About Your Instructor
Capt. Gary Herald

A three year apprenticeship was served aboard commercial passenger tour boats while in the employ of Seattle Harbor Tours and Grayline Tours. I attended the Kildahl Nautical School prior to obtaining my USCG license in 1970. Subsequently holding the position of tour boat skipper for Seattle Harbor Tours for the next 7 years. During this period I personally carried over 3/4 of a million passengers throughout the Pacific Northwest. The tour boats ranged in size from 65' to 85' with a capacity between 150 and 500 passengers.

A couple of years were spent as the skipper of a private 65' yacht cruising between Seattle and the Canadian inside passage. For the adventure I spent one summer as the second mate aboard a 125' tugboat that traveled 1000 miles down the remote Yukon River to the mouth supplying the isolated villages as we went.

Delivering yachts both power and sail occupied my time during most of the next few years. This includes between New York and Fort Lauderdale utilizing the Intercoastal Waterway. I made numerous trips up and down the West Coast reaching from the tip of Baha to S.E. Alaska including the Columbia River. Since 1990 I have resumed this refreshing part of my career. I average over a dozen ocean deliveries a year with my specialty being the West Coast and Alaska.

Lived onboard my own sailboat for a period of 9 years in the Northwest.

A variety of skippering duties through the years has included operating passengers ferries for two local islands, dive boats charters in the San Juans, and fishing boat charters in Puget Sound. I skippered a survey vessel mapping the San Juan Islands and log patrol. I am presently approved as skipper for a Seattle based 99' Azimut and vessels aligned with Voyages Northwest's corporate and private charter.

When not delivering boats I teach boating both onboard and classroom privately and for insurance, yacht charter, and lease companies. I instructed for Pacific Yacht Charters in Anacortes for six years. This company had a fleet of over 50 charter boats, both power and sail of every size and layout, providing experience and proficiency regardless of boat type and power and handling configuration. I provide full skippering services to the public such as delivery, charter skipper, designated driver for parties, trip planning, and consultation. I scuba dive and have been a licensed private pilot for 24 years. My present C.G. license is 100 ton, Master Passenger/Tow. In my 38 years as a licensed skipper I have never damaged a prop, or had an accident or injury.

I bring with me the experience of thousands of hours handling hundreds of different boats of every type and it will be my pleasure to share this with you.