Captain Nick Duckstein

Captain Nick Duckstein – ASA Instructor 

In the spring of 2001, Capt. Nick’s son broke his finger necessitating a visit to the St Joseph’s ER in Bellingham WA. The attending doctor was world renowned orthopedic surgeon that lived and worked in Bellingham because it was in his words “the best sea kayaking in the world.” That started what now has been 22 years of magic on the water, sailing the San Juan and Gulf Islands up to Desolation Sound, as well as the cruising grounds of Mexico, Thailand, Greece, and Grenada. One of the great joys of being on the water has always been exposing others to all that boating has to offer and in 2021 Capt Nick decided to make a transition from an IT career to teaching people the joys of sailing and cruising. He learns best by making mistakes and strives to provide a safe and fun environment for students to learn in the same manner. Capt Nick says, “In addition to working through the standard coursework, I try to get students in touch with what they already know in terms of common sense and ability to improvise and build the softer skills of communication, leadership, and team building.”