Dave grew up in the Midwest, but always had a heart for sailing and big water adventures. While working two jobs to pay his college tuition, he purchased his first boat…a bargain priced, beat up, old sunfish. It was just the right size to throw on top of his car and go sailing at the local reservoir. He also became a certified scuba diver through the local YMCA.
After graduating with an accounting degree, he began his professional working career at a regional CPA firm, but soon left that for an operations management position at a Wiltel Communications. For 11 years he managed up 15 technical professionals and was responsible for project management, meeting service level agreements for national accounts, and managing technical escalations for manufacturer hardware and/or software failures. As a branch manager, profitability and customer satisfaction levels were both his responsibility. This is where he truly learned what drives customer satisfaction, how to get ahead of common obstacles, and how to navigate when the best laid plans go astray.
Having an opportunity to start his own business, Dave jumped at the chance. He has been running his own renovation and general contracting company for the last 20 years, where he has consistently delivered quality results in a professional manner.
He raised his family to enjoy time on the water; from tooling around in his 19’ open bow ski boat on lakes in Indiana, to diving beautiful reefs in the Caribbean once his wife and kids became scuba certified.
Dave never gave up on his big water dreams, and so, he and his wife both took their ASA classes in Traverse City Michigan to enable them to bareboat charter in “the pretty water”. After a few charter trips, he was able to convince his wife to buy their first “big boat”, or big to him, a Catalina 355. This was the first time he would be an owner of 2 boats, but it would not be the last.
The 355 started out in charter in Traverse City, so their sailing grounds included Power Island, Beaver Island, and through the straits of Mackinac to Mackinac Island. Sleeping, cooking, sailing, 24 hours a day 7-14 days at a time – he started to figure out what they liked and what they wanted in the next boat to ease living aboard. After a few years his wife talked him into giving up the ski boat, because she loved sailing so much more.
After 5 years of ownership, the boat came out of charter, and the next adventure began; sailing the 355 down the coast of Lake Michigan from Grand Traverse Bay to New Buffalo MI. From failed shore power connections to gale force winds, the learning curve was steep. Through the voyage, he continued to learn not only about seamanship, but what he liked and disliked in a sailing yacht.
During the next few years, most every weekend from May to October, was spent living aboard and sailing the 355. But when Covid hit, while everyone else was buying up all the property in Florida to escape the Midwest winters, Dave and his wife bought another “big boat”, a Lagoon 450. (Note: second time he owned two boats) This boat checked some boxes their monohaul could not. The catamaran purchase was one of life’s greatest adventures! As with all adventures, there were some stumbles and learning curves, but there is nothing like captaining your own catamaran to distant ports, anchoring in complete comfort, with room to spare.
From chartering cats in the BVI to sailing the Florida keys, they have confirmed what so many others have already learned, if you want to cruise, it doesn’t get any better than on a cat!
Dave’s work ethic, integrity, and business acumen will deliver for you through the tried and trusted framework the Catamaran Company offers.