Captain Charlie, Speaker

Speaker Series/Events

“Your talk was a SMASH HIT. Thank you for bringing your enthusiasm and expertise to Sail Nauticus and community.”

—KC, Sail Nauticus at the Nauticus National Maritime Center

“BRAVO — What a pleasant, engaging, compact and well-presented evening! You managed to combine adventure, science, technology—you did it all.”

—Shelly, Corinthian Yacht Club of San Francisco, Speakers Series

Arrange an Event

Captain Charlie is a seasoned popular speaker who can create a presentation with a sailing topic to fit your audience and time schedule such as presentations at the Annapolis Sailboat Show, Seven Seas University, Ocean Cruising Club, Sail Nauticus/National Maritime Center in Norfolk, VA., Annapolis Yacht Club, Corinthian YC of San Francisco, Puddle Jump Seminars in Puerto Vallarta Mexico. To arrange a presentation, contact Captain Charlie at speaker@worldsailing.guru

The presentations below are designed to fit a one-hour time-slot including a Q&A session

Upcoming Events

April 11, 7pm, “Arctic Adventure: The Northwest Passage Under Sail” The Spokane Club.

Sample Topics:

Arctic Adventure: Northwest Passage Under Sail

Share the excitement and entertainment of Captain Charlie's recent Northwest Passage with his wife, Cathy, in their sailing boat S/V Celebrate.

The Adventure of a Lifetime: Circumnavigating Under Sail

Share the excitement and entertainment of Captain Charlie's recent world circumnavigation with his wife, Cathy, in their sailing boat S/V Celebrate. There are lots of interesting images and videos from exotic places around the world spiced with personal anecdotes and adventures.

Managing the Risks of Sailing the World

This informative talk will cover the actual probabilities of hazardous events and simple procedures or purchases which can significantly reduce them. On an offshore passage, you can't call SeaTow or the Coast Guard and you'll need to be prepared to cope with all issues on your own. There will also be time to address the specific concerns you may have before leaving the dock.

QuickStart to Choosing Your Circumnavigation Route and Timing

With limitless possibilities for sailing around the world, how do you select which way to go and when? Choosing the safest and most comfortable route around the world depends largely on the weather. Most cruisers choose warmer climates, sailing down wind, avoiding seasons of storms and hurricanes (called “cyclones” in the southern hemisphere) and using current boosts when possible. By looking at the probabilities of good conditions, it is possible to select a route for the safest and most comfortable sailing experience.

Rallies of the World: Should I Join a Sailing Rally?

The pros and cons of joining a sailing rally. With a choice of rallies available, which would be right for you? Rallies vary in distance, some are “full-service” while others are more basic, some are even free. This talk will help you evaluate your personal needs and find the rally right for you.

Bluewater Passage Preparations OR How to Sail Off the Edge of the World

It felt like sailing off the edge of the world on our first major ocean passage, around the Pinnacle Rocks of Cape Flattery at Neah Bay, in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. This was a coastal trip from Seattle to San Francisco with a few stops along the way. We’d read the guides so we knew that during a severe storm the Coast Guard closes the intervening harbors and the first all-weather entrance south of Seattle is San Francisco, about 800 miles away. Our passage turned out just fine and we were fortunate to have enjoyable conditions most of the way.

Top 20 Tips for the Would-be Circumnavigator

Captain Charlie's recent world circumnavigation with his wife, Cathy, offers a host of experiences on what worked and what didn't during their voyage. Here are the top equipment/preparation decisions which worked out well. The focus is on items which are not found in most cruising guides and will be useful to anyone outfitting a boat for a long passage.

Bluewater Passage Safety Checklist

This presentation goes into the nitty-gritty of selecting basic equipment including how to estimate requirements and capacities for fuel, water, electricity, etc. What rigging and sails will you need? Which watermaker works? Refrigeration? Do you really need a genset? What about autopilots, radar, shortwave, satphones, spares, and a host of other gear? Bring your specific questions to take advantage of Captain Charlie's technical expertise.

The Circumnavigator's Guide to Up-to-Date Electronics Aboard

This “How-to” presentation shows the variety of navigational, electrical, and communication equipment available and shows how each is useful. Special emphasis on the use of chartplotters, radar, AIS, autopilots with demonstrations to help you make the most of your gear. The presentation will use Raymarine equipment for demonstration but marine equipment is functionally similar enough that this presentation is useful for sailors with all types of gear.

Navigation by Google Maps™

How do you stay in touch while you're circumnavigating This presentation covers equipment selection and the use of shortwave, satphone, WiFi, cell-phone and other means of getting your message through including YellowBrick satellite tracking and messaging. What works and what doesn't in various situations and locations. Some detail is presented in how to set up a shortwave for email with satphone backup.

The Magic of Sailing

Why is sailing magical?
What makes a sailing boat go?
Can a sailing boat go faster than the wind?
How do we manage energy and other resources on a long ocean passage?
Captain Charlie's extensive technical and scientific background and his skill as a teacher really shine to make a presentation appropriate for all ages, sailors and non-sailors alike.

Keeping a “Happy Ship!” by Setting Crew Expectations

Unless you are sailing solo, you'll have crew. Keeping your crew happy is important to a successful voyage and this presentation offers a wealth of ideas on how to acquire crewmembers and how to manage the boat to keep them happy. Whether your crew is your spouse, friends and family, strangers, or paid professionals, you'll need to consider accommodations, watch schedules, and food issues. Also included, a host of entertaining anecdotes gleaned from Charlie's recent circumnavigation.

Circumnavigation “Changes Your Life”

Circling the world and visiting with people of many countries offers insights into how the world works. The interactions between nations have long-lasting effects and this can be seen particularly in isolated islands visited by boat. You'll also see how individuals can have an important impact and the power of philanthropy.

Sail Race Results Go High Tech

Your yacht club can have professional-looking race documentation and online results in a few easy steps. This presentation includes demonstrations of free software which can help manage races, do scoring, and present the results on the club's website. The programs are "Committee Boat Suite" which helps to pre-plan race courses, predict course times based on boat polars, create race instructions, and a host of other capabilities useful to the race committee and Sailwave for scoring.