our mission
The concept for the offshore sailing experience offered by Kailani Ocean Adventures program was developed by Harley Earl and Tom Prior. Harley and Tom are both sailing instructors with extensive ocean passage making experience, and created the adventure program as a means of sharing with others their passion for blue water sailing. Open ocean cruising is a truly unique experience that not many have access to – by joining us for one of our passages, you too can feel the thrill of the wind in your sails, with no land in sight for days at a time. While Harley and Tom are responsible for on the water operations, Jennifer handles shore based logistics.
OUR GUIDES
Harley Earl
Program Director Captain
Harley first learned to sail in 1965 on the Detroit River dodging lake freighters in that very narrow channel. He has sailed over 80,000 ocean miles in the past twenty years half of which was logged in 2004 to 2006 on a double handed circumnavigation with his wife, Jennifer, who provides shore support to Kailani while on passage. Harley taught sailing at OCSC sailing in Berkeley, CA starting in 2000, and has lead offshore sailing crew training programs at Kailani Ocean Adventures since 2010. In addition to a 100T USCG Master’s Certificate he is a US Sailing Cruising and CONAV instructor, a certified open water diver and trained in CPR, First Aid and STCW95 (including First Aid, Fire Prevention and Firefighting). He is an active delivery skipper in power and sail up to 90 feet. Aboard Kailani Harley’s role is to insure that everybody stays safe, has fun and learns as much as they want.
Tom Prior
Relief Captain
Tom grew up in the U.K. and has been sailing for the past 35 years accumulating over 20,000 sea miles. He is a commercially endorsed RYA Yachtmaster Offshore, a RYA Cruising Instructor, RYA dinghy Instructor and is also a certified open water diver. He is current in First Aid and CPR, STCW95 (including First Aid, Fire Prevention and Firefighting) and RYA and YA Sea Survival trained. Prior to helping to sail Kailani from Turkey to San Francisco with Harley, much of his ocean experience was through ocean racing. Major races include the San Francisco to Panama leg of the 2009/10 Clipper round the world race, the 2008 Sydney to Hobart race and the 2007 Fastnet race. Tom has taught sailing in Europe, the USA and Australia. He is a Naval architect and practicing marine surveyor and also undertakes delivery work on sail boats. In addition to sharing his passion for sailing, aboard Kailani Tom has primary responsibility for teaching the nuances of navigation with participants.
Bill Sullivan
Relief Mate
