COVID-19 & Our Campus
To learn about how COVID-19 has affected our campus and the changes we have made, read the statement on our homepage at www.hrmm.org.
To learn about how COVID-19 has affected our campus and the changes we have made, read the statement on our homepage at www.hrmm.org.
Sailing Instructors
Jody Sterling (she/her)
Jody earned her Coast Guard Captain's License and is a US Sailing Certified Small Sailboat Instructor and a US Sailing Certified Basic Keelboat Instructor. She is a lifelong sailor who grew up racing Blue Jays, Lightnings and keel boats on Long Island Sound. Jody owns a C & C 26 racer/cruiser with her husband and partner Bill Sterling. They race their boat on the Hudson, day sail and do coastal cruising. Jody retired in 2017 from teaching English for 29 years at Dutchess Community College and has combined her love of teaching and her love of sailing to become the Sailing Program Director at HRMM. Jody is also the Secretary of the Kingston Sailing Club.
Jody earned her Coast Guard Captain's License and is a US Sailing Certified Small Sailboat Instructor and a US Sailing Certified Basic Keelboat Instructor. She is a lifelong sailor who grew up racing Blue Jays, Lightnings and keel boats on Long Island Sound. Jody owns a C & C 26 racer/cruiser with her husband and partner Bill Sterling. They race their boat on the Hudson, day sail and do coastal cruising. Jody retired in 2017 from teaching English for 29 years at Dutchess Community College and has combined her love of teaching and her love of sailing to become the Sailing Program Director at HRMM. Jody is also the Secretary of the Kingston Sailing Club.
Tanya van Renesse (she/ her)
Tanya grew up sailing on Cayuga Lake, where she later taught her first sailing instructor job at Cornell Community Sailing. She was on her collegiate racing team, sailing 420s, FJs, and J24s all along the Pacific Coast. She sails as the bosun aboard the sail freight Schooner Apollonia and for the past two years has been on the planning team for the Riverport Women's Sailing Conference. She is a 50 ton USCG captain, a US Sailing Level 1 dinghy instructor, and a certified US Sailing Keelboat Instructor. She is thrilled to be coming back for her third year with the Hudson River Maritime Museum sailing school!
Tanya grew up sailing on Cayuga Lake, where she later taught her first sailing instructor job at Cornell Community Sailing. She was on her collegiate racing team, sailing 420s, FJs, and J24s all along the Pacific Coast. She sails as the bosun aboard the sail freight Schooner Apollonia and for the past two years has been on the planning team for the Riverport Women's Sailing Conference. She is a 50 ton USCG captain, a US Sailing Level 1 dinghy instructor, and a certified US Sailing Keelboat Instructor. She is thrilled to be coming back for her third year with the Hudson River Maritime Museum sailing school!
Betsy O'Toole (she/ her)
Betsy is a US Sailing Certified Level 1 and 2 Small Craft Instructor as well as a US Sailing Certified Basic Keelboat Instructor, and she is obtaining her 25 ton USCG Captain's license with sailing and towing endorsements. She's from Albany but spent summers sailing on Cape Cod. She taught sailing there for 5 years and is now returning for her second year at HRMM. Although she is a SUNY New Paltz student, she was briefly on the Cardiff University Sailing Team. She was a part of WOW (women on the water), Adventure sail, and spoke at the Riverport Women's Sailing Conference in 2021.
Betsy is a US Sailing Certified Level 1 and 2 Small Craft Instructor as well as a US Sailing Certified Basic Keelboat Instructor, and she is obtaining her 25 ton USCG Captain's license with sailing and towing endorsements. She's from Albany but spent summers sailing on Cape Cod. She taught sailing there for 5 years and is now returning for her second year at HRMM. Although she is a SUNY New Paltz student, she was briefly on the Cardiff University Sailing Team. She was a part of WOW (women on the water), Adventure sail, and spoke at the Riverport Women's Sailing Conference in 2021.
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Stephanie Marrinan
Stephanie grew up on the South Shore of Long Island and has always loved the water. She has been a member of the racing crew on board Skeleton Crew, a Merit 25, for the past 7 years. She has been a skipper for Kingston Sailing Club’s Women On the Water sails each Spring and Fall, 2017-2021. Stephanie is working on her US Sailing Instructor certification and has taught sailing at the Hudson River Maritime Museum Sailing School in 2021. She is involved in the Riverport Women’s Sailing Conference. Stephanie is also the Flotilla Staff Officer of Public Education in the Coast Guard Auxiliary in Kingston. |
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M.J. Reese (she/her)
MJ grew up racing dinghies on Long Island Sound, culminating in winning the Junior Women's Championship and teaching at a local yacht club. Her interest in boats grew with spending 2 years at the Apprentice Shop in Bath, Maine, building traditional wooden boats and being first mate on their Tancook Whaler (a 32ft double ended, gaff rigged schooner). The lure of the Maine islands continued as she pursued her USCG Captain's License to captain for Hurricane Island Outward Bound both in the Maine Islands and Florida Keys. When settling in the Kingston area, she found teaching for Miles Gordon's Great Hudson Sailing a worthy occupation for over 7 years. However she then realized getting a degree in Environmental Science to teach Earth Science at Kingston High School a worthy pursuit for her family's economic well being. In addition to sailing and coaching ski racing at Belleayre in the winter months, her passion is teaching the Happiness courses that include yoga and breathwork. |
Christopher Waterous: Chris holds a Captain’s License. He is a U.S. Sailing Certified Basic Keelboat Instructor. He has been a member of the Kingston Sailing Club since 2014, and he has been on the board of KSC since 2017, as Treasurer 2017-2019 and as Commodore from 2019 to present. Chris has been a sailboat owner for 19 years including small day sailors, a one design racer as well as intercoastal racer cruiser vessels. Chris sails primarily on the Hudson River, but other experience includes offshore charters on Long island sound, US Virgin Islands and the Grenadines.
Katie Irwin
Katie came to the Hudson Valley from San Diego in 2019. She began sailing as a kid with her parents on their local lake in Texas but became a more serious sailor while attending San Diego State University.
Katie has taught youth small boat sailing at Mission Bay Aquatic Center and adult sailing at Harbor Sailboats in San Diego. Katie enjoys competition and has taken part in PHRF racing in San Diego Harbor, the Cabrillo Offshore Series and most recently racing with Kingston Sailing Club aboard Caprica. She holds a U.S. Sailing Small Boat and Keelboat Level 1 certification along with CPR/First Aid and Boating Safety.
In addition to sailing, Katie has competed in rowing and outrigger paddling. Her most challenging competition to date was a 41-mile non-stop open ocean race from Molokaʻi to Oahu.
Katie came to the Hudson Valley from San Diego in 2019. She began sailing as a kid with her parents on their local lake in Texas but became a more serious sailor while attending San Diego State University.
Katie has taught youth small boat sailing at Mission Bay Aquatic Center and adult sailing at Harbor Sailboats in San Diego. Katie enjoys competition and has taken part in PHRF racing in San Diego Harbor, the Cabrillo Offshore Series and most recently racing with Kingston Sailing Club aboard Caprica. She holds a U.S. Sailing Small Boat and Keelboat Level 1 certification along with CPR/First Aid and Boating Safety.
In addition to sailing, Katie has competed in rowing and outrigger paddling. Her most challenging competition to date was a 41-mile non-stop open ocean race from Molokaʻi to Oahu.
Isabel Czech (she/ her)
She is from Salt point, New York and has been sailing for seven years. She is so excited to be able to instruct with the Hudson River maritime museum! She has US Sailing level one small boat assistant instructor certification, she has TCFO certification and First Aid and CPR certification.
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John Mehalak
John is a US Sailing certified assistant instructor, and he has been sailing for four years with the Sea Scouts. He also works at the HRMM as a dock assistant and a deckhand on our tour boat Solaris. He has been with the museum for two years. John is a senior at Rondout Valley High School. |
Lily Peacock
Lily is from New Jersey, and they started sailing with the Hudson River Maritime Museum four years ago, growing their skills with the sailing program. Now, they are enthusiastic about joining the team as a certified assistant instructor to help pass on the skills and fun of sailing. They are a junior in high school.
Lily is from New Jersey, and they started sailing with the Hudson River Maritime Museum four years ago, growing their skills with the sailing program. Now, they are enthusiastic about joining the team as a certified assistant instructor to help pass on the skills and fun of sailing. They are a junior in high school.
Gray Lobell (he/him)
Gray is from New Paltz NY and is a sophomore at New Paltz High School. He has been sailing for 5 years now with the HRMM and helped as a student mentor in last year’s sailing program. He has a US Sailing Level One Assistant Instructor certificate and others such as First Aid and CPR. Gray is very excited to work with the HRMM and the sailing program this year!
Gray is from New Paltz NY and is a sophomore at New Paltz High School. He has been sailing for 5 years now with the HRMM and helped as a student mentor in last year’s sailing program. He has a US Sailing Level One Assistant Instructor certificate and others such as First Aid and CPR. Gray is very excited to work with the HRMM and the sailing program this year!