Relevant Experience

I have been boating since I was 6 months old.  I grew up on powerboats, have built kitset sailing dinghies, owned Hobbie cats, 1/4 ton keelers, raced windsurfers and now own and race a Young 88 - New Zealand's leading One Design class racer/cruiser.

Recent sailing and boating experience

• Mate/ long haul delivery crew on Jeanneau 494 from Tonga to San Fransisco

• Mate/ delivery crew on Wasabi, Oyster 56 from Auckland, NZ to Fiji

• Watch keeper / Deck hand on Island Passage - 140ft power cat doing multiday charter and private group charters in New Zealand and Vanautu.  Responsible for watch keeping while under way, all deck activities, tender driving, crane operations etc.

• Delivery crew on Cheshire Cat, 50ft Morris Yachts from Fiji, to Opua to Auckland, NZ

• Delivery crew on Island Style, 41ft Ian Farrier cat from Auckland to Opua, NZ to Tonga

• Delivery crew on Beez Knees, 34ft VanDerstat keeler from Bundaberg Australia to Opua, NZ

• Delivery crew on  'Lion NZ' the 80ft ocean racing maxi yacht from Auckland to Wellington sailing down the west coast 3 handed

• Skipper / helmsman / owner of EYE SPY a 30ft Young 88 competing in:

  - Annual harbour racing & cruising series with Royal NZ Yacht Squadron and Richmond Yacht Clubs (2nd on handicap winter series 2007)

  - One design class racing - Nationals (2007 1st handicap), Owners champs, windward/leeward sprints, single handed and 2 handed races etc

  - SSANZ 2 handed long distance racing series (divisional winner 2008)

  - Annual coastal racing events including Coastal Classic, Auckland to Bay of Island yacht race, Auckland to Tauranga, Auckland to Whangarei race - either fully crewed or 2 handed

  - Regular summer cruising including Hauraki Gulf, Bay of Islands, Gt Barrier Island and the Mercury Islands

• Skipper on private Sunsail charter of 36ft Beneteau in Va'vau, Tonga for 7 days with 2 POB

• Racing crew with various boats including Prawnbroker 10mt sport boat, Transformer a 14mtr Elliot and Pacific Sundance a Farr 40 IOR

• Volunteer Crew, NZ Coastguard, Wellington

• Ad-hoc deckhand, Kiwi Cruiser - 45ft day charter vessel in Bay of Islands

• Beach crew / rescue boat, Marine Rentals - jet ski, catamaran and beach hire operation in Bay of Islands

• Commercial sea kayak guide for over 15 years - have kayaked most parts of New Zealand and commercially guided in Bay of Islands, Fiordland, and in the wilds of BC, Canada

• Competitive windsurfer racing IMCO class for many years

• 20 years of family cruising on our 35ft powerboat around the Hauraki Gulf, Bay of Islands and south to Tauranga.

Hospitality experience

• Bar manager - Skinny Sardine - Waiheke Islands newest Spanish tapas bar. Responsible for all front of house management including stock control,  rostering, cash ups, security all while working 60-70hrs on the bar.

• Barman - Carlton Rugby Club, Auckland, NZ

• Silver service waiter - City Bistro & Bar, Auckland NZ

• Head Barman  - Cornwall Cricket Club

• Lead waiter - Matisse Restaurant

• Lounge bar manager - Steps Nightclub

• Cocktail barman - High Street Cafe

Marine maintenance experience

• Completely re-fitted our Young 88 - fully re-rigged, removed mast, personally removed keel, repainting topsides, rewired, replumbed, and completely replaced all deck gear to suit short handed sailing

• Stripped and rebuilt our first keeler, a 25ft plywood Alan Warwick design. This required everything from replacing rotten framing, hull sections, re-wiring, complete hull and deck repaint by hand, running rigging etc

• Owned and worked in a composite manufacturing business producing high end composite kayaks for export markets.  Involved with resins, gelocoats, fibreglass grinding, polishing and fitout

• Extensive experience with general repairs and maintenance of sailing dinghies, RIB's, windsurfers, kayaks and other craft in a sea water environment

• Annual maintenance on family vessels including antifouling, varnish, wood work, general engine servicing