| Introducing the TOLE MOUR Crew |
The professional crew of the SSV (School Sailing Vessel) TOLE MOUR possesses a vast amount of experience and knowledge of sailing, the ocean and marine biology, as well as extensive training in health and safety. They are united in their singular mission of taking kids to sea to build character and minds.
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Mark Waddington (aka "Snark")
Director
Mark first came to work for the Guided Discoveries family in 1994 as a sailing instructor at Catalina Sea Camp during his summers off from college. Once out of college he began working year-round at CIMI at Toyon Bay and after satisfying some wanderlust, he came back to assist in the CTSE program aboard SSV TOLE MOUR in 2001. He has served as a Dive Master, Deckhand/Instructor, Second Mate, Chief Mate and Captain aboard the TOLE MOUR and has worked aboard a number of other vessels around the country. He became Director of CIMI Tall Ship Expeditions (CTSE) in 2005 and hasn't looked back. Mark holds a United States Coast Guard 1600 Ton Auxiliary Sail Captain License. As an American Red Cross Waterfront Lifeguard Instructor, and NAUI SCUBA Instructor, Mark personally trains many of the lifeguards at Guided Discoveries.
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Mary Ichniowski (aka "Mad Dog")
Program Director
Mary "Mad Dog" Ichniowsky grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland and attended St. Mary's College of Maryland where she received a degree in Biology. Mary made her way to CIMI in 2006 and worked at Toyon Bay for seven seasons as science instructor and sail instructor. For three summers, Mary sailed to warmer water, working as a program director for Sail Caribbean, cruising around the BVI (British Virgin Islands). She loves SCUBA, nudibranchs, spinning fire and orders burgers animal and protein style from In-N-Out. Her favorite experience aboard Tole Mour has been seeing orcas off of Long Point with Manhattan Middle School. Mary is a NAUI certified SCUBA Rescue Diver, ARC Waterfront Lifeguard and WMI Wilderness First Responder.
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| Rob Mizer
Captain
Rob is originally from Washington State but spent most of his youth in California. He has always been active in water sports, hiking, downhill skiing and most recently surfing. He learned to SCUBA dive at age 11 and became a PADI instructor at 18. While growing up in Sacramento and attending CSUS, Rob played water polo and often visited the Lake Tahoe area. He has been sailing tall ships for over seven years and has sailed both U.S. coasts, Puget Sound, British Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, and in the TransPacific race to Hawai'i. aboard the schooner Lynx in 2009. He got his start sailing tall ships on the brig Lady Washington and has been educating and training students on the importance of maritime history, seamanship and environmental awareness. Rob holds a USCG 500 Ton Auxiliary Sail Master License and is a designated USCG Medical Person in Charge.
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Holly Couling
AB Instructor / Deckhand
Holly Couling is a proud member of team Mid-West. She grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and has five siblings. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Humboldt State University with a degree in history and has been tall ship sailing for six years. Holly is passionate about Harry Potter, Jane Austen, and sea hares. When she is on land she enjoys dancing ballet and listening to NPR. Someday she hopes to have a dog and a master's degree. Holly holds USCG 100 Ton Master and 200 Ton Mate Auxiliary Sail Licenses, is a NAUI SCUBA diver and ARC Waterfront Lifeguard.
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Andrew Pape
Instructor / Deckhand
Andrew grew up in western New York and is joining the Tole Mour directly from the Pacific Northwest where he was working aboard the schooner Adventuress. He attended Hamilton College where he majored in Environmental Studies. While in school he managed to take a number of breaks from classroom academics including a semester with Sea Education Association where he first sailed a tall ship. Following graduation, he decided to come back to sailing, and has been having a blast ever since, teaching and sailing. Andrew is a NAUI SCUBA diver, an ARC Waterfront LIfeguard Instructor and Wilderness First Aid Instructor and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).
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Johann Steinke
AB Instructor / Deckhand
Johann grew up in California and got involved with tall ships back in 2005. He's been lucky enough to sail on many different boats all over the United States and even a Viking ship in Europe. His hobbies include singing, dancing, roleplaying and many different outdoor activities. He loves how much the Tole Mour program has taught him and others about the sea and the wonders that lie beneath it. Johann earned a degree in German and International Relations and holds a California Preliminary Teaching Credential. He is licensed by the USCG as a 100 Ton Auxiliary Sail Master and is certified in ship security. He is an ARC Waterfront Lifeguard, NAUI SCUBA diver, and certified in ARC CPR, First Aid and Oxygen Delivery. He recently discovered that his favorite animal is the Giant Black Sea Hare!
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Ashley Meyer
AB Instructor / Deckhand
Ashley got her start sailing as a student with SEA on the brigantine Robert C. Seamans. She returned as a deckhand after graduating from the University of Chicago, and has not looked back since. She has sailed on multiple trips with SEA on board both the Seamans and the Corwith Cramer, and done several seasons on the schooner Spirit of South Carolina. Her trips have taken her as far west as Hawaii, as far south as Jamaica, and as far north as Bar Harbor, Maine. She does not recommend swimming in Maine. She spent much of her childhood living on Palomar Mountain outside of San Diego, and is excited to return to the west coast and go sailing on an even bigger boat. She is also looking forward to surfing like crazy, and learning how to skateboard. Ashley is an Able Bodied Seafarer and holds US Coast Guard 100 Ton Master and 200 Ton Mate licenses, in addition to being an American Red Cross certified Lifeguard.
