NauticEd Faculty
Viggo P Hansen, Ph.D.
Dr. Hansen is a Professor Emeritus at California State university. His wide range of educational activities include: consultant to many Universities, industries and government agencies, Director of International programs in some 25 different countries, Author of several University level mathematics textbooks and online mathematical e-learning programs. He is published in many national and international journals and has written an eye opening book on Immigration into America.
With his overwhelming contributions to the world in education and e-learning, Dr. Hansen has now turned his knowledge and passion of educating toward his other passion of 30 years - Sailing.
Dr. Hansen is the Author of the NauticEd Skipper Course. His unique ability to apply the fundamental theory to a practical sport makes his course interesting, entertaining and fun while educating the student.
You can usually meet Dr. Hansen at the San Diego and Long Beach Boat shows.
Grant Headifen, MSc Eng., USCG Captain Master Mariner In 2001 Grant founded the Sail Time company and grew it into 30 franchises worldwide. He sold out in 2007 at the height of the boom years. Grant was then asked by many to apply his internet, sailing and marketing skills to reinvent sailing training. Seeing the opportunity, he assembled the faculty team, a bunch of programmers and designers and launched NauticEd late in 2007. Grant holds a Master's degree in Engineering from the University of Texas. His wide range of business experience includes oil, defense, computer hardware, restaurant, marketing, legal and Internet application industries. Now, Grant's expertise and passion for sailing has successfully lead NauticEd to a renown worldwide sailing education brand. Grant contributes to the NauticEd Blog Site which is loaded with sailing tips, he reviews all the NauticEd courses and applies his passion and practical knowledge as a Certified Instructor and USCG 50 Ton Master Mariner to the theory courses. He is also the brains behind the technology of the online testing function of NauticEd and the NauticEd boat sharing software. The Basic Rules of Right of Way, Basic Sail Trim and Maneuvering Under Power Sailing Clinic's have all been written by Grant as well as co-authoring the Catamaran Sailing Confidence and Bareboat Charter Clinics. Mount Gay Rum contributes big money to the sailng industry and Grant's blog tips and articles are often featured on their site Sailing Spoken Here. You can meet Grant at many of the sailboat shows he attends worldwide, on his Beneteau 373 on Lake Travis in Austin, Texas or somewhere in the Caribbean, Pacific or Mediterranean and on occasions zipping around the Hauraki Gulf in his 29er in New Zealand. Read Grant's latest kids sailing education ebook about a boy, Alex who's dinghy comes alive and teaches Alex how to sail a dinghy. Follow Grant's tweets of nautical information on twitter. |
Originally from New Zealand, Grant Headifen has more than 20 years of boating experience. As a captain, he has logged many of miles on voyages around the world. Sailing Trips he has led, have sailed through the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Sea of Cortez and South Pacific. 
Ed Mapes, USCG Captain Master Mariner
Ed Mapes is a Licensed USCG Master Mariner and founder of Voyager Ocean Passages where he provided instructional offshore sailing voyages on which more than 200 sailors learned ocean sailing. His vast experience comes from offshore yacht deliveries, racing, sail training, and cruising on which he’s amassed over 97,000 miles on the water. Ed also provides offshore sailing and cruising seminars at events and major boat shows throughout the country. Ed is one of only a handful of sailing instructors certified to train students in the most advanced levels of Celestial Navigation and Offshore Passagemaking, Ed has instructed at all levels of sailing training courses. He also provides voyage planning consultations to assist those preparing for their own voyages and cruising. Ed has published the books, Ready to Sail and Further Offshore, and his latest book, Safer Offshore, has just been released. Ed has contributed articles to Sail, Practical Sailor, Latitudes and Attitudes, and he is a Contributing Editor at Sailing magazine.
Captain Mapes is also Dr. Mapes, a doctor of Veterinary Medicine. He is head of the surgical department at Animal Medical Center of McKinney, Texas.
You can meet Captain Mapes at the many seminars he gives at sailboat shows and see his web broadcasts courtesy of Seven Seas Cruising Association. Also, please enjoy Captain Mape’s books.
Also, please enjoy Captain Mapes books.
Alex Blackwell, USCG Captain Master Mariner and Daria Blackwell, USCG Captain
Daria and Alex Blackwell are lifelong sailors and passionate cruisers. They have completed three Atlantic crossings and have spent years cruising the coasts of the Americas and Europe, as well as the Bahamas, the Caribbean islands, and the Atlantic islands, most recently double-handing on their vintage 57-foot ketch, Aleria. Alex holds a USCG Master’s license with sailing and towing endorsements. Daria holds a USCG OUPV Captain’s license. The Blackwells are members of the Seven Seas Cruising Association, American Yacht Club, Mayo Sailing Club, and the Irish Cruising Club. They are also the organizers of the SSCA cruising station for Ireland.
Daria and Alex are frequent authors writing about technology as well as their sailing adventures and contributing to Cruising World, Classic Boat, Latitudes & Attitudes Seafaring, Practical Boat Owner, Ireland Afloat, Offshore, Windcheck, and elsewhere. For many years, they served as the webmasters for the website of American Yacht Club and launched the popular www.CoastalBoating.net, “The boaters’ resource for places to go and things to know”. As founders of Sail4Kids Make a Memory Cruise, the Blackwells were recognized with prestigious awards by both American Yacht Club and the International Society for Perpetuation of Cruelty to Racing Yachtsmen.
The Blackwells are co-authors of the popular book Happy Hooking - the Art of Anchoring, which has received excellent reviews in the sailing press. Their seminar on anchoring has drawn large crowds and delivered exceptional attendee critiques and comments (Reference: SailAmerica, GLCC School and SSCA University).
Professional Consultants
Terry Willis, USCG 100 Ton Captain
Captain Willis has logged thousands of miles on the water as Captain on both powered and sailing vessels, many of those miles have been solo. Not only has he made a living from the sea but he has made a lifestyle. His passion for the sea has lead him to help others achieve the same. He has taught hundreds of students safe boating and sailing operations. His experienced practical style of teaching has helped craft the NauticEd courses into easy to understand and applicable learnings.
You can Meet Captain Willis at many boat shows on the West Coast but more often out on the water.
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ANSWER to the question on the Skipper Course Excerpts page is C then B then A. C is on Starboard, while A is leeward of B.