Photo by Joseph Brunette
Sailboat Captain, Recovered Ad Executive
You’ve got what many people would consider a dream job. How did you get started?
My Grandma had a great saying, she always said “get up in the morning, brush your teeth and look in the mirror, and think about what you are about to do today. If you wake up one morning and you don’t want to do what you got up to do, don’t.” I had that morning one day on the way to the advertising agency where I worked. By 9:05 a.m. I had given my notice. I had no clue what I was going to do next. On my lunch break, I ran into a client that I had done some advertising for. She owned a pair of schooners. I thought that sailing sounded like a good way to take some time to think about life. I showed up to work green as green could be. The first day, I got my butt kicked by the manual labor and came home bruised and battered, but with a smile on my face. That was 14 years ago. I own one of those boats now.
What have you learned about Maine from the water?
Respect and natural beauty. The Maine waters are the most beautiful in the world, and some of the trickiest to navigate. There is fog. There are rocks. There is quick-changing weather and huge tidal ranges and currents. But if know how to exist in this space, the reward is huge.
Where do you live and how long have you lived in this area?
I live in Camden, Maine. The town to north of me (Lincolnville) is named after my ancestors. My family has been in this area longer than the United States has been a country. I was born two towns away and lived two towns away from Camden when I was a child. I moved over the mountain from Union when I was 22.
When you want some quiet time in nature, where do you go? What do you do?
Hiking in Camden Hills State Park is always good, or sitting down by the ocean around Beauchamp Point in Rockport or any Island in Maine. The views are spectacular at any one of these places and you don’t need an iPod for entertainment. The quiet is great.
What are your favorite activities to do with your kids in this area?
I have three children; a son Lochlin who is 11 and daughters Winona, 5, and Amelia, 3. Their favorite place in the world is the beach. We call it Lucia Beach, because we are locals, but on the map it is Birch Point State Park in Owl’s Head.
