This early success in my sailing career fed my appetite, and I continued to sail every chance I got. I soon found that my employment as a hotel catering manager was getting in the way of my true passion, sailing. Therefore, in 1989 I switched paths to become a sailmaker. I worked at Shore Sails for six years followed by six years with North Sails. I was involved in just about every facet of the business including repairs, new sail production, sail design and sales. One of the best things that came out of my days as a sailmaker was meeting PJ, a co-worker at the sail loft who soon became my wife. I cherish the time we spend together sailing, both racing and cruising. Along with our two sons Bryce and Austin, we take any opportunity we can to gunkhole the waters of Desolation Sound, the Gulf Island and the San Juans.

The 1980 Swiftsure race also launched my continuing focus on competitive sailing. In 1984 I sailed my first Victoria to Maui Race on the Baltic 42 HYPERTENSION. In 2006, I completed my 8th Vic-Maui race aboard VOODOO CHILD finishing first overall and receiving the Best Navigator Award. I earned Best Navigator honors in the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Vic Maui races as well. The 2006 win in the Vic-Maui Race helped earned Seattle Yacht Clubs Outstanding crew members of the year award for both me and my wife PJ for 2006. I was twice a member of the Thunderbird International winning crew and hold a fleet championship in the J-24 Class.

Before becoming a partner at Swiftsure Yachts, I worked for the local agent for Hallberg Rassy and Nautor Swan. I toured both those facilites in Sweden and Finland. I continue to tour yacht building facilities any chance I get to stay current on construction materials and techniques. Today as a Certified Professional Yacht Broker and owner of Swiftsure Yachts, I share the expertise gained during my 18 years in the marine industry with our customers. The sailing characteristics of different boat designs, expertise in electronics, sails and rigging, and weather planning for coastal deliveries are a few of the resources I provide.

Over the years I have developed many long lasting customer relationships. Customers appreciate my upfront, honest, professional and low-key approach. My expertise combined with the complementary skills of my team at SWIFTSURE YACHTS will help you find the yacht that best fits your sailing needs. My passion is boating, and I will share your enthusiasm as well.

My email address is brad@swiftsureyachts.com

Cindy Metler; Broker
After returning home from a two year voyage aboard my Alden 44, PUFFIN, I joined the Swiftsure Yachts’ team. My position at Swiftsure Yachts provides the perfect opportunity to combine my avocation with my vocation. My professional experience includes seven years with Vashon Allied Arts serving as both Development Director and Executive Director followed by employment as Marketing Director for two Seattle architectural firms.

However, the life aquatic has always captured my heart. A native of Seattle, I began sailing with my folks on their 22 Square Metre, GYPSY HEART, on Lake Washington. Many years later, my husband and I purchased our first boat, a Blanchard Junior knockabout where I learned to steam-bend ribs, refasten planking and replace keel bolts. We raised our kids on Vashon Island doing some South Sound racing and making yearly pilgrimages to the San Juan and Gulf Islands, Desolation Sound and the waters beyond. And the boats grew in size… and number.

With the sale of our Alden and last summer's sale of our 46’ wood boat, KATE II, a Seattle classic designed by Ben Seaborn and built by Blanchard Boatworks in 1946, I am no longer in the unenviable position of owning three boats. MENTOR, the steel hulled Amazon 44 we are completing, left the dock for the first time this fall!

I am a member of the Quartermaster Yacht Club, a Commodore in the Seven Seas Cruising Association and a Certified Professional Yacht Broker. There is nothing I like better than sharing my boating expertise and knowledge with customers who are soon to experience the wonders of cruising the PNW or the waters beyond...

My email address is cindy@swiftsureyachts.com

Ryan Helling; Broker
Coming from a boating family and growing up on the water near Gig Harbor, Washington, I spent most of my free time on the water; sailing, waterskiing, fishing, and spending family vacations in the San Juans, Gulf Islands and Desolation Sound aboard our 30’ sailboat. My first sailing experience was sitting on my Dad’s lap in a Millimeter sailboat at the age of two. It didn’t take long before I was hooked.

I have sailed everything from El Toro’s to big boat sleds, but still enjoy the fast paced action of dinghy sailing. I can still remember winning my first El Toro regatta with seven straight bullets at the age of ten. I went on to campaign Byte and Laser dinghies on the Northwest Junior Racing Circuit, and now sail my Thistle as much as possible although big boat sailing has lately been taking up much of my time. I have sailed as regular crew on J-24s and J-35s, and currently sail in Puget Sound and local offshore races on the Santa Cruz 52 Voodoo Child. In the 2006 Vic-Maui race, I was the bowman aboard Voodoo Child, taking line honors and finishing First Overall.

With my background in boating, it has always been an easy choice for me to search for employment in the marine industry. My high school and college summers were spent teaching sailing for the Tacoma Yacht Club Junior Program and winters were spent working at a local marina and on the floor of the North Sails loft in Seattle. After graduating from the University of Washington Business School with a degree in Finance, I furthered my experience in the industry working for the Northwest Marine Trade Association Seattle Boat Show. I look forward to merging my experience in the industry and my passion for boating here at Swiftsure Yachts.

