Instructor Interview: Stanley Wharton
Stanley is one of our instructors here at the school. We asked him to answer a few questions about his background and experiences sailing:
1. How did you first get into sailing?
A co-worked asked if I would like to go out for a sail on his boat. Ever since that sail, I was hooked.
2. Have you had any disaster scenarios, failures, or simple problems in your sailing career that have given you a valuable lesson as a result?
No disasters (thank goodness), but every time I go out sailing, I learn something. I have been in squalls and fog that have tested my ability to navigate. I have had equipment failures that have required improvising a fix to complete the journey. I have snagged lobster pots and run aground.
Each experience taught me how to be better prepared and to include certain tools in my “bag” (both physical and mental) so that I am prepared for almost anything.
3. If there’s one thing you can tell new sailors when they are just introduced to the sport, what would you tell them?
Enjoy the journey. We have a saying that power boating is about the destination and sailing is about the trip. In a power boat, the focus is on getting someplace while sailing is best when you enjoy the peace and quite of being propelled along by the wind, sometimes directly to your destination and sometimes zig zagging your way there.
4. What advice would you tell a new sailor to ignore? What are bad recommendations you hear about sailing?
Ignore people that say sailing is for the only the rich. Sure, you can make it expensive, but you can also get out there on a shoestring and have a blast sailing. Don’t wait until you have the money for that perfect boat. Get a small used boat and start sailing. You’ll learn a lot and come to understand just what it is that you want to get out of sailing.
5. Who most influenced your life when it comes to sailing?
Initially my best friend; and then, my wife.
My best friend, who was sailing years before me, was a sailing buddy and we supported each other as we took lessons together and partnered on my first boat.
Then, over time, my wife became involved and we owned boats that aligned with our goal of seeing more of the New England coast and chartering in the Caribbean. This changed my sailing style from performance-based to cruising-based.
6. Outside of sailing, what is something that you love to do; something that makes you feel alive?
I am in the process of exploring the RV life and seeing more of the landlocked parts of our country. I guess you could say that I am trying out land cruising.
About Stanley Wharton
Captain Stan started sailing in 1995 when he started a new job and his cubicle neighbor asked if he wanted to go sailing. His co-worker had a 25′ Cape Dory. They went out one afternoon for about 5 hours and Stan was hooked. Since that time, Stan has owned 30-ft, 33-ft & 40-ft mono-hulls and his last boat was a 36-ft catamaran. Stan found the New England cruising grounds to be a wonderful place to sail and he and his wife have done several trips to Block Island, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket and Cuttyhunk. Stan has used his experience to charter boats in the BVI and St. Martin. He is looking to provide other people with the joy of sailing, just as his co-worker did for him in ’95, by teaching students through the ASA program.
Certified to Teach: