Instructor
Andrea is a professional mariner, offshore sailor, cruiser, captain, and instructor with more than 30 years of experience. Her sailing journey began on Lake Neuchâtel in Switzerland and has taken her through European waters, San Francisco Bay, the West Coast, Alaska, and the South Pacific.
She has completed four Pacific crossings, participated in the Pacific Cup, cruised extensively in French Polynesia and Fiji. Her professional experience includes serving as captain and crew aboard high-speed ferries, luxury yachts, charter boats, and private vessels, as well as working as a boat captain and wilderness guide in Alaska.
As an instructor, Andrea draws on decades of real-world experience to make sailing practical, understandable, and less intimidating. She emphasizes strong fundamentals, situational awareness, sound judgment, and understanding the reason behind each decision.
Andrea enjoys helping beginners build a solid foundation and experienced sailors refine their seamanship, boat handling, confidence, and decision-making. Her teaching is thorough, calm, and encouraging, with the goal of helping students think independently rather than simply memorize steps.
She holds a USCG Master 200 GRT Inland License, a USCG Mate 200 GRT Near Coastal License, ASA instructor qualifications through ASA 108 Offshore Passage Making, and ABA Powerboating instructor qualifications.
Andrea wants every student to leave the boat with stronger skills, greater awareness, better judgment, and the confidence to take responsibility at the helm.
As a crew member on an epic sailing adventure from San Francisco to Hawaii to Alaska, Andrea appeared in the pages of Latitude 38! See pages 62 to 65 of the January 2023 issue.
When Andrea isn’t teaching or captaining, you’ll find her happiest on the water, capturing stunning sailing scenes from San Francisco Bay and beyond. Follow her adventures on Instagram and join her for an unforgettable learning experience on the waves!
