Captain Rhys Balmer

Rhys was homeschooled afloat while cruising from the Pacific Northwest to the Eastern seaboard via the Panama Canal. Captain Balmer started learning how to sail at a young age. He has been teaching sailing for the American Sailing Association and US Sailing since 1998. Always an avid learner, his recent studies have included sailmaking and rigging. In 2016 Rhys built a suit of sails at Ballard Sails in Seattle for his Moore 24 which he then sailed into a second place in the double-handed Pacific Cup race to Hawaii. Since then, Rhys has skippered four west-to-east transpacific crossings. Rhys has also delivered both sail and powerboats up and down the West Coast since the early 2000s. He has spent a few summers as a rescue boat captain. When Rhys is not teaching sailing, he is racing his Soverell 33 with friends and often writes for 48 Degrees North, a local sailing magazine.

ASA 101, 103, 105, 104, 106, 114, 118, RPBA single and twin-engine instructor

Captain Erden Eruc

 Erden Eruc is a Turkish-born American adventurer who became the first person in history to complete an entirely solo and entirely human-powered circumnavigation of the Earth on 21 July 2012 in Bodega Bay, California, United States.[11] The journey had started from Bodega Bay a little more than five years earlier on 10 July 2007.[12] The modes of transport included a rowboat to cross the oceans, a sea kayak for shorelines, a bicycle on the roads and hiking on trails, along with canoes for a few river crossings.[11] The route he followed was 66,299 km (41,196 mi) long, crossed the equator twice and all lines of longitude, and passed over twelve pairs of antipodal points, meeting all the requirements for a true circumnavigation of the globe.[13][14] Guinness World Records has officially recognized Eruç for the First solo circumnavigation of the globe using human power on a journey that lasted 5 years 11 days 12 hours and 22 minutes, the current world record time for a solo human-powered circumnavigation.

ASA 101, 103, 104, and 106 Instructor certs

Captain Tom Muir

Tom Muir was born into a family of mariners with a nascent love of the sea. Dinner table stories ranged from his grandfather's tales of signalman life on a Navy ship during WWI to Tom’s father regaling him with stories about driving landing craft onto the beaches of Pacific islands in WWII. These inspiring tales, in addition to the submarine ride at Disney Land and living close to the beaches of Southern California, had Tom growing into a waterman. 

Surfing, diving, and sailing through adolescence, Tom’s curiosity had him exploring all things marine on all manner of the vessel. Sailing far and wide, fast and slow, building boats, commercial fishing, teaching sailing, chief engineer, yacht outfitter, family cruising with his three kiddos, captain; if it floats he has done it.  Currently, Tom lives aboard his Alan Andrews custom 53’ offshore racing sled, Artemis. Tom and his partner Carol cruise fast and race a few, fun double-handed races each year. They have recently dropped anchor in the San Juan Islands where Carol is working as a librarian. 

Tom appreciates seeing the ocean through the eyes of people new to the experience of sailing out beyond the skirts of the sky. 

ASA 101, 103, 104, and 106 Instructor certs

Captain Amio

Amio started his career in boating in 1999 when he started deck-handing aboard fishing vessels in SE Alaska. In 2005 he began to commercial fish for salmon on his own gillnetting boat, navigating swift currents and high tides daily as he brought in the catch. After retiring from fishing he was still drawn to the water. He began sailing in 2015 and quickly adapted to being under sail instead of the motor, becoming addicted to the feeling of harnessing the wind he bought a live-aboard sailboat to live, explore, and sail in the Pacific Northwest. He then obtained his USCG Masters Near Coastal 50 ton license so he can share his love for the water, boating, sailing, and the Pacific Northwest with others. He currently resides on Orcas Island Washington.