Introducing Captain Howard

 General background

Ralph Howard Edson, Jr. was born and raised along the Housatonic River in Shelton, CT.  Following college and a military tour of duty in the Pacific his three-part work career included (1) corporate staff positions with Hewlett Packard and Atlantic Richfield, (2) entrepreneur building four companies, and (3) management consultant/trainer in the field of organizational development.  He has trained thousands of employees throughout North America and Asia in leadership development and teamwork -- frequently using ropes courses, and outdoor adventures as his learning metaphor. 

Additionally Howard has authored “What Color Is Your Paradigm?” -- a conceptual understanding of the relationship between one’s thoughts and results.  He is presently devoting his energies fulltime to yacht deliveries, sailing instruction and writing about boating and seamanship.

He has sailed or motored into most U.S. East coast ports.
In late 2008 he relocated to Seattle to be a good "grandpa" and to sail and motor on Puget Sound, the San Juan and Gulf Islands.

 Boating background

 Howard holds U.S. Merchant Marine Officer license #1155804, for motor and sail vessels up to 100-gross tons.

 He is an American Sailing Association instructor, certified in Basic Keelboat (101) through Advanced Coastal Cruising (106).

Seasonally (summer) he manages the Stamford Base for Pinnacle Yachts -- with responsibility for operations, yacht maintenance and instructing adults in sailing large Jeanneau yachts.   

Seasonally (winter) is the Director of Training for Landfall Navigation, Marine Training Division – with responsibilities for the development and delivery of a full curriculum of boating knowledge courses.

He is owner of his Irwin 32 sloop, Dust In The Wind, which he has sailed from Maine to Florida, including a six month solo voyage.  She is often utilized for private instruction.

 He has enjoyed bareboat chartered sailing yachts in the B.V.I’s, Abacos, Puget Sound, Gulf Islands (Canada), and San Francisco Bay area.

He received his sailing training at Olympic Circle Sailing Club in Berkeley, CA.

During teenage years he owned 2 power boats and participated in professional water ski shows (at various times as a driver, announcer and skier). 

His 2006 sailing yacht delivery routes included: 

Bermuda to Mamaroneck, NY.
New Rochelle, NY to Florida (inside and outside passage)
Marathon Key to Key West, FL
Point Judith, R.I. to Greenwich, CT
New London to Stamford, CT
Barnegat Bay, N.J. to Bridgeport, CT.

 Additional Qualifications

 Howard is a pilot and certified flight instructor (CFII) in single and multi-engine aircraft.

His academic background includes undergraduate at Princeton University, Business Administration at Pepperdine University, and graduate work in Economics at Columbia University.  His teaching affiliations include past Adjunct Faculty with AT&T Bell Labs, and Naropa Institute, Boulder CO.  He is certified in NLP and trainer for the Corporate CoachU International coaching program.

Howard is available for yacht delivery, private on-the-water instruction in any aspect of boating and seamanship – either on your yacht or aboard Dust In The Wind.  He is also available to photograph your yacht from sea or from the air. 

 If the spirit moves you feel free to contact Howard.