Captain Vince
Captain & Instructor
From golfing to surfing, even sailing to classic car restoration, Captain Vince does it all. A Monterey native, Vince has spent his years restoring VW cars with his dad, sailing the Monterey Bay, and fishing any chance he gets. Sail Monterey is grateful to have Vince not only as a Captain, but as a jack of all trades who can find a solution to any problem with a smile on his face.
Captain Kiwi
Captain & Instructor
Captain Kiwi is a certified ASA 101 & 103 sailing instructor and a passionate mariner dedicated to sharing her love of the sea. With a wealth of experience on the water, she brings knowledge, patience, and enthusiasm to every sailing lesson. Beyond the helm, Kiwi is a talented artist, specializing in commissioned artwork that captures the beauty of nature and the spirit of adventure. Whether she’s navigating the Monterey Bay or creating stunning pieces of art, Kiwi’s creativity and passion shine through.
Captain Aaron
Captain & Instructor
Aaron has always loved any activity outdoors. His favorite activities include backpacking, hiking, snow skiing, wakeboarding, surfing, caving, paddle boarding, scuba diving, snorkeling, mountain biking, and hammocking. It wasn’t until he found sailing that he realized his true passion in life. Ever since he took ASA 101 and 103 at Sail Monterey with Captain Vince as the Instructor, he very quickly realized that sailing was pretty much all he wanted to do.
Aaron has dedicated most of his time to sailing and quickly became a very knowledgable and capable captain and certified ASA instructor. He is a quick learner and is enthusiastic about supporting others on their journey to becoming as addicted to the wonderful world of sailing as he is.
Captain Tanya
Captain & Instructor
Tanya grew up sailing in the Finger Lakes region in New York. She holds her 50-ton captain’s license with sailing and towing endorsements as well as a variety of STCW, American Sailing, American Boating, and US Sailing certifications. She has taught sailing for Cornell University, Club Med Sandpiper Bay, the Hudson River Maritime Museum, Sea Education Association, and US Santa Cruz.
She is known for her work on Schooner Apollonia, the nations only active sail freighter, as well as her work as organizer and speaker for the Riverport Women’s Sailing Conference.
Paul and Tina
Owners
Paul and Tina own and manage Sail Monterey. While Paul’s full time job is focused on builidng a better sailing community, Tina owns her own company creating and selling jewelry made from sea glass found on the beaches in Monterey and Pacific Grove. Paul and Tina live in Pacific Grove and enjoy sailing, backpacking, and golfing. Come meet us at the end of the Old Fisherman’s Wharf and tell us what you love doing here in the beautiful Monterey Bay area!
Marcus and Baloo
Diver and Fabricator
Marcus (Human on the right) and Baloo (Doggo on the left) have been valuable team members and great friends to Sail Monterey. Marcus is a commercial diver and fabricator and Baloo is a black lab who enjoys barking at sea lions. At Sail Monterey, Marcus maintains and cares for the bottoms of the sailboats as well as repair just about anything that breaks. While Marcus is working underwater, Baloo stands guard to make sure birds and sea lions give Marcus space to work. You won’t find one without the other, and they are both a part of what makes Sail Monterey a great place to spend time.
Captain Lara
Sailing Instructor
Lara has been sailing since the 1970’s, and learned on small one-design racing boats. She started on Sunfish dinghies in South Carolina, then grew into Lasers in Texas. Crewing for her parents on Lightenings and Thistles, 3-person boats, she then went on to travel and compete on weekends, towing the boat and camping on lakeshores.
When Lara landed in California she had her first close encounter with a whale while sailing a Laser in the Monterey Bay. She got close enough to see the barnacles on its humped back! Quite a shock for someone in a small boat who grew up lake sailing.
After moving to the Los Angeles area, Lara spent many years crewing and racing yachts up and down the West Coast. She has participated in the 2021 Baja HaHa Rally & the 2022 Pacific Cup.
Lara now sails out of Moss Landing and is an active member of the Elkhorn Yacht Club.
As a previous public school teacher, her skills are now used in teaching ASA sailing in Monterey and the San Juan Islands for people who are are ready to experience the joys of moving about on a boat!
Captain Doug
Captain & Instructor
Doug has been plying the ocean with surfboards and sailboats most of his life! Like his awesome co-captains at Sail Monterey, he is stoked when sailing and very passionate about sharing that experience and excitement through charters and classes on Monterey Bay. Doug’s sailing experience began in Newport California where he sailed a home built 8’ sloop, catamarans, and the 65’ schooner “Kelpie.” When he’s not sailing for Sail Monterey, Doug either sails his Santana 30 (Singing Winds) or jumps aboard any boat that needs a strong hand and a warm smile.