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The Captain

 

Captain Tor Pinney

~ resume ~

 

For Tor's own web site visit www.tor.cc


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  • U.S. Coast Guard licensed Merchant Marine Officer, Master (since 1978)

  • A lifetime aboard sail and power boats

  • 150,000 nautical miles logged under sail

  • Author: Scores of articles published in US, UK and  Australian boating magazines such as Cruising World, Sail, Blue Water Sailing, Latitudes & Attitudes, Yachting, Ocean Navigator, Motorboat & Yachting, Yachting World, Cruising Helmsman and others since 1979. Wrote the books, "Ready for Sea! - How to Outfit the Modern Cruising Sailboat" and "Intentional Living - Handbook for a Happier Life."
     

  • 2017-2019: Multiple mini-cruises throughout the Bocas del Toro archipelago. Sailed Silverheels from Panama, nonstop to our homeport boatyard in Green Cove Springs, FL. There, after 13 very gratifying years, I sold Silverheels in February, 2019. Since then my cruising has been aboard the 24' RV, Silver Wheels, primarily in the vast  National Forests of northern Idaho and western Montana

  • 2015: 2016: Cruised aboard the good ketch Silverheels from Florida to and thru the Exumas (southern Bahamas), then offshore to St Martin, West Indies. Island-hopped single-handed down the Lesser Antilles chain to Carriacou & Grenada. Sailed from Carriacou to Bocas del Toro, Panama, stopping briefly at Curacao.

  • 2015: Completed multiple upgrades to the good ketch Silverheels.

  • 2014: Cruised the Windward and Leeward Islands aboard Silverheels, then offshore from BVI to the Exumas and eventually back to Florida.

  • 2013: Sailed Silverheels from Green Cove Springs, Florida to Grenada by way of Bermuda and the Lesser Antilles.

  • 2011-2012: Sailed Silverheels from northeast Florida to & thru the Mona Passage, to the south coast of the Dominican Republic. Coastal-cruised to Haiti, then thru the Windward Passage and island-hopped the entire length of the Bahamas south to north before returning to Green Cove Springs, Florida. About half that trip was single-handed. In between, cruised a Volkswagen pop-top campervan out west for 2 summers, van-camping in and around Clearwater National Forest, north-central Idaho, based out of Missoula, Montana.

  • 2009-2011: Cruising aboard Silverheels - Florida to Beaufort, NC. Offshore to St. Maarten in the northeastern Caribbean. Sailed the Leeward and Windward Islands to Grenada, then west via Curacao to Colombia, the San Blas Islands, Panama, some small islands off Honduras and back to Florida. Sometimes single-handing, sometimes with crew.

  • 2007-2009: Purchased the Pearson 424 ketch, Silverheels, and did an extensive refit on her.

  • 2004-2006: Traveling and writing: USA, British Columbia, Yukon, Alaska, Tahiti/Moorea,  New Zealand, Thailand, Bali

  • 1997-1998: Land cruising in an RV, traveling & living in the northwestern United States, in the mountains and forests where there aren't any boats. Cruised about 25,000 miles in 8 months.

  • 1994-1996: Founder/President of American Cruise Lines and Maritime Services, Inc. Bought the 177-passenger, steel double-decker ferryboat, M/V "Tecumseh", in Ontario, Canada and drove her (with one crewman and a dog) 2,000 nautical miles to Florida via Lake Erie, the Erie Canal, the Hudson River and the ICW. Converted the vessel into a tourist excursion boat named "Rumrunner Key." Operated as owner and relief captain in Key West, FL.

  • 1990-93: Cruised extensively: Los Roques-Curacao-Honduras-Guatemala-Belize-Florida, Trans-Atlantic via Bermuda/Azores/Lisbon, Spain, Gibraltar, the Balearics, Sardinia, Sicily, the Greek Islands and Turkey. Backtracked through the Mediterranean via Tunisia & Gibraltar, then to the Canary Islands-West Indies-Bahamas-Florida. About half of that was sailed single-handed. 

  • 1988-89: Created and executed Pacific Seacraft's "Circumnavigator" package and promotion program, sailing own Crealock 37 cutter, Sparrow, to 8 major East Coast boat shows, Miami to Maine and back. Then took off cruising. Single-handed from Boston to Venezuela via the West Indies.

  • 1983-87: Founder/President of Cruising Yachts Inc., a Fort Lauderdale/Miami yacht sales company, the southeastern U.S. regional dealer for Pacific Seacraft Corporation's cruising sailboats. Owned and lived aboard the Crealock yawl, "Kerry".

  • 1981-82: Owner of the steel Sparkman & Stevens yawl, "Buccaneer". Cruised her 10,000 mi. between the Chesapeake and the West Indies. Did more yacht deliveries, ranging between New England and Trinidad. Then served as captain of the first Morgan 60 Schooner, "Paradigm", 9 mo./9,000 mi., including the 1982 fall East Coast boat show series, and subsequent Caribbean charter work.

  • 1980-81: 1st U.S. factory rep for Cabo Rico Yachts. Established that sailboat builder's original U.S. dealership network.

  • 1978-80: Full time charter & delivery captain throughout the Caribbean. Multiple bluewater yacht deliveries, incl. US East Coast, Panama Canal transit, south to north, and San Francisco Bay demo sails

  • 1973-78: Liveaboard owner/captain of two cruising sailboats. Double- and single-handed the Florida Keys with the steel gaff-rigged sloop, "Thumper", and the Bahamas aboard the gaff-rigged ketch, "Autant", a very traditional, engineless, 1927 William Hand designed 40-footer

  • Navigation: Celestial, GPS, Sat Nav, Radar, RDF, DR.

  • Education: American Nautical Services School. Syracuse University, Pace University, YMCA Senior Life Saving, PADI Open Water SCUBA Certification, CPR.

  • Languages: English, Spanish + scraps of Italian, French, Turkish, Thai & Piahroa Indian.

  • Interests: Writing, travel, marketing, investing, most water and mountain sports. Performing musician. Exceptional organizational and management skills. Dog lover.

  • Specifications: White male, U.S. Passport, single, non-smoker, healthy & fit, old enough to know better.

  • Excellent personal and business references on request.

 
 

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