Captain Joseph Proctor

Captain Joseph Proctor – ASA Instructor 

Captain Joe lucked into his first taste of sailing at the age of 10. His mother was in desperate need of a sitter and some work friends volunteered to take him for the weekend. They were the proud owners of a Catalina 25 and figured they’d entertain young Joe with a few days sailing out on the Gulf of Mexico. The call of the sea was heard and Joe knew, with out a doubt, that one day a sailor’s life was for him.
Well, the future isn’t always as cut and dry as the dreams of a child. Joe took every opportunity that arose to get back out on the water but life, as it does, pulled in different directions. After many forks in the road, finally one lead Joe back to the boat dock.
In 2012 Joe was looking for a change from the 9-5 life that he had seemed to settle into and recalled the joys and wonder he had experienced all those times out on the water. It was finally time for him to get serious about sailing! He started with his ASA basics at a small school in northern California. After a year of focused learning and sailing on San Francisco Bay he decided it was “time for a cool change”, so he sold up, bought a boat and spent a few months refitting it. Next he spent 3 years solo sailing the Southern Gulf Coast of the US. His adventures took him from Louisiana to the Florida Keys, Cuba and even as far as the Yucatan. The time was life changing for Boatswain Joe and he began to hear another calling. A calling to help others realize their dreams of a life on the water as well.
In 2016 he began focusing on becoming a professional captain. After a bit more training, experience and sea time, in 2021 Joe submitted for and attained his USCG captain’s license. He then began his instructor training within the ASA and shortly after began teaching on the beautiful and challenging San Francisco Bay at the 101 and 103 levels. Today he is qualified to teach all the way up to 114 Cruising Catamaran and even the 118 Docking Endorsement and currently holds a USCG Near Coastal OUPV. Joe has never forgotten the feelings of amazement, empowerment, and exhilaration that sailing brought to him and still do to this day. His focus and dedication is, through sailing, to assist others, in becoming confident, knowledgeable and capable of fulfilling their own dreams and feel the same joys of accomplishment.