Meet Maureen.

I’ve always been drawn to places and roles that challenge convention. Growing up, I played hardball in Little League—on a boys’ team—and years later, I found myself working in industries where the ratio was often ten to one, men to women. Whether in the workplace, the cockpit as a private pilot, or now on the water as a yacht captain and instructor, I’ve consistently charted a course through spaces not typically occupied by women. Not because I set out to make a statement, but because I simply followed what I loved.

Boating and sailing have been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I learned to sail with my dad, and by the time I was 18, I was captaining our family boat to Catalina Island with my best friend. What began as weekends on the water became a lifelong passion that’s taken me to some of the world’s most stunning sailing grounds. I’ve led destination charters in the British Virgin Islands, the Sea of Cortez, Greece, and the Southern California coast, and served as crew in the Balearic Islands of Spain.

Sailing has taught me a lot about resilience and patience. Smooth seas are nice, but it’s the tough moments—shifting winds, tricky docking situations, unexpected weather, and the inevitable “something that breaks” (thank you, Murphy’s Law)—that build skill and confidence. I genuinely enjoy facing those challenges and, more importantly, helping my students do the same. My goal is to pass along not just knowledge, but the calm mindset and practical tools to stay capable when things get real.