ABOUT MARC

I started sailing in North Africa at a young age. By ten I set my dream to circumnavigate the globe on my own sailboat. I subsequently completed a degree of Merchant Marine Engineering at the Ecole de la Marine Marchande, Saint Malo, France. Two years later I became yacht captain in the sailboat charter industry in the Greek Islands. Over the next three charter seasons I skippered sailboats from 35 to 50 ft.

During the summer of 1984 I delivered a Dufour 12000, 40ft ketch from Rhodes, Greece, to Pensacola, Florida. I then settled in Washington, D.C., beginning my second career designing and fabricating sterling silver and gold jewelry. In 1985, I met my wife Doreen and by 1987 we moved to San Francisco to pursue my (now our) sailing dream. Our daughter was born later that year and by 1989 we moved to West Oakland, California, where over the next five years we built Imani, a 33ft Roger Simpson-designed catamaran in our backyard. In 1993, our son was born. Over three winter seasons — 1997, 98, and 99 — our family completed three round trips to Mexico’s west coast and from 1999 to 2004, we fully realized my childhood dream; sailing around the world on Imani, west bound, via the Suez and Panama Canals.

In 2007 I began my Sailing Coach/Yacht Delivery business. I presently hold a 50-ton U.S. Coast Guard Master License. I enjoy sharing my 30-plus years of sailing experience with sailboat owners, coaching them to sail San Francisco Bay or the seven seas. I also help them understand their boats and systems as they grow more comfortable maintaining their vessels. I have delivered numerous boats for their owners from as far as the Pacific south sea’s Cook Islands and Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay.

From December 2008 to September 2009, we sailed Imani to French Polynesia then Hawaii and back to Sausalito. In 2010 I started volunteering with the Blue Water Foundation as captain, introducing sailing weekly to 5th graders on the Golden Bear and Aleta, both 46ft racing sloops. Blue Water’s mission is to bring the joy of sailing to San Francisco Bay Area inner city and at-risk youth.

With our children grown and launched, Doreen and I sailed back to French Polynesia in 2017. In the fall of 2020 — again via Hawaii — we returned to Sausalito where we continue to reside and work aboard Imani.

I look forward to connecting with you for sailing and jewelry!