Our Staff has so much fun sailing that you rarely catch one without a big smile. As individuals we share a respect and deep connection with nature. It might be the acceptance of the variability of winds and water that brings out the calm. We absolutely love what we do.
Ned Goss Both my parents' families owned sailboats before my parents were born. My parents grew up racing each other. You could say it was in my blood. When I was 4 years old my mom took me out on a sunfish. At 10 I started racing. I also played on the tennis team. I chose sailing over tennis because I didn't want people to tell me I had to wear white.
All my sailing accomplishments are owed to having been part of a team of people, either the crew I sailed with or the people who helped me get there. I am a five time US National Fireball Champions and a 3 time North American Fireball Champion. I was on the US Olympic Sailing Team in '03 and '05 in the 49er class. I have logged 10,000 Blue water miles, most of which are racing miles. For 16 years I've been teaching sailing. Most recently I was a part of a Melges 24 crew that won the Corinthian (Non Pro) Melges 24 Nationals. But the one thing that I am most proud of is that when I sail and compete I sail calm, I sail confident and I sail for fun. If I am not having fun then I cannot compete at my best. So on my boat we do not yell and scream and we do not swear. First it is about having fun. If we win it makes it that much better.
Sterling Bryson Sailing makes me smile. I think it comes from some deeper force than simply the wind in my face etc... What I like about sailing is simply existing on a completely different medium, as in on water instead of land. I find I look at things differently when I'm floating. I definitely feel things differently. It's the awareness that comes with acknowledging this difference that brings to light a different way at looking at and feeling everything else. For me, it's a happier and healthier existence. Sailing is a great and easy way to find and feel a reconnection to the natural world. Nowhere is that feeling, that relationship more raw and exposed than at sea.
I enjoy teaching sailing because I think sailing breeds happy people and we need more happy people in the world.
My parents were boat people. They were fanatics. We always went boating, cruising or whatever so long as it floated (and some didn't all the time!). It was a fun, family-friendly way to grow up. Then, the day I graduated from high school they said, "Way to go son, we are real proud of you. C-YA!" and they got on their sailboat and took off. They spent the next 10 years sailing half way around the world.
Since then I've captained tall ships, taught nautical science coursework on a 5000 nm voyage on a 95 GRT vessel, taught Coastal Navigation on a 41' sailboat, and sailed 3000 miles through Indonesia and 5200 nm across the Pacific. I believe my voyages of adventure have just begun.
Mallory Schoolfield What is it about sailing? First, no day is ever the same. It's not a matter of preferring racing to cruising, or inshore to offshore. I enjoy the multiple facets of sailing and engaging all my senses. The combination of "on the fly" analytics, sensory perceptions and an infinite learning curve entertains me greatly.
Teaching for me is giving my students the tools they need to make informed, logical decisions in any situation. Anyone can figure out how to sail a boat with a couple of books and some tiller time, but that is only a small part of sailing. A good sailor should be self reliant, which leads to being able to step on any boat in any harbor and having absolute confidence in the ability to sail her safely. Knowing what questions need to be answered and how to go about answering them is the key.
I've been sailing since I was 10. Dad built and rebuilt a few solid wood sailboats over the years, which peaked my interests. But truthfully, growing up on a rural peninsula on the lower Chesapeake Bay, there wasn't much else to do in the summer except be on the water. I moved away from the Chesapeake in 1997 to attend college in Charleston mainly so I could continue my life on the water. After graduating college I cruised the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean on a Bristol 32.
Frank Putnam Sailing with family and friends is like zen meditation. The problems and issues of the world fade away. I thank my grandfather for teaching my siblings, my cousins and myself to sail.
Teaching is sharing my passion. Nothing is more rewarding than coming in to teach and seeing a couple of past students taking friends and family out with confidence and sharing their own passion with those they love.
One of my favorite sailing memories took place in June 2007 when I captained the 42' Cabo Rico "Bluewater Bliss" aka "Selkie" back from St. Martin with a strong crew of three. On this 1800 mile trip we caught three big beautiful fish (two we ate), enjoyed great stops in St. Barths, the BVIs and Tortolla and sailed for eight 24-hour days on open ocean. The trip was capped off with a wonderful Charleston landfall right on time... memories and adventure that will last a lifetime.
Shelly Warters My very first sailing experience was a 660 mile sailboat delivery from Vera Cruz, Mexico to Galveston, Texas. It was an adventure unlike anything I had ever done before. Since that initial experience, my husband Dave and I have traveled over 6000 miles offshore with our most recent journey including a successful completion of the 2008 Newport Bermuda Race and double-handed delivery of our boat back to Charleston from Bermuda.
