Let’s start with your boating story — how did you first get into sailing and working on boats?
I’ve been interested in Boats since I was a kid. I didn’t have easy access to the water until I got to Hawaii in my early 20’s and got involved in racing out of the Hawaii Yacht club. While I was in Hawaii I owned a series of boats that I lived on, the last one Charity and I raced a bit. While I lived in Hawaii I worked occasionally on charter boats, beach cats and dive boats doing maintenance, crew or captain. In the late nineties I had an opportunity to work for Southern Spars, and I spent a few years with them in Minden Nevada building Carbon Spars for superyachts and racing boats as a rigger/project manager. I ended up in Portsmouth Rhode Island working at New England Boatworks and working with Southern Spars as they were developing some of the first carbon standing rigging. I had a real cool 5 or 6 years working near the top of the international sail racing industry, with some travel to across the US, New Zealand and the Mediterranean.
What brought you to Mexico, and how did you first discover Vallarta Yacht Club?
Mexico was an obvious cruising destination for us as west coast sailors. We left San Francisco in 2017, took a couple months to get to San Diego and then joined the Baja Ha Ha to get to Mexico. The Baja Ha Ha was our introduction to VYC and Banderas Bay.
How long have
you been a member, and what first drew you into the VYC community?
We’ve been members since 2020. Both Charity and I have been yacht club members for most of our lives, Charity grew up at Balboa YC in their Junior sailing program. We’ve been members of Hawaii YC, Waikiki YC and Sausalito YC over the years and it’s just who we are.
You’ve become known as the guy who keeps our boats running. What inspired you to volunteer your time and skills in this way?
I volunteered to help Bart and the Junior sailing program. The boats had suffered the usual wear and tear and had begun showing their age. I’d heard the kids were sharing boats because some of the boats were out of commission. Broken bits, busted hardware etc. I offered to fix the worst to get them back out and it kind of went from there.
Is there a project or repair you’ve worked on at the club that stands out as especially memorable or rewarding?
The one I’ve just finished a small part of and that’s the renovation of Rebeka, one of the club’s pangas. Rebeka has serious structural issues that need to be addressed. Rudy has coordinated most of the work, with the club paying to have the floor and the internal ribs and structure of the hull repaired. I repaired the center console with help from Andy Barrow and Dave Gould. Shout outs to everyone involved in Rebeka’s resurrection!! But the best thing about what I do is just how rewarding it is to fix the kids’ boats and see them having so much fun with them and learning how to sail.
What hobbies or interests do you enjoy outside of sailing and volunteering?
Charity and I travel a lot, and I have a thing for archeology, a bug I caught from my Dad. I’ve always been a geek and have an insatiable curiosity, so I’m frequently found going down some weird rabbit hole.
What’s something most people at the club might not know about you — a hidden talent, past career, or surprising fact?
Depending on how exactly you count I’ve had something like 7 or 8 wildly different “careers”.
Looking back, what are you most proud of from your time as a VYC member and volunteer?
Participating and supporting the Junior Program for sure. The regattas that we hold from the small ones for our kids to the international level competitions we host are all things I’m really fortunate and proud to participate in. Being part of the sailing community in Banderas Bay as well. This is a very special place. It has some of the best sailing conditions I’ve ever seen, I’m pretty blessed to be part of the greater community here.
What’s still on your sailing or “boating life” bucket list?
Still kind of hoping for a ride to the South Pacific or a slot on a Transpac race boat. More realistically Charity and I are planning some UK or European river and barge trips. We may think about the US Great Loop in a couple of years.
Finally, what advice would you give to new members who want to get more involved in the club — whether in sailing, volunteering, or just making the most of the VYC experience?
Regardless of the new members’ boating experience, we are a Yacht Club. So, my advice is to get out on a boat!! Take some sailing or powerboat lessons; go for a day sail or go racing; volunteer for a Race Committee; grab a panga for whale watching or fishing. Get out and enjoy some of the best boating available anywhere in the world and enjoy the company of Yacht Club members that are enthusiastic and committed to our community. Find something that interests you and then lean in hard! It will pay off tenfold!!