The Crew

Wes is a life long adventurer and has been perpetually inspired by his brother Bob and Bob's wife Gruffie (who took Wes up his first mountain at 11 years old).  Their tireless and philanthropic international environmental and medical related missions have inspired Wes since he could spell Bob.  Wes also has a really long list of crazy outdoor adventurers and life mentors - but we will spare you the verbosity since this isn't an awards speech.  However, it is worth mentioning that Bill Tillman and Bob Shepton stand out as recent expedition sailing inspirations.  "Tillman is seriously - one tough and inspirational hombre..." - Wes  

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Wes has 30 years of sailing experience on ocean, lake and racing sailboats.  He once finished dead last in a regatta, hours after they took the race bouys out of the water and was forgotten about.  But celebrate he did, after his handicap rating still managed to place him 4th from last overall.  "I can't imagine what that captain felt like when he found out 'he' was actually last!  At least he had a head start on the rum." - Wes

Wes has had a beer bottle thrown at him for sailing TOO much when refusing to turn on the engine in a dead calm at 2 am, in the dark, in the rain, and in the cold - sailboats were meant to sail after all which means Wes is a sailor first, motor boat guy second - despite threats from a mutinous crew...   (In the future, if you do sign up as crew - consider yourself warned and bring a spare beer bottle...)  He has also been described as doing things the hard way.  People think his mantra must be:  "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger - and perhaps wiser" (although that is often debatable).  

Wes' most memorable sailing experience? If you ask him: "Solo sailing in dense fog that devolved into a crazy whiteout snowstorm on Lake Dillon Colorado - I was wearing a Patagonia puffy jacket at the helm, I couldn't see anything and I remember tasting the fat wet snowflakes on my lips. I wasn't cold.  I wasn't scared. I was happy and completely in my element.  I could have been anywhere at that moment; Antarctica, Patagonia, Greenland, and I was..." - Wes

This helps to explain why high latitude sailing is a natural choice for Wes' journey into expedition style sailing!

Wes was fortunate enough to travel through North America, South America, Central America, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean having been a member of the US National Cycling team in the late 80's and a broke backpacker, triathlete, climber and sailor in the 90's and 2000's.  While he saw more pavement during his international cycling career than actual scenery - he aims to rectify that by seeing the scenery via SV Hakluyt.  Wes also spent three decades climbing and skiing internationally - his fondness for more remote mountainous places are clearly a byproduct of these adventures.  It is safe to say the accumulation of these global travels and adventures have been THE driving force behind sailing - and he has finally found the right boat and the most amazing (crazy as he is) partner to travel to remote and beautiful locations.  

Wes relishes his sloppy penmanship (except when he can't read his own writing), he doesn't relish loosing boat-car-house keys - but it happens with unusual frequency, he is a serial book reader, a dog lover, a slow runner, a star ski movie skier (at night - in his dreams), a horrible cook, a drone snob, a published photographer, a constant tinkerer, a self taught (mediocre) welder, a gadget lover, a miss-speller of words without spellcheck, an inventor, a project lover, he loves - and hates all things "computer", a long time academic (he decided 2 undergraduate programs, 2 graduate programs and 2 years of a PhD was enough academia) - a computer scientist, and an electrical and computer engineer - he is now focused on steering his energy and passion to climate awareness, a healthy lifestyle, and documenting regions impacted by climate change through his professional photography, videography and journalism.