I enjoy getting out on the water any chance I get, whether it be racing sailboats or fly fishing for blackmouth and searun cutthroat. The bottom line is that I have never spent a bad day on the water. The ocean has the ability to make every day completely different from the last - and they're all equally fun, exciting and beautiful. Whether it is the camaraderie of a racing crew, the solitary beauty of an empty anchorage, or the challenge of a heavy weather sail change at midnight, boating offers a great variety of experiences. No matter what activity interests you, I am excited to help you transition to your next endeavor.

My email address is ryan@swiftsureyachts.com

PJ Baker
I grew up sailing with my family on Lake Washington and Puget Sound on our 28’ CROD which is a wood boat built in Astoria, OR in 1935. The Seattle Yacht Club has been a part of my life since the very beginning, as my mom insisted on stopping by the Ladies' Luncheon on the way home from having me at the hospital. Though not a competative sailor as a kid, I stayed close to the water as a rower for two years in high school and on into college. Once I graduated from the UofW, I went to work on the floor of the local Shore Sails loft building sails. Brad was the sales and service manager at the loft. He got me started racing on a J-24 "Keema". We raced together on our friends’ Thunderbird "Rev" for about 10 years. In 2006, I jumped at the opportunity to race to Hawaii in the Victoria to Maui Race aboard the Santa Cruz 52 “Voodoo Child”.

After many years in Early Childhood Education, I have been drawn back to working alongside Brad in the marine industry at Swiftsure Yachts. It is very exciting to be a part of the team helping people make their dreams come true.

Re-exploring our local waters on our Perry Pilothouse 48 "Capaz" and introducing our sons to the many fabulous spots, many accessable only by water, that are right here in our own "backyard" has to be one of the most fun aspects of being a parent. I look forward to pursuing our own future cruising plans so that I can return be an even more effective aid in each of our clients’ quests to find the right boat.

My email address is pj@swiftsureyachts.com

Pete McGonagle; Broker at Large
I grew up racing and cruising a variety of boats in the waters surrounding Rhode Island and fondly look back on the many waterborne activities of my youth: frostbiting Sunfish on frigid January days; snagging Bluefish off of Sakonnet Point in our 23' Rampage; racing 470's and J-24's off of Newport; and cruising to Block Island aboard the Herreshoff "S" boat. These early activities left me with a strong desire to make a living on the water. To that end, I attended the US Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY. As a member of the intercollegiate sailing team, I raced dinghies and various offshore boats. During my senior year, I skippered NO QUARTER, a 53’custom IOR racer designed by Frers and built by Palmer Johnson. After graduation I shipped out, working predominately aboard oil tankers. I sailed as an engineer for three years before proceeding topsides and signing on as mate. Shipping brought me to all corners of the globe and broadened my professional knowledge of marine engineering, seamanship, navigation, and shiphandling. I hold a USCG Unlimited Master's license, a 100 ton auxiliary sail license and an Unlimited Horsepower engineering license. With a "two month on, two month off" shipping schedule, I filled my vacations with yachting activities working as a sailmaker and rigger/service technician and logging many more offshore miles racing and delivering yachts. These trips were aboard such vessels as Swans, Beneteaus, Cabo Rico's, Pearsons, Freedoms, Hallberg-Rassys and Sundeers, and they provided me with insightful knowledge about what works and what doesn't in a wide variety of sea conditions.

From 1999 through 2002, I worked for the Pacific Northwest Hallberg-Rassy and Nautor's Swan dealer in Seattle. During this period, I sold fourteen new boats and many high-quality used boats. I've spent time at various Scandinavian yards to broaden my understanding of the construction details that go into a quality yacht. I've supported my clients as project manager for the selection, ordering, outfitting, and delivery of numerous new and used boats both in Scandinavia and the United States. I've taken the time to sail/motor with customers including delivery trips on the U.S. East Coast and countless Seattle to San Francisco passages. I joined Mike and Jan Moore aboard their 1998 HR46 from Charleston to Boston; Bob Briggs aboard his 2002 HR46 from Seattle to San Francisco; Greg and Ruth Walsh aboard their 2001 HR53 from Seattle to San Francisco; Kent Marrow aboard his 2002 Soubise 46 catamaran from Charleston to Annapolis; Ron Short aboard his Ocean 50 Mk1 and Hatteras 70 from Ketchikan to Seattle; Mike Gurley aboard his Ditmar/Donaldson 50 from San Francisco to Seattle; and Dr. Peter Huttemeier aboard his 1995 Sundeer 60 from Seattle to San Francisco. These experiences have paid major dividends that I am able to share with customers when they purchase a boat. I still make time for racing and joined skipper Brian Duchin for two Vic-Maui races including a first overall win in 2006 aboard the Santa Cruz 52 VOODOO CHILD.

I understand and love boats-large or small, propelled by wind or power. Whether traveling with my clients to preview boats, closing a complex purchase, assisting with delivery voyages or providing training specific to a new boat, I work diligently to cultivate a long term relationship with our clients and to serve as a continuing resource long after the purchase or sale is complete. I am a Certified Professional Yacht broker and a licensed Florida yacht broker. I'm currently cruising with my family aboard "Charlotte" a 1991 Robert Perry-designed 51' steel sloop now on the U.S. East Coast. Our website is www.SVCharlotte.com

My email address is pete@swiftsureyachts.com