After growing up sailing the Great Lakes I moved to Key West, Florida in 2002 to start a career working on sailing ships. Working my way up from deckhand to mate on traditional schooners, I found an incredible base and appreciation for traditional wood finishing. Following a need to travel on the water, I joined a wooden square rigger sailing throughout the South Pacific. It was here that my love for traditional arts deepened. After a year of extended offshore cruising and island hopping, I returned to Florida to obtain my USCG 100 ton captain's license and work for a shipwright. Benefiting from the experience of my teachers, I was taught the techniques of marine wood repair. The skills and necessity for attention to detail that I learned there will always prove to be invaluable. ​​Needing to get back on the water, I moved to Newport, Rhode Island to race on wooden America's Cup 12 metres. At the completion of the sailing season, I found my first job on a classic 72' wooden, private yacht. That is where I learned what perfection in varnish is. Over the next five years, I worked as Chief Mate on private sailing yachts up to 108' that cruised the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. These years of working on the water have given me the chance to be surrounded by some of the finest superyachts and industry professionals on the planet. The opportunity to watch and learn from the best in the business is something that I am truly grateful for.