Both Captains Mike and Verena are Merchant Mariners and have held a 100-ton United States Coast Guard Near-Coastal Masters license with sailing and towing endorsements since 2008.
Mike grew up in Denver and graduated with a degree in biology. After college, he moved to Alaska to work as a fisheries biologist. While in Alaska, he studied Geographic Information Systems and became interested in mapping fish habitats. In 2004, he accepted a position as a hydrographic survey technician aboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) research ship Fairweather which began his career as a hydrographer that has kept him afloat over the years.
Mike loves cruising boats and has a gift for keeping them running. Over the years, he has tackled a daunting number of plumbing, electrical, and mechanical upgrades and repairs to boats.
Verena immigrated to the United States from Germany as a teenager along with her parents. To get to the US, they sailed their 38′ sailboat from Germany to San Diego. Verena went to college in Northern California, where she received a degree in geography and cartography. Her passion for the ocean and affinity towards technology led her to the NOAA research ship Fairweather where she began her career as a hydrographer in 2004.
In 2011, Mike and Verena quit their full-time jobs and went cruising in Mexico aboard their sailboat Camille. After two years they returned to San Diego, sold Camille, and started working as hydrographic contractors. In the winter of 2015, they purchased their current boat, a 40′ trawler, to cruise the waters of the Pacific Northwest.
For more about us please visit our personal website at PacificSailors.com