Meet Sailing Instructor Jeff “Vegas” Howard
Meet instructor Audrey Allgood in Florida. Audrey’s awesome – USCG licensed, highly experienced, and loves sharing her passion of sailing.
Meet instructor Audrey Allgood in Florida. Audrey’s awesome – USCG licensed, highly experienced, and loves sharing her passion of sailing.
Meet instructor Audrey Allgood in Florida. Audrey’s awesome – USCG licensed, highly experienced, and loves sharing her passion of sailing.
What’s your favorite part about teaching sailors?
When the light goes on as the student connects the theory to the reality. The joy a student feels and expresses after completing a difficult task or executing a maneuver perfectly. The camaraderie that sailing promotes.
I started sailing when I was 10 years old with my uncle on Lake Ponchartrain in New Orleans. It is then I realized my passion for sailinng. Forty years later I finally took a Formal Sailing Class. I thought I knew a lot, and I did, but did not realize how much I did not know
I hopped on a sailboat almost by accident. It happened during a networking event for Italian professionals living abroad, and I reside in the suburbs of Boston, MA. The very next day, I eagerly signed up for a 101 course, and two years later, I had obtained all the certifications required to become an instructor. I spent every day of the week at the dock, honing my skills. I practiced crew overboard drills so many times that people jokingly thought I was responsible for cleaning the Boston Harbor.
As a marine professional based in Southern California, I have had a diverse career in the sailing industry. I have served as the VP of Instruction for the South Coast Sailing Team in Dana Point, CA, where I was responsible for overseeing the instructors, courses, and overall sailing program. Additionally, I have been a Sailing Instructor and owner/operator of OC Boat Charter, Captain of a 60’ luxury catamaran sailing yacht based in Long Beach, CA, whale watching Captain on a 55’ sailing Catamaran, and owner/operator of American Dive Institute on the East Coast.
I think my favorite part about teaching sailing for a living is the perpetual goal to “teach myself out of a job.” Just recently, I received a video from former students who did their first bareboat charter in Antigua. I love it when my graduates stay in touch and continue to update me as they charter, purchase a boat, etc.
Meet pro Catamaran sailing instructor Mark Noneman of Calypso Sailing. Learn more about Mark, how he got started, and his advice to sailors.
NauticEd is a fully recognized education and certification platform for sailing students combining online and on-the-water real instruction (and now VR). NauticEd offers +24 online courses, a free sailor's toolkit that includes 2 free courses, and six ranks of certification – all integrated into NauticEd’s proprietary platform. The USCG and NASBLA recognize NauticEd as having met the established American National Standards. Learn more at www.nauticed.org.
The NauticEd Vacations team are Expert Global Yacht Charter Agents – when you book a sailing vacation or bareboat charter through NauticEd, we don’t charge you a fee – we often save you money since we can compare prices from all yacht charter companies. PLUS, we can give you advice on which destination or charter company will suit your needs best. Inquire about a Sailing Vacation or Charter.