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Roxanne ("Rocky") Hadler
Second Mate
Life comes full circle! Roxanne (aka "Rocky") Hadler grew up in Southern California but then moved to Houston, Texas as an adult. After working many years at The University of Texas Medical Branch and raising a daughter, one fateful day she stepped onto the barque Elissa in Galveston. It was love at first sight! After volunteering there for several years and "learning the ropes" she decided that tall ship sailing was the life for her and hasn't looked back. This life has taken her aboard several ships (Niagara, Sultana, Boumty, Kalmar Nyckel, Alvei, Corwith Cramer and Robert Seamans) and to exotic places (Fiji, Bequia, Vanuatu, Trinidad, Tonga, Cleveland, to name a few). But what keeps her excited about it is the community environment and working with students - every day fresh and new. And now, to top it off, she gets to sail in her home waters on a beautiful ship with a fine crew - life just keeps getting better! Rocky possesses a USCG 100 Ton Master and 200 Ton Auxiliary Sail Mate Llicense.
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Gail Isaacs
Chef
Gail is an extremely interesting person. She went from managing 21 restaurants to working in the corporate world selling restaurant franchises. She has always enjoyed entertaining people with a funny story just to brighten their day so she left the corporate worldto pursue her passions in life. Her first stop was becoming a professional clown. She preforms as "Valentine" the Clown and yes, she twists balloons, paints faces,and preforms silly magic. But she finds it most rewarding preforming a Brain Injury Prevention Program in schools teaching children the importance of wearing helmets and seat belts and keeping their brains safe. That still wasn't enough for her and her passion for the sea and her joy of cooking took her in another direction. She found herself working as a deckhand, cook, watch keeperson on private sailboat deliveries. Gail finally found her way to the tall ships, where her last crew aptly named her their "Galley Goddess." Gail spends her time off traveling, studying Spanish and learning how to weave.
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Voyle Coleman
Chief Engineer
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| Bryce Potter
Chief Mate
Bryce is a California native and grew up at Lake Tahoe as a rabid skier. He started his maritime career in 2002 aboard an old wooden research boat in Alaska and has woven together his sailing career with work as a professional ski patroller. In addition to holding a BA in Geology from Bates College, he is a 2006 graduate of Maine Maritime Academy with a BS in Small Vessel Operations and has worked aboard tall ships around the edges of four continents. Bryce holds a USCG 500 Ton Master License. He was Second Mate aboard Tole Mour in 2007 and sailed as Chief Mate aboard Concordia, Corwith Cramer, and Spirit of Bermuda before returning to Tole this spring. He is an Emergency Medical Technician Intermediate/Instructor and a USLA Openwater Lifeguard. Should the TOLE MOUR ever find herself snowbound, Bryce has Level II certification from the American Institute for Avalanche Reseach and Education! When not working, he lives and sails aboard a wooden yawl that was used as a getaway vehicle in a bank heist in the 1930s.
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Forest Reeves
Second Engineer / Second Bosun (Bosuneer)
Forest Reeves was born and raised in beautiful Washington state, and is proud to call it home to this day. From day one Forest has had a passion for the outdoors, and a good time. With this sense of adventure in mind he takes to the days with a zeal for tomorrows, and a sweet reminiscence of the yesterdays. Forest is a Sail Endorsed Able Bodied Seafarer, NAUI SCUBA Diver, ARC Waterfront Lifeguard and is ARC certified in CPR, FIrst Aid, AED and Oxygen Delivery. Through the years of questions that Forest ponders, he's also taken a liking to various mind and body occupying activities, recently hiking most of the Appalachian Trail. He currently ranks fifth in the international B.Y.F. (Bilge Yoga Federation), loves to surf, hike, skate, skateboard, bike, hunt, and eat competitively. Future plans are fuzzy for this Bosuneer, but he is certain they involve aging, and the continuation of the wild ride called Superman: Escape From Krypton at Magic Mountain!
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Dan Hall
Instructor / Deckhand
Dan grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and graduated in 2011 from Illinois Wesleyan University with a BA in History. His first experience on the sea was aboard the Tole Mour as a summer camper, and he was eager to return as a crewmember. Dan also spends much time outdoors in Colorado, recently as a children's ski instructor. Dan's favorite place is Scotland, person is Batman, and food is boneless buffalo wings. His favorite Tole Mour memory is swimming with bio-luminescent dolphins one night while anchored at the Isthmus. He is a NAUI SCUBA Diver, ARC Waterfront Lifeguard, and is ARC certfied in CPR, First Aid, AED and Oxygen Delivery. Dan is very excited to return to warm weather and once again don his very much missed tank tops.
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Ryan grew up swimming and sailing outside Glacier National Park, Montana, but before joining Tole Mour as volunteer deckhand, he traveled extensively. Ryan has worked with at-risk and special needs youth in Seattle and Nashville and has experience as a builder, fisher and beekeeper. He taught for six years at Cambridge Univeristy in England and is a published author of three books. He is fluent in Turkish. Ryan's sailing experience includes exploring Puget Sound for several months aboard his previous tall ship. He is excited to have the opportunity to experience the Channel Islands and share with the student crew his passion for real life, especially the thrill of going aloft in the rigging. Ryan is ARC certified in CPR and First Aid.
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