While living on Midway Atoll for a year doing historical renovations of the WW2 buildings transforming barracks into hotels for ecotourism and leading new construction of a beachside restaurant that was featured on the cover of Smithsonian Magazine, we worked six days a week.

The seventh day was for catching dinner.

This is where I developed a love for boating, fishing + diving. When I got back to the mainland, I’d look for work as a deckhand in between construction projects, just to get out on the water, and learn as much as I could in the summer months.

From there, I started captaining + maintaining boats for friends who just wanted to go fishing, and preferred not to captain or wrench on their own boat. This allowed me to lead trips all over Southern CA + Mexico from the Coronados, to Catalina, San Clemente Island, and even a 10-day trip to Guadalupe.

Over the last 25 years, I’ve renovated four fishing boats including wood work, fiberglass, engines, and electronics. My background in construction and collaborating + apprenticing with electricians + plumbers has paid off when it comes to rebuilding, repairing and caring for fishing boats.

There’s no better place to test your work than 100 miles off the coast!

I also find creating a balance between life + work is energizing and makes me better at both. But, passing these skills onto my son and getting to enjoy the work and well-earned trips together is the most gratifying.