Sailing changes when you learn it together
We started Sail Olympia because we believe sailing changes completely when people learn it together. That’s how we learned ourselves. We came into sailing with very different backgrounds and skill levels: Ben from power boats, Beth from paddle sports. It took us years of practice, mistakes, communication, and shared experience to become equal partners with different specialties aboard.
-Beth & Ben
I did not grow up sailing. I know what it feels like to understand the material and still not feel ready.
Beth
Beth makes confidence feel possible
My first sailing experience was an ASA 101 class on the Columbia River. It was terrible and amazing at the same time. There was practically no wind, we spent half the day in a classroom, and the instructor was a gruff old-school mariner... and yet, by dinner that night I was shopping for boats.
For me, sailing was never really just about sailing. I wanted to go places. Sailing has opened up a kind of travel most people never experience. We’ve bareboat chartered in the British Virgin Islands, Croatia, and New Zealand, cruised the Inside Passage, and explored countless corners of the Pacific Northwest. It’s my kind of tourism.
I also love sharing that experience with students. Even after sailing the same route many times, no two trips ever feel alike. Every crew brings something different, and somewhere along the way people begin to settle into the rhythm of life on the water. I still feel incredibly lucky to spend time with amazing people in such a magical place. One of my favorite things is getting texts from former students when they buy a boat of their own, or a selfie from the deck of a boat somewhere in the Greek islands.
Credentials
Education: BS Computer Engineering, University of Michigan; MBA, University of Portland
Professional: 20 years at Intel, Product Management & Leadership Development; Computer Science/Math Faculty at Oregon Episcopal School
Maritime: USCG Master 50T, Near Coastal + Sailing Endorsement; ASA Instructor for 101, 103, 104, 118; Flagship Maritime Training Burgee Award, Highest Achievement
Ben
Ben helps the boat make sense
I came to sailing after many years around powerboats, and that has shaped my approach to sailing as well as how I teach. I like to begin with what students are noticing. After they can articulate what they observe, I give them the information they need to turn those observations into decisions.
Docking and close-quarters boat handling can feel especially fast and intimidating for new sailors. I try to slow those moments down. I may ask what you see before I tell you what I see. Sometimes we reset and make another approach. Sometimes we pause afterward and talk through why the boat behaved the way it did.
I’m drawn to teaching because I love the moment when something complicated finally becomes clear. Often we repeat the same maneuver over and over until suddenly the student stops, looks up, and says, “Oh... now I get it.” Students never get everything right the first time, and that’s not the goal. Instead, they need space to try and feedback they can use to build their own intuition on the water. My hope is that every student leaves with confidence in their own sailing judgment.
Credentials
Education: BSEE, California State University; MBA, University of Washington
Professional: 15 years at Intel, Technical Marketing & Business Development; USAF Veteran of Foreign Wars
Maritime: USCG Master 25T, Sailing, Towing, Radio Endorsements; ASA Instructor for 101, 103, 104, 105, 106, 118; ABA Certified Powerboat Instructor for 2100 and 2101
I want students to have the information they need to make the decision themselves.
Partners teaching partners
With both of us aboard as instructors, every role gets hands on teaching. Beth will coach at the helm while Ben supports lines, timing, communication, or the backup plan if conditions change.
As you practice key skills such as docking, we’ll be there with you ensuring you can execute on your role as well as the partnership with the rest of your crew. You’ll get to experience the different roles on the boat as well as hear different kinds of coaching, so you build confidence in the entire system.
You’ll also get the chance to watch a cruising partnership at work. We don’t teach from a script, instead we aim to model in real time the kind of communication, shared decision-making, and mutual trust that is essential to calm, confident sailing.
Obama
The boat dog
I’m Obama, Beth and Ben’s Portuguese Water Dog. I often join courses and give students a glimpse of cruising life as it is actually lived. I ride in the dinghy, keep track of shore routines, and spend a lot of time asleep in the cockpit.
If anyone has allergies, concerns, or simply prefers a dog-free trip, Obama is happy to stay ashore.
I don’t handle lines, but I do improve cockpit morale.