CAPTAIN ALLAN

I started sailing as a young kid on a wooden Blue Jay (the 14 foot baby version of a Lightning). When I was 14, I started racing with a County Recreation Sailing Cub which sponsored handicapped races for all sorts of different boats on the Bay. This became the driving force of focused activity for me as a teenager. When I was not racing, I would often pursue my sailing passion and sail around the Great South Bay of Long Island and short tack through the marshes for the sake of adventure. It was quite a thrill to be on the college sailing team for four years and meet the challenge of honing my skills in a league that raised the bar. A few years later, I started cruising and getting my sea time towards a Captain's License. A Bareboat Charter in the Virgin Islands with friends precipitated a major change in my life - getting a Captain's License with a goal of becoming a charter/yacht captain became a priority. I needed to get back to the Islands.

I aced the Captain's Licensing Course at the Chapman's School of Seamanship and finished my sea time with some voyages around Florida and crossings to the Virgin Islands. It was a very happy day when I passed the Coast Guard exam and achieved my License. Soon after, I got a captain's position with the International School of Sailing in Florida, doing week-long training voyages on 39 foot sloops. It was a rigorous program for the students which also taught me a lot because of the challenging conditions I experienced over two years.

A new 48 foot modern state of the art sloop was commissioned and the owner hired me as it's full-time captain. I sailed it from Florida to the Virgin Islands where I did full-service charters for many years, taking small groups of people out for a week or more, island hopping. I found great pleasure in sharing with my guests the pleasures of sailing, the West Indian Culture, and doing guided snorkeling tours of the reefs. I was definitely in my element - living aboard, sailing, the islands, and tropical trade winds suited me just fine.

I eventually relocated to San Diego and San Diego has been good to me ever since with lots of great Maritime opportunities. Since the Spring of 2013, I have been associated with San Diego Sailing tours as a Captain and I couldn't be more proud to be a part of this organization. As a Charter Captain, I have the thrill to meet people from all over the world and share my enthusiasm for sailing with them. San Diego makes my job easy because there is so much happening on the Bay each day and there is lots of fascinating history, so it's easy to keep my guests entertained. Plus, it's a pure pleasure to sail San Diego Sailing Tour's vintage yachts.

Today, San Diego Sailing Tours is one of the largest sailing organizations in San Diego and we have restored a fleet of 5 beautiful sailing yachts. We specialize in intimate experiences with 6 passengers or less onboard each cruise daily. We have a licensed captain at the helm to tell stories, give lessons, and provide breathtaking and incredible memories. We have catered to over 26,000 sailing passengers. Running intimate 6 Passenger sailing experiences makes that a LOT of departures and we can proudly say that our captains are well seasoned. With this experience, it is no wonder they get the best reviews in all of San Diego tourism.”