Meet our Instructor
Mark Norman

I was lucky enough to grow up in a sailing family on the Irish Sea. My parents were founding members of our local sailing club; so for me, summers meant sailing camp. My early fascination with the sea lead me to fishing, snorkeling, diving and eventually to a degree in marine biology. My early career was in fisheries science.

My life had to take account of the prevailing “weather” and I took plenty of tacks and gybes along the way. I worked in fish stock assessments, commercial fishing, and shellfish restoration, while spending plenty of time doing recreational sailing. I enjoyed lots sailing in Ireland, Scotland and France and I was joint owner of a Beneteau 35 in Greece.

My love of sailing overtook my love for a salary, and in 2008 I cast off from my home port in Ireland and headed out into the blue. Over nearly two decades, my Kelly-Peterson 44, En Passant, has brought me safely through the north and south Atlantic, the Caribbean, the Pacific (as far north as Hawaii), the South China Sea, the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, and across the Mediterranean. Very soon now, I will cross my wake and finish my circumnavigation.

To finance my travels I work as a delivery captain, a sailing instructor and as a cruising mentor. I worked as an RYA Instructor before switching to the ASA with LTD Sailing. I mentor new owners by helping them understand the systems on their boat as well as the tricks and hacks of cruising life.

I bring the experience I’ve gained sailing, and my passion for marine life and coastal communities to my teaching. I’ve sailed a wide variety of boats and completed many long passages with varied crews, so I feel I can provide something special to my students. I love to share my knowledge and insights with both new and experienced sailors