The Seafarer Collective is an innovative training concept born from determination and resolve to change the face of maritime. I’m so glad to have been part of this process and I can’t wait for the moment the first Seafarer Collective students sign aboard.
I am a USCG licensed captain, experiential educator, and curriculum developer. In 2017 I launched Bluewater Maritime Consulting with the goal of helping mariners apply for original licenses, as well as navigate the renewal and upgrade process.
I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to collaborate with Hali, and the rest of the folks at The Seafarer Collective as the curriculum designer for the upcoming OS Training Program.
I’m really excited to see where The Seafarer is heading. I started working on boats in 2004 with no understanding of the licensing process. Now, I’ve worked my way up to a 1600 GRT Ocean Masters license and AB Unlimited, both endorsed international (STCW). I was fortunate to have great mentorship from captains as I worked my way up, and honestly, the licensing process was more straightforward back then than it is now.
Working with crew who are taking their first steps down the licensing path, I am seeing first-hand that the process has gotten more challenging, more expensive, and more time consuming. I look forward to working with mariners to clarify the process and make the regulations digestible. More than a consultant, I consider myself a coach in this process. As part of Bluewater Maritime Consulting’s collaboration with The Seafarer Collective, I will be working one-on-one with mariners to help them complete their paperwork and training requirements to earn their merchant mariner credential.
I’m thankful to have been around boats as long as I can remember. I grew up on little sailboats on the Great Lakes. In college I worked on a passenger vessel sailing daily from Chicago's Navy Pier. Soon after, I was a student on a semester tall ship program with Sea Education Association. SEA Semester inspired me to seek work in the sail training industry after college. Since then, I have sailed professionally throughout the world.
Having worked primarily on sail training vessels, I am passionate about teaching. I’ve taught USCG approved Basic Training, and I am a Qualified Assessor for STCW. I’m a recent graduate with a Master of Arts in Education (Training and Development) from Central Michigan University (2018).
I live with my husband in San Diego, where he sails as a research technician with Scripps Institute of Oceanography. In my spare time, I serve as a relief captain in San Diego, taking day trips out into the Pacific Ocean to observe grey, blue and humpback whales. And of course, I look forward to upcoming voyages with sail training programs.
Please check out Bluewater Maritime Consulting or reach me directly at Sarah@bluewatersafety.com.