Captain Doug Powers

I can still remember when I was about 10 years old. Mr. Newhall, a man in my dad’s office took me sailing on his Sunfish in Fairhaven Bay, Lake Ontario. I was hooked! I can still remember him telling me how to read the surface of the water to find wind. From that day on I was determined to buy my own Sailboat. That finally happened when I was about 22 living in North Dakota, of all places! A friend had a 14 ft Hobie Cat he needed to sell.  That would be the first of many progressively larger boats. There has not been a day since when I have not owned (at least one) sailboat. I currently own the Jeanneau 409 Spirited Away which I keep in Bellingham.

While I have and do participate in races such as Duck Dodge (Lake Union), Swiftsure, Round the County, I am primarily a cruiser and explorer. Wherever the wind will take me, I am happy to go. For the last 25ish years, I have been exploring our amazing Northwest wilderness waters with my very tolerant wife and our two now grown daughters. Sail cruising presents a number of challenges from navigation to self-sufficiency and problem solving. It presents the opportunity for a lifetime of learning that will never be fully satisfied. That is what is so appealing to me. I have been an ASA certified instructor since 2014 and I hold a 50-Ton USCG Masters License.  I especially enjoy teaching the intro classes.  I envy the journey a new sailor is undertaking.

Certified to teach:  ASA 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, and 114

Doug was the epitome of patience, optimism, patience, and wisdom during our ASA 101 class. Our class had a wide variety of boating skills and knowledge, yet he was able to tailor his instruction to each of our needs. I appreciated the structure of the class and couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful setting. A. H., ASA 101