yachtmaster ocean instructor and examiner
I am available for part time and contract work, both shore based or afloat.
Over the past 20+ years I have spent time sailing yachts up to 115', including 5 years skippering the former round the world racer 'Drum', teaching RYA Yachtmaster students worldwide, conducting marine mammal surveys and venturing to far flung places including Greenland and the Arctic. In the process, I have gained in excess of 90,000nm.
Having taken command of small vessels to 78' yachts, I have a great deal of experience on many different vessels. Together with having sailed in many countries, remote areas and both hemispheres, no job is too daunting.
Don't sail but would love to have a sailing holiday? Don't feel you have the skills and want to relax rather than be responsible? Not sure of an area but want to take the family? These are all easy problems to solve by having a skipper to look after you on your holiday. Take the stress out of knowing who you might be stuck with for your week's holiday and let me sort it all out for you and spend the week in the company of someone skilled and respected within the industry.
Having spent multiple seasons with the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust I have gained invaluable experience and knowledge on some of the wildlife species we see at sea. I consolidated this by attending a workshop to become a recognised WISE skipper, the UK standard for commercial marine wildlife watching.
Thanks to my time onboard yachts with various degrees of supplies and my ski chalet experience, not only am I able to sail the boat, but am capable of producing high quality meals and freshly baked food. You won't be disappointed by what is on offer and is often a great finish to the day. Cake has never tasted so good.
Own boat tuition is one of the most useful but underused services out there. There can be a massive difference to how different training yachts responds to how your own vessel responds and so learning on board your own boat can be a massive advantage. I can help with boat handling, set-up, fine tuning and of course safety gear onboard.
Trusting someone to look after your own boat can be a hard thing to do. I will take that stress out the equation for you. I treat every boat like it is my own. I keep them clean, look after them like I would, leave them in the best condition and will even help to fix defects and suggest improvements as I go.
Having experienced so much in the various sailing adventures and teaching I have done I am able to share so much experiences and knowledge. My passion for what I do will always shine through and sharing this with others is an easy task for me and something that is easy to do. So if you feel the need for a group lecture or just an informal chat then get in touch and lets see what we can do.
By teaming up with various of sailing schools I am now in a position to offer full RYA courses with flexible timings, extra theory and of course, skippered and instructed by myself. Stop dreaming and get in touch now to see what I can do for you and take your sailing to the next level!
Through my time boat managing yachts and general looking after and fixing them I have gained a lot of maintenance experience. As well maintenance on the skippered and boat management positions, I ran the maintenance and up keep for the Ellen McArthuer Cancer Trust fleet of yachts. This not only includes doing the maintenance but recording and managing all aspects of it.
I currently work with and alongside the highly skilled team at Ardent Training where I instruct, man our student help desk, create instructional content and deliver live webinars. If you are in need of some shorebased training, then click on the picture here.
Skippering for Rubicon 3 from Oban to the Faroes - Culture Trip
Authored travel piece on sailing in Scotland - Weather and Climate
Skippering for Rubicon 3 from Oban to the Faroes - Sunday Times