Alan Somervell

Brinnon, Washington USA

Level V Captain Rank Chief Sailing Instructor / Assessor

Rated 4.77/5 by 97 students
Growing up in a “water family” on the Chesapeake Bay, his Dad, a Champion Snipe sailor, and his Grandfather, a waterman, instilled into Alan a love of the water and boats. He placed second in his first sailboat race at the age of 8. He has sailed extensively back East on the Bay and the Sounds of North Carolina. “The creeks and bays were my backyard, my playground … my teachers”. Alan started working on our boats part time in 1993. He started teaching full time for ISC in 1997. He is a USCG licensed captain, a Certified Instructor, and is First Aid First Response Trained. He has trained hundreds of sailors some of whom have sailed the oceans, and a few who have gone on to become instructors. He is always willing to share his wit and wisdom with his fellow sailors and beams with pride when one of his pupils sets sails on their own.

Credentials

NauticEd Credentials

Professional Instructor Assessor Professional Instructor Assessor
Peer Assessed Peer Assessed
NauticEd System Knowledge Expert NauticEd System Knowledge Expert
Transformational Instructor Course Graduate Transformational Instructor Course Graduate
Student Star Rated Student Star Rated
American National Standards Instructor/Assessor American National Standards Instructor/Assessor
SLC Instructor/Assessor SLC Instructor/Assessor
  • Level V Captain Rank Chief Instructor/Assessor
  • American National Standards Instructor/Assessor
  • SLC Instructor/Assessor
  • ICC Preparatory Instructor

Other Credentials

NauticEd Bareboat Charter Master Qualified Instructor USCG 50 Ton since 1998

Associated practical schools

Training and assessment

Practical Training Courses

International License Training/Assessment

Notes: I own an Alubat Onvi 455 which is a 49 foot ocean cruiser.

CONTACT WITH QUESTIONS OR TO SCHEDULE TRAINING

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aksomervell@comcast.net
503 314-9401
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Feedback from previous students

Marc s., Canada, ON, Toronto at 2024, Jul 15
Practical Competence of Bareboat Charter Master Rank
Sailing the USA North West and San Juan Islands is a treat. Doing so with a great teacher and guide on a very interesting yacht creates a sense of confidence and learning.
Steven C., USA, OR, Lake Oswego at 2021, Sep 29
Practical Competence of Skipper Rank
Sheena S., at 2019, Sep 24
Practical Competence of Skipper (small keelboat) Rank
Benjamin G., USA, OR, Lincoln City at 2019, Sep 16
Practical Competence of Skipper Rank
Grant W., USA, OR, Tigard at 2019, Sep 16
Practical Competence of Skipper Rank
Michelle J., USA at 2019, Sep 16
Practical Competence of Skipper Rank
The motor on the sailboat died a couple times during the course, including during docking and maneuvering, which led to some tense moments on the boat that could have been handled more professionally, but may have led to some unintended teachable moments. There were some additional tense moments and at some point each of the students was treated a little unprofessionally for making learning mistakes that didn't jeopardize the safety of the crew (e.g., confusing the direction of the tiller handle, grabbing the wrong line, or adjusting the wrong sail). Finding alternative ways to describe a task when students are confused by new terminology would be helpful in these situations and may prevent escalating the situation. That being said, Alan's knowledge base is exceptional and after some of the more tense moments were stabilized he was very approachable for questions. His passion for sailing is also apparent and he is great at encouraging students to try things out of their comfort zone
Malakai S., USA, OR, Bend at 2019, Sep 04
Practical Competence of Skipper (small keelboat) Rank
He is a all around great guy. Really friendly and know a bunch about sail boats.
Bret M., at 2019, Sep 02
Practical Competence of Skipper (small keelboat) Rank
The training was intense and my fellow students were of little help in making the instruction easy. I feel I could take a sailboat out with anyone of any level of skill and operate it with one sail. Adding the jib sail, I would need another competent sailor to assist the voyage.
Steven K., USA, OR, Lake Oswego at 2019, Aug 05
Practical Competence of Skipper (small keelboat) Rank
Alan did an excellent job teaching us all aspects of sailing a small sailboat. His knowledge and tips truly helped build our confidence and ability over the course.
Stacey s., USA, WA, Vancouver at 2019, Jul 23
Practical Competence of Skipper (small keelboat) Rank
Showing 1 - 10 of last 97 reviews.