KEITH DAHLIN
​A UCSC graduate in Marine Biology, Keith holds a 100 ton USCG Capt. License and is both an ASA certified sailing instructor and a US Sailing Certified Instructor.
Keith taught sailing for 25 years through Pacific Yachting and Sailing in Santa Cruz, CA and was instrumental in the creation of the O’Neill Sea Odyssey Program which provides a hands-on educational experience to encourage the protection and preservation of our living sea and communities.  With the move of his family to Port Angeles he has brought his deep experience to the area and teaches adult sailing as well as coaches the Junior Sailing Program.
He shares his passion for our ocean ecology and sailing with his three sons by cruising as a family whenever possible and looks forward to exploring the Puget Sound further..

JOHN THOMPSON
John has been sailing and racing since  he was a child. Growing up in Savannah, GA, he raced avidly on his father's Cal 28 in a handicap fleet starting when he was ten. Racing sailboats is his passion. He has raced a wide variety of monohulls over the years. John is even a veteran of the 2016 Race to Alaska, where he competed in a 38' catamaran named Nice Pair. He finished the race in tenth place. John restored and campaigned two vintage Stars in Olympia, WA, then went on to restore and campaign a Harmony 22 named Gizmo. With Gizmo, John won three season championships in Olympia.
Gizmo was sold in 2017 to help finance the purchase of John's very first cruising boat, a Nonsuch 30 named Summer Breeze. In that, John and his wife Fran explored pretty much all of Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands, the Canadian Gulf Islands, the Inside Passage including Princess Louisa Inlet (twice), Desolation Sound, the Broughtons, Bella-Bella, Haida Gwaii, and the west coast of Vancouver Island. Cruising is a completely different skill set from racing, but one that John mastered quickly.
John served 22 years in the United States Coast Guard before retiring in 2003 and settling in Olympia where he worked for the Port of Olympia. Retiring again in 2018, he and Fran set off in a 35' motorhome in the winters and Summer Breeze in the summers for a three year tour of the National Parks and the Inside Passage. COVID eventually shut them down after two years, and they relocated to Sequim, WA. John has a masters degree in electrical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School, though he has long since left that world behind. Today he enjoys using the other side of his brain and writes fictional novels. His first book published, North to Alaska, is about the Race to Alaska. He has several more awaiting publication.

ERIKA HANSEN-DAHLIN
Erika has been sailing since she was 18 and brings more than three decades of experience on the water. She began racing Hobie 16s and lived aboard through her youth, learning early how to be resourceful and comfortable at sea. She later cruised extensively with her family, raising three swashbuckling boys, and continues to sail with her spouse.
Erika’s sailing experience spans the California coast from San Francisco to San Diego, including Catalina Island, as well as the Salish Sea, with countless miles in the Gulf Islands, San Juan Islands, and South Puget Sound.
Her true passion lies in getting women on the water and building confidence at the helm. After decades of sailing with a partner, Erika brings a deep understanding of shared decision-making aboard a boat and actively advocates for a strong women’s voice—on deck, in partnerships, and within the sailing community.​

ERIN WALTERS
Erin learned to sail in college in Georgia and learned to race in Florida, where she moved for her first job. In Florida, she built her sailing skills and her self-confidence through J-24 and 420 one-design racing, eventually leading women's and co-ed racing teams. As she learned more about sailing, boating, and the maritime world, she knew she wanted to become more involved. To increase her time on the water, she bought a Pearson 35, which she lived aboard for seven years. To facilitate sharing the joys of sailing, she obtained her USCG captain’s license, became a US Sailing certified instructor, and began teaching sailing in her spare time. With her recreational time on the water maxed out, she realized her pesky microelectronics day job was keeping her land bound during the week, so she changed careers to ocean engineering and began looking for maritime jobs. The first job took her to Massachusetts, and the second brought her out here to the Olympic Peninsula.
 
Erin holds a 50 Ton USCG captain’s license and a master’s degree in Ocean Engineering. During her day job, she operates research vessels and marine autonomous vehicles, leads marine field deployments, performs scientific diving, and supports research and development of marine energy technology. Although she no longer lives aboard, she and her partner now own a West Wight Potter 15, a fun little trailer sailor perfect for day-sailing and quick overnight adventures around the Pacific Northwest. Erin loves teaching sailing in her spare time and is excited to get out on the water with you!

MELISSA MATHEWS
Melissa began sailing as a young adult in Florida, where she quickly learned not just how to sail, but how to be self-reliant on the water. Living aboard her own boat, she became independent in maintaining, fixing, and truly understanding every system onboard, skills that shaped both her confidence and her seamanship.
After spending several years inland, most recently in Utah, Melissa eventually found her way back to the water when she moved to Port Angeles. Returning to sailing felt like coming home. Today, she owns a Capri 22, which she uses as her on-the-water escape from her day job and a way to stay connected to the freedom that first drew her to sailing.
Melissa is deeply passionate about getting more women on the water and creating a safe, supportive space where learning feels accessible and empowering. She believes sailing should build confidence, curiosity, and community—and she brings that mindset to every experience she shares on the water.​