaching youth not only boat operations and safety but—more importantly—critical life skills. 

The sailing programs show young people what it means to be part of a community and part of something larger than themselves. Students take on the responsibilities of the vessels and gain strong communication skills as they learn how to work with and rely on others. 

First boating memory?

When I was a young teenager, my father bought an old wooden Navy launch boat for $200 and converted it into a sail boat. It whet my appetite for sailing, such that I participated in the community boating program in Boston throughout my teens. 

Favorite boating destination?

A few pop into my mind—Dominica, West Indies, Annapolis, Maryland, and Mystic, Connecticut. But a recent poignant sail through the Boston Harbor reminded me of a special childhood experience. In 1976, my family and I were lucky enough to be anchored in the Boston Harbor when the Tall Ships sailed into the harbor to celebrate America’s 1776 Bicentennial. 

Best safety tip or piece of boating advice?

There is still so much to learn—even after 40 years of sailing.

• Don't use alcohol when underway—too much of a detractor. 

• Communicate with other boats when passing and making maneuvers.

• Continue to learn. Take training courses in navigation, boat handling, or first aid. 

• Don’t rely solely on electronics. They are good but they don’t have common sense. 

How do you use paper charts?

I use paper charts as a training tool and a backup for the electronics. I require paper charts to be on board any vessel that I am captaining—electronics are too vulnerable. As part of an education program, I teach students how to use paper charts.

Favorite boating story?

I was working on a three-mast schooner leading a college program studying whales on Silver Bank, Dominican Republic. We were surrounded by hundreds of humpback whales. I was snorkeling when a mother and her calf passed by. We were so close to each other that we saw each other eye-to-eye, and I felt the whoosh of the mother's tail as they swam away.