Biography

Mary SwiftSwan began teaching sailing in 1984, holds a US Coast Guard master’s license for 100 ton vessels, runs youth sailing programs for the past 15 years, became the first woman Instructor Evaluator for the American Sailing Association (ASA) in 1996 and remains very active in that role.  Captain Mary helped write many the text books used to train new sailors across the nation in addition to aiding in program development for ASA.  She has sailed San Francisco Bay, the Delta, California Coast, Puget Sound, SF to Hawaii and back, along the shores of Texas, Great Lakes, Florida Keys, and Baja California, around the isles of the Caribbean and Tahiti.  In addition to her work with Armada, Captain Mary owns her own sailing school, is a photographer and published writer about boating and fine cuisine. As an Instructor Evaluator for ASA, she flies about the country to run clinics for qualified instructor candidates as well as hosts clinics in Oakland, CA.

Captain Mary’s instructor team is made up of new excited teachers and old salt instructors with years and many miles under their belts.  All subscribe to the non-yelling instructor motto.  Mary’s instructors are typified as men and women noted for putting heart into what they do for the sheer love of sharing sailing.