Crew Available: May '15 Atlantic Crossing or similar

[Antarctic_Suz]

Hi There,
As an Antarctic and climbing guide/instructor (25 years), I bring a lot to a crew; below is my sailing CV. I am looking for an Atlantic crossing for May, but could be interested in just about any serious sailing in May with the right skipper/crew.

I am more interested in finding the right skipper/crew than in exactly where we go, and for that I am willing to consider flying wherever reasonably necessary. I am seeking a skipper who truly enjoys and knows how to coach others, not someone who prefers to show off their skills and knowledge. I am looking for a skipper/crew that appreciates the finer points of sailing well; someone with a similar sense of risk management… and a light-hearted approach.

Non-smoking, no drugs; do not want to be around those who do. I drink in moderation. I am in a committed relationship and distinctly not interested in anything more than friendship.

I am playful, motivated, and have a positive, upbeat attitude; send me a message and tell me about yourself, your plans, your boat. Fair Winds!

Summary:
Bareboat charterer (sloops): 5 week-long coastal cruises with one or two other people
RYA Day Skipper Course, Tasman Bay, NZ Feb 2013 (reference from instructor available)
Long-time certified professional year-round technical mountaineering guide (1999-current)
Long-time outdoor educator (and staff trainer) for climbing (rock, mtneering, ice), backcountry skiing, arctic, and desert expeditions (1989-2000)
Field trainer and guide for scientists in Antarctica (since 2003)
Naturalist and a highly motivated student (life-long)
Mountain Search and Rescue professional (current since 2003)
Wilderness First Responder (certified since 1991)

Sailing Experience:
First mate: Bareboat charter of Carpenter 29, with one other person, Queen Charlotte Sound, 6-days, March 2013
Competent Crew on Halsberg-Rassy 36, Vancouver Islands area, May 2013, six days
First mate: Bareboat charter of Carpenter 29, with one other person, Queen Charlotte Sound, 6-days, March 2014
First mate: Bareboat charter of Jeanneau 36, with one other person, Queen Charlotte Sound, 4-days, March 2014
First mate: Bareboat charter of Barvaria 35, with 3 others, BVI, 7 days April 2014
First mate: Bareboat charter with 3 others, BVI, 7 days April 2014 (with a different pair of non-sailor friends)

Skills actively practiced especially when there are just two of us onboard.
Navigation: determining Course to Steer, DR, EP, 3 pt fix, running fix, clearing lines, tidal calculations when relevant
Emergency response: MOB with and without engine, heaving to and figuring out how to hold that position
Anchoring: stern line ashore, two anchors off bow (not so much due to drag concerns but to limit swing and experiment), picking up moorings smoothly (and first try), snubber.
Sail trim: reefing (slab, boom furling), when to adjust boom vang/Cunningham/downhaul; beating most efficient line (when to tack); running: when to gybe, assessing position of jib fairleads for right sail tension, avoiding being stalled out: watching the tell tales, preparing for oncoming puffs/lulls, playing with the balance of the sails (slight weather helm); running with just jib; wing-on-wing with jury-rigged whisker pole and preventer for boom.

Additional Skills: managing risk in difficult conditions where rescue is not an option (and I am the one responsible); knots; advanced climbing and rescue rigging (including mechanical advantage systems); advanced map/compass navigation (terrestrial); GPS (terrestrial), VHF and HF radios, basic marine radar (as part of Antarctic Search and Rescue); living in small tight spaces for weeks on end with others in professional contexts (what we call “expedition behavior!”); dealing with severe weather; situational awareness including weather shifts and reading terrain/surfaces: rock/snow/ice; provisioning for extended expeditions; managing health and equipment on extended expeditions; basic snowmobile repair skills; helicopters: safety and cargo rigging skills. Spanish (somewhere between “can get around” and “conversational”)

Additional Aptitudes:
A lot of time in exposed, wide-open challenging environments: Continuous weeks above tree-line: rock and snow (or arctic tundra), Antarctic plateau (Great White Expanse), desert.
No history of sea sickness. Enjoy flying in small aircraft (single-engine fixed-wing and helicopters) in rough places like the Arctic and Antarctic.
Strong swimmer. Fit. Health-oriented.

Favorite Sailing Books:
Colgate’s Basic Sailing Theory, Stephen Colgate (truly studied)
Blue Water Voyaging, Beth Leonard
Heavy Weather Sailing, Peter Bruce (Adlard Cole)
(Oceans, National Museum of Natural History, UK. Basic oceanography: physical/biological; wonderful; truly studied)
Articles from many sources on navigation, weather, tides, above-listed technical skills

Relevant Certifications:
· Wilderness First Responder and CPR; WMI, kept current since 1991

Relevant Training and Education:
· RYA Day Skipper Course, ‘Sail Nelson’, Tasman Bay, NZ Feb 2013
· Outdoor Emergency Care, National Ski Patrol, Eldora Mountain, Colorado, fall 2002
· Rigging for Rescue, 7-day seminar, Ouray, Colorado; summer 2005
· Rigging training with Jenny Lake Rangers, Grand Teton National Park, 2 days each spring 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009
· Rescue Rigging, 5-day course, SAR Institute of New Zealand, Sept 2006, Sept 2010, Sept 2011, Sept 2012, Sept 2013, Sept 2014· B.A. Biology and Environmental Studies, High Honors, Dean’s List, Honors Thesis, magna cum laude.