| Mark "Snark" Waddington
Director / Captain Mark first came to work for the Guided Discoveries family during his summers off from college in 1994 as a sailing instructor. Once out of college he began working at CIMI at Toyon Bay. After satisfying some wander lust He came back to assist in the CTSE program aboard the SSV Tole Mour in 2001. He has served as a Dive Master, deckhand/instructor, 2nd Mate, 1st Mate and Captain aboard the Tole Mour and a variety of other vessels around the country. He took the leap to land life in 2005 as the Director of CTSE and hasn't looked back. He does however get to sub in for crew that need some time off. Which he enjoys thoroughly. | |
| | Tim Hatler
Captain Tim's dad coverted a gas station into a sailboat dealership and put him to work scrubbing boats as a child. He grew up learning to sail in the San Francisco Bay Area. After high school Time went to the Universitiy of California at Santa Barbara and majored in Chemical Engineering. After a stint of work as a Marine Science Instructor at Catalina Island Marine Institute Toyon bay he became the Summer Sailing Director there. Shortly thereafter Tim got his teaching credential and captains License in San Diego. While there he found work as a Dive boat Captain and enjoyed some of his many water sport past times. In 1998 Tim founded CIMI Tall Ship Expeditions for Guided Discoveries. Now Tim is the Summer Captain for the Tole Mour and returns to his new home in Baja California to run his bed and breakfast resort during the rest of the year. |
| Ross Robinson
Chief Mate Ross was born and raised in Gloucester, MA, where he learned to sail as a kid. He went to school at the University of New Hampshire where he majored in Outdoor Education and minored in Earth Science. Since graduationing in 1999 he has worked teaching sailing and wilderness backpacking. He has worked in the Caribbean, British Columbia, the Yukon Territory, and the Channel Islands. He started his career with the Tole MOur as an Instructor in Jan. of 2002 and have worked part of every year since then. this is his third summer as Chief Mate and it is his favorited job to work anywhere. During his time off the Tole this year He worked as a mate for SEA semester and sailed across the Pacific to Tahiti. | |
| | Thatcher Mathewson
Second Mate / Bosun Thatcher Mathewson, known by most as Tako or Taka-Taka, is bursting with a pure and infectious joy. Having worked on the Tole Mour for two years he knows the program very well and has helped to shape the way things are done with his ingenious additions to the program. Taka graduated from University of Colorado at Boulder with a degree in Geology and as a part of his undergraduate sailed with the Sea Education Association aboard the Robert C. Seamans where he learned a love for shipboard education and maritime sciences. Thatcher recently received his 100 ton Captain's license and spends his free time surfing and moonlighting as a freelance model. |
| Bill Ryall
Chief Engineer William Ryall is not Australian. He was born the son of Estonian immigrants to the UK in the rural hamlet of Stoke-on-Trent. He grew up hopping between his home in the UK and the backwoods of North Carolina; where he learned to jug for cats, skin possums and whittle dulcimers out of tree limbs. At the University of Manchester he studied Structural Engineering and Fashion Science; neither of which have helped him in his current profession. Bill has sailed in the waters of the gulf, the north Atlantic, Irish, Baltic and North seas and is now enjoying working on an ocean who's name means peaceful. Bill's favorite thing on board the Tole Mour is the sound powered telephones. His hobbies include cheese rolling, growing marrows, pigeon fancying and whippet racing. . | |
| | Pat Merrill
Program Director Pat was born and raised in Middletown, CT. As a kid he was really into sports, Lego’s, and being in his neighborhood street gang, “The Goonies.” He also enjoyed going to circus camp and being a real life clown. After high school, he brought his act to Boston, graduating from UMass Boston with a degree in American Studies. He took a break from his studies in Boston to sail with Sea Education Association, and has never been the same since, hopping from schooner to schooner all around the country. He started on the Adventuress in the Pacific Northwest, and then sailed aboard the Ernestina in New England. He has worked on the Tole Mour since 2004. Last May, Pat and his wife, Azusa, had their first child. He is a cute little boy named Kai, who enjoys crawling and chewing. Soon, The Merrill’s will go to Boston so that Kai can witness his dad’s obsession with the Red Sox. Pat’s hobbies include spear fishing, SCUBA diving, bike riding, and lying in bed with his family. |
