Bill Gillingham, owner/founder

• Captain – USCG 100Ton
• US Sailing Keelboat Instructor

 

• Nearly 30 years experience with power and sailboats of all sizes from 13′ to 85′
• Extensive experience in piloting and maintenance on all types of boats
• Expert in mechanical systems on power and sail boats
• Delivery skipper with the most recent delivery consisting of over 2000 sea miles
• Sail consultant with Island Planet Sails, an independent sail maker
• Professionally trained as an airline captain/instructor and aircraft mechanic

 

Bill Gillingham has been boating for nearly 30 years.  He has owned multiple power and sail boats of various sizes.  He currently owns and previously lived aboard a 43’x14′ power boat.  Bill is also an accomplished sailor and owns and races a 28′ S2 8.5 sailboat as well as several racing dinghys.  In June 2013, he delivered a 44′ Irwin center cockpit sloop from Mazatalan, Mexico to Seattle, WA for a very satisfied WWYC client.  For those unfamiliar with that route, it is considered one of the most challenging deliveries in the world.  It includes the infamous “Baja Bash” which begins by rounding the famous Cabo Falso near Cabo San Lucas and continues to San Diego.  The remainder of the delivery also required rounding the well known Point Conception near Santa Barbara.

In addition to Bill’s extensive operational knowledge of power and sail boats, he also is very well versed in boat systems and maintenance.  He performs all of his own boat maintenance and rigging, currently maintains the power boat fleet for his local yacht club where he races sailboats, and also works as a sales representative for an independent sail maker located near San Fransisco.

While living aboard his cruiser, Bill also earned his Airline Transport Pilot license as well as his FAA Airframe & Powerplant Mechanics license.   This experience is extremely valuable when inspecting boat systems and overall structural integrity.

Bill’s wide range of experience gives him a unique ability to provide you with the best possible representation available.

Jess Hatcher, Consultant

• Over 25 years marine experience
• Captain of a privately owned 40′ Fishing vessel based in Alaska.
• Extensive experience in power boat mechanical systems
• Expert knowledge of fishing vessels

Jess Hatcher has over 25 years of extensive mechanical, boating, and fishing experience.  He began his love for fishing and boating as a small child on Cascade Reservoir in Idaho. By the time he was 12, he had caught his first King Salmon out of the Gulkana River in Alaska and was wake boarding before wake boarding was even cool.  In his off time as an airline captain, he is the captain of the 40′ Sea Master “Underdog”, harbored out of Auke Bay in Juneau, Alaska.

Jess brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to WWYC, and is an excellent consultant on power boats, particularly large fishing vessels.