We would like to introduce one of our newest Sailors for the Sea Skipper volunteers – Catherine Ardagh. Cat is a sailboat charter and delivery captain based in the British Virgin Islands. We recently caught up with Cat to learn more about her start in sailing and what turned her into a champion for ocean conservation.
How did you get started in sailing?
I’ve always loved the water, but I started my nautical career under the sea as a dive master rather than above it! Then one day, a bit out of the blue, I was offered a job as a guide/first mate aboard an 82-foot catamaran in Cienfuegos, Cuba (where I spent 4 years) – and I guess from there I was hooked!
What is your current work in the sailing community?
I work as a sailboat charter captain, mechanic, and rigger in the British Virgin Islands, and I also do a lot of delivery work in the off season. When I’m not in the Virgin Islands, I drive a 70-foot wooden motor yacht named MS Isbjornen II (Polar Bear II) in the Arctic Ocean around Svalbard and the Norwegian Fjords… Just to mix it up a bit!
Can you share your sailing background and/or memorable moments on the water during your sailing career so far?
1) Dodging my first icebergs and dropping anchor for the first time in front of a huge glacier face, with big chunks of ice floating by me, as captain of a 70-foot yacht in Svalbard, 77.8 degrees North!
2) Once upon a time, I had two leaking sail drives on a delivery from the Bahamas to Annapolis. Before heading up the river to Annapolis, I wanted to have at least one decent engine; so, in the middle of the Gulf Stream in open water, I tied myself to the back of the boat, and plugged the hole in the sail drive with a chunk of epoxy. The epoxy wouldn’t stick, so when desperate times call for desperate measures, pull out a roll of duct tape! I wrapped the hell out of the sail drive under water, and somehow it stuck all the way till we hauled the boat out! The guys at the boatyard couldn’t believe their eyes!
3) Participating in my first sailing race in the BVI Spring Regatta with all the old school legends of the islands aboard. They taught me all about tactics and it was so amazing to see the difference adjusting one inch on an outhaul or jib sheet makes! The teamwork was amazing, and I felt so lucky and grateful to be part of the team on yacht Salacia. Can’t wait for next year!
4) Crossing the Atlantic for the first time.
5) My parents aren’t real sailors – but my father sailed growing up with his father (my grandpa) and my mom loves the water – so being able to take them out and show them my life, love and career has always been one of the most meaningful moments for me on the water.
What does sailing mean to you? How does it add to your life?
I am lucky to say that I have been able to convert my passion for sailing into a career, so sailing does not just add to my life – it is my life! Sailing has always represented freedom for me – a way to escape the busyness of today’s world which tends to distract us from what is truly important in life!
I also see sailing as a means to share my love for the sea and all of its creatures and my passion for ocean conservation with a greater, more diverse audience. As a charter captain I have influence over a large group of people who might not be as environmentally conscious as those who work in the marine conservation world; and, I see this as an opportunity to create new ocean ambassadors!
These new ocean ambassadors will return home from their vacation, passionate about ocean conversation and the positive feedback cycle trickle-down effect begins!
What I love about working as a Captain is it’s a job where you never cease to learn – you are constantly a student – learning from those with more experience as well as less experience than you, as there is always a new and different way of doing something. It is a humbling position; and when you realize you cannot control so many factors with regards to your own fate, this forces you to learn to make wiser choices regarding weather, your boat, your crew etc. Safety is always number one. I think these lessons can be applied to life in general!
What made you become invested in environmentalism?
I’ve been lucky to travel a lot for work (both as a sailor and as a tour guide in a previous career) and I’ve seen so much pollution around the world. I have pictures of polar bears eating plastic in Svalbard, once-virgin beaches all over the Caribbean covered in fishing nets, flip flops, water bottles.
Our coral reefs in the Virgin Islands are bleaching quicker than ever, and are littered with discarded fishing nets, and abandoned fish/lobster pots. It’s heartbreaking to see something (the reefs, oceans, beaches) you love so dearly succumb to such harm. I couldn’t sleep at night if I didn’t try to do something about it!