| Bonita Johnson
Deckhand / Second Engineer This is Bonita's first time aboard the Tole Mour, and she is very excited. She began her tall ship sailing in New York Harbor. This experience has led her all over the world on a host of different ships. Some of these ships have been ambassador vessels and some have been educational in nature. She loves to teach and can't wait to explore the California Channel Islands. | |
| | Karen Ebner
Instructor / Deckhand If the SSV Tole Mour were Gilligan’s Island then Karen Ebner would be the Professor. She studied Biology at the University of New England and is a native to Schwenksville Pennsylvania. Karen’s love of science and joi de vivre shine through in her daily interactions with the Tole Mour Program. In her spare time Karen studies for the GRE and plans a strategic operation in the British Virgin Islands. |
| Brian Barnes
Instructor / Deckhand Brian Barnes has returned to the crew of the Tole Mour from his sailing jaunts in the Atlantic. On board the Tole Mour his shipmates frequently call him Barnes or Barney. He grew up in Markle, Pennsylvania, and learned to sail at Eekerd College in St. Petersburg FL. This is also where he studied Environmental Studies and Biology. This summer will be his 4th season as an instructor on the Tole and he is excited to explore above the sea and below around "the poor mans Galapagos" (the Channel Islands). When he is not on the Tole he is the 2nd Mate aboard the 70' sloop Geronimo, owned by St. George's School in Newport, RI. | |
| | Corey Whitney
Instructor / Deckhand Cory Whitney, otherwise known as Nancy, is an enthusiastic and knowledgeable member of the Tole Mour crew. A native to Maine, he studied Natural Resource Management at Sterling College in Vermont and Human Ecology at the College of the Atlantic in Maine. Cory has a great deal of experience sailing on Tallships and has recently obtained his 100-ton Captain's license. |
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| Kiya Gornik
Instructor / Deckhand Kiya Gornik brings a tremendous amount of energy and joyfulness to the Tole Mour crew. Kiya has recently graduated from Lewis and Clark College with a degree in Biology she is also an avid dancer and a certified yoga instructor. Sailing aboard the Robert C. Seamans with Sea Education Association peaked her interest in shipboard education, that coupled with her ardor for marine biology makes her a keystone in the Tole Mour crew. | |
| | Kenny Quesenberry
Instructor / Deckhand
Onboard the Tole Mour Kenny goes by the name of Deli. He hails from Delaware but currently lives in Maine where he attends Maine Maritime Academy. This is his second summer aboard the Tole Mour as Deckhand/Instructor/Dive Master. Recently he has just received his 200ton mates license and also has a PADI SCUBA Instructor license. He loves to dive, sail, and explore the channel islands. |
| Ryan Shamburger
Counselor Ryan is 23 years old and comes to us from Alabama where he was born and raised. He left the Gulf Coast to study engineering and environmental science at the University of Virginia. Missing the water back home he spent his time studying atlantic barrier islands and swimming East Coast rivers. His love for boats, science and fun has led him back to Tole Mour, where he says "its the most exciting time you can ever have." | |
| | Ana Stevens
Counselor Anna Stevens is a new member of the Tole Mour crew this summer and she is thrilled to be joining us this season as a counselor. She is a native of New Jersey and will be entering her senior year at Trinity College in Hartford, CT come fall. She is majoring in Anthropology and receiving a minor in Marine Studies. Past sailing experience includes a Sea Semester trip upon the Robert C. Seamans. In her free time, you will find Anna crafting, dancing and singing classic rock or 80’s and being clumsy, often at the same time. She loves water spots and is looking to test her skills in boogie boarding this summer off the Channel Islands. |