Sailing for us is not only something to do on a beautiful day; it's a way of life. Sailing is not only about a well-trained crew vying for the America's Cup; it's about the mental and physical challenges that even a solo sailor must overcome to prevail. Sailing is a wonderful world and as an OnDeck Charleston/OSA instructor, I am fortunate to be able to share my passion with future sailors.
Scott Sale I enjoy the aspect of sailing whereby man utilizes nature to his advantage rather than positioning himself as "man against nature." The written accounts of those before us -- Cook, Magellan, Slocum, even Bligh -- lured me into this realm. Through sailing, the destinations that have become available to me are numerous. Having sailed nearly 75,000 blue water miles, I've come to love so many passages. Yet, skippering the most recent Atlantic crossing voyage from Tortola, BVI to Lagos, Portugal holds a special place in my memory.
The greatest joy I receive from sailing instruction is helping a group of complete strangers work together for a common goal while watching them transform from individual students to a cohesive crew.
Florence Foran I'm the one that usually answers the phone when you call. I schedule classes, maintain student records, track maintenance on the fleet, etc, to make sure things run smoothly so the experience is good for students, instructors and boat owners.
What do I love about OnDeck Charleston? ...the many interesting people I meet; our students are wonderful, a very diverse group... the fabulous people I work with; some of the brightest, funniest and nicest people I have ever had the pleasure to work with... the glorious view from my office!
I spent my adolescence in a Charleston area neighborhood known for its sailing events; yet, I didn't sail; I thought Regatta was a fancy word for keg party. I might like to become a competent sailor (someday). At least, I know someone with a boat and several people capable of teaching me...
Jay Cook I like the mystery of the ocean, the harmony that needs to exist between boat and sea, the constant learning and the night sky. I also like sharing this activity with others and watching their expressions as they enjoy the awe of it all.
As a child I read countless books about men sailing the seas -- I especially remember Kon-Tiki and childhood dreams of sailing to exotic places. I revisit those same dreams and achieve a sense of inner peace and spiritual balance now when I am sailing.
Sailing has also opened up the fun of racing and travel. I've had a great time in Y Flyer Junior National Championships, Charleston to Bermuda Races, several trips to the Caribbean, Abacos Race Week, serving as Commodore of Charleston Ocean Racing Association, winning my class at Charleston Race Week, participating in countless other races, and sharing my love of sailing with my wife and three sons.
Greg Wright I love the quiet I feel underway while sailing. I also appreciate the unlimited possibility it offers -- knowing that the same principles I use in the harbor can carry me across oceans.
The interraction with students is always interesting. Every class is different; every class has its own challenges. I learn immensely from each class.
Sailing drew me as an active outdoor sport with a purpose greater than chasing a ball around. I am kept there by the promise that I have a lot of voyages ahead of me.
All my sailing accomplishments are centered around my teaching. There are youngsters around Cape Fear that know how to sail because of what I was able to bring to them. I have seen my former adult students out on Charleston Harbor captaining their own larger vessels.
Toby Sheen I was 5 when my dad bought me a membership in the St. Thomas, Virgin Islands Yacht Club even though he himself wasn't a member. Talk about privilege. For 11 years I sailed there, and at 16 became an instructor. Sailing, windsurfing, kite boarding and surfing were the only things for a kid to do in St. Thomas so I was on the water year round, after school, and on weekends. After that, I went ahead to gain my Captain's license and began doing charters.
Sailing is amazing. You harness the wind with just a sail and boat. Go wherever you want. Fast or slow. I race whenever possible and also enjoy the long deliveries, like from St. Thomas to Maine or Bermuda. Whether navigating long distances, or racing Melges and Cats...
This year I arrived in Charleston and discovered OnDeck Charleston. It's amazing fun teaching people something they don't know when you know it well enough to introduce it from so many angles.
Michael Miller Racing has always been my favorite sailing challenge. I love it because there are so many dynamic variables. No two days are the same, no two boats, no two crew personalities -- I'm not even the same person every time I step on the boat.
I like the people, so many different backgrounds but all have things in common: incredibly observant, intelligent, competitive and perfectionist.
One of my favorite accomplishments was winning the Bronze Medal at the World University Games in Majorka, Spain. It was a civilized event, starting at 1pm after coffee and a leisurely morning, warm & sunny, the people super friendly. The awards ceremony took place at one of the King's Castles and I got to kiss a Princess. In the European way, I got to shake hands with King Juan Carlos and to kiss his wife Sophia and the princess Sophia. I was handed a medal and got to kiss a princess, all because of the 470.
