About Captain Heather

About Captain Heather

 

Heather Richard is a US Coast Guard licensed (100 ton) captain for hire on San Francisco Bay. Interested in classic schooners or racing catamarans? Teak or carbon fiber? A gentle cruise or a rip-roaring ride? Learn to sail lessons or private coaching? Event spectating, sightseeing, whalewatching, crabbing or sipping wine on the Bay… Captain Heather can find you the right boat and the right experience. Almost every day is a fine day for sailing on San Francisco Bay, so call or text to discuss the possibilities!

Heather has been sailing since the age of 4. She raced competetively on the Boston University sailing team while earning a BFA in sculpture, and worked on charter boats and in community boating programs in Boston. She also worked for the US Navy in Japan, Sail Carribean Voyages, OCSC, Modern Sailing School, Tall Ship Matthew Turner and the Saint Francis Yacht Club coaching young sailors.

She currently lives aboard with her three children in a maritime co-op. In the off season she can be found in her floating art studio and is active in her community volunteeering with youth programs and bringing waterfront access to underserved populations. She is working with a group of volunteers to start Sausalito’s first community boating program. 

Starting in the 2012 sailing season and through the Americas Cup racing events Heather was captain of the Schooner “Gas Light” and also skippered for Captain Kirks Charters.  In 2014 she purchased, refit and added her own vessel “Carodon” to the charter fleet as well as sailing with the America’s Cup Yacht USA 76 and Prosail 40 catamaran “Tomcat”. In winter of 2018-2019 she took her 3 children on a 5000 nautical mile round trip to The Sea of Cortez in Mexico and back and continues to do long-distance cruising in off-seasons. This wide range of experience in a huge variety of vessels is rare among sailors, and even more rare among women in this industry.  In addition, her safety record and attention to customer service is outstanding.  She especially believes in welcoming people of color and populations who have traditionally not had access to sailing to enjoy the water and have a generous dose of vitamin sea!