Our Teen Adventure Camp Staff

"The overall strength of S.C. was in your staff!!! People make a program work well and navigating a bunch of teenagers who arrive as strangers and depart having made good friends is no easy task. Your staff provided our daughter opportunities for her confidence to soar!!! They really seemed to understand teens."
-Adria Biddle, parent of 15 yr old, Wakefield, RI

Our staff of skilled instructors, leaders and role models is the driving force behind Sail Caribbean's success.

Many are teachers during the school term who join us for the summer, year after year. Our sailing staff is second to none. Among them you'll find "blue-water" professionals, sailing Olympians, and America's Cup crewmates. Our scuba staff is comprised of full-time, year-round professional PADI dive instructors who boast teaching experience from all corners of the globe. Whether on land or at sea, they all share a passion for their work and a desire to instill that passion in the teens they mentor.

Meet some of our staff and learn what makes them special.

Hannah Korus	Kyle Pierson	Sarah Morgan Lee	Daniel Klein	Kieran Sullivan

Experienced and Skilled Leadership

Mike Liese, Northport, NY
Thirty-Second Year: Founder/Director
Mike Liese is a sailor – he grew up on the waters of Long Island Sound. He's also a father, grandfather, educator, and most of all a mentor. After obtaining his Masters in Education from Penn State University, Mike spent the next 17 years in education, first as a high school teacher and later as director of the Alternative School Program at Harborfields H.S. in New York. In 1979, he made a life-changing decision to combine his passion for teaching with his love of sailing – Sail Caribbean. Thirty years later, Mike remains committed to his original vision of empowering young people to reach heights they might never have thought possible.

Delly Harrigan, West End, Tortola, BVI
Thirty-Second Year : Cultural Director
A local of Tortola, Delly is one of the most beloved personalities on staff. He shares his wisdom and stories about Caribbean culture as well as a mastery of boats and sailing born of decades of experience. As a former chief boat mechanic, Delly knows every last nut and bolt on the boats we sail and loves to teach our students how they work. Whatever it is you learn from Delly, the one thing you'll remember most is his big island smile.

Sail Caribbean Divers - Directors

Melisande Rowe, East End, Tortola
Fiveteenth Year : Sail Caribbean Divers Dive Director
This Texan chose scuba fins over cowboy boots as Sail Caribbean's dive director and master instructor. Melisande put her know-how into practice to develop Sail Caribbean's teen scuba camps. Melisande now concentrates her efforts on Sail Caribbean Divers, our year-round dive center in the British Virgin Islands.

Mike Rowe, East End, Tortola
Eleventh Year : PADI Course Director
Mike makes the toughest tasks seem easy and his enthusiasm for the job is infectious. As a PADI-certified Course Director, Mike is "an instructor of instructors", having certified over 800 dive professionals. With almost 25 years in the dive industry, his expertise makes him a valuable resource for Sail Caribbean. His keen focus on customer service, combined with his unique sense of humor and charisma, keep our adult and teenage divers engaged and driven while they have fun.

Sail Caribbean Sailing Staff - Directors

Maria Powell - Richmond, VA
NinthYear: Sailing Director
Maria developed her passion for sailing on the waters of the Chesapeake Bay where she spent many years cruising and racing with her family. After two years as a student with Sail Caribbean, Maria joined the team in 2006 and has been a major contributor to the enhancement of Sail Caribbean and its' Charlie Programs. After earning a 50 ton Captain's license and ASA instructor certifications, Maria has made her home in the BVI working as an ASA sailing instructor and charter captain for the winter season.

Cliodhna Breathnach – Dublin, Ireland
Sixth Year: Bravo and Charlie Program Director
An avid traveler, Cli’s adventures have included canoeing down the Amazon, riding dune buggies in Peru, traversing the ski slopes of Banff Canada, and almost everything in between. A passionate outdoor education enthusiast, Cli takes great pride in developing strong bonds with her students and watching them grow during the course of the programs. Cli is currently pursuing a Masters in Chiropractic at the University of Glamorgan, South Wales.

Emma Deegan-Wicklow, Ireland
Sixth Year: Tango Program Director
Emma learned to sail on the West Coast of Ireland while studying Outdoor Education. Since then, her travels have seen her sail in New Zealand, The Arctic, Europe and of course The Caribbean. Sailing in the Islands each summer is something that Emma dreams about during the cold winter months working at her brother's horse-racing yard in Ireland. Emma has played an integral part in developing and directing Sail Caribbean's Tango program over the past few years.

Sarah Morgan Lee-Chattanooga, TN
Fourth Year: Alpha Program Director
During Sarah's four years at Eckerd College, she was active on the sailing team while studying Environmental Science and Human Development. Sarah is a certified Level 1 sailing coach and an Emergency Medical Technician. Her enthusiasm and medical knowledge will come in handy as she currently attends nursing school in her home state of Tennessee. In her three years as a Sail Caribbean staff member, Sarah has worked as a captain and program director, presently overseeing the Alpha Program.  

Laurie Gilbert – West Palm Beach, FL
Third Year: Sierra Program Director
Former director of our land based Bahamas program, Laurie will be jback in the BVI to lead our Sierra Program for a third year. A Florida native, Laurie attended the University of Florida where she studied zoology and is now teaching high school science.

HEADING OUR NEW YORK OFFICE:

Janice Jay, Northport, NY
Seventeenth Year : Operations Director
You may recognize Janice as the knowledgeable voice at the other end of the phone. She's the year-round manager of our New York office. During the summer Janice splits her time between the U.S. and the islands, coordinating the Tortola, Leeward Island, and New York offices to ensure everyone has what they need for smooth sailing.

Charlie Montgomery, Northport, NY
Thirteenth Year : Finance Director
Charlie is part of our "old school" staff who returned after 12 years in the corporate world. Charlie started sailing when he was eight and first joined Sail Caribbean in 1984 as a captain.  He later served as a Program Director for several years, and nowadays, he melds his business background with inside knowledge of Sail Caribbean to keep our operations on an even keel.

OUR DEDICATED NY OFFICE CREW:
Kim Tucker, Vicky Hochhauser, Carol Schwier and Liz Burns