Christopher L.,
USA, PA, Philadelphia
at 2025, Jan 15
Practical Competence of Skipper Rank
Mark was an excellent instructor. He was methodical in covering all areas of instruction, and his occasional use of the Socratic method (i.e., asking me what steps I thought should be taken) helped to engrain the learning. Having sailed most of my life, I was already familiar with much of the underlying material. Nevertheless, there were gaps in my knowledge, and Mark helped fill these as well as explain the significant differences between sailing monohulls and catamarans.
A few words about the condition of his vessel, Calpyso. Without question, this was the nicest sailboat I've ever been on, and I've been on quite a few. He had top notch electronics, including a Starlink receiver, a watermaker/desalinator, an ice machine, and composting heads. The boat felt like it was brand new, and I felt like I was at a 4-star hotel rather than aboard a sailboat.
Mark's wife was also a delight, assisting in the training and making my own wife feel more comfortable and competent as crew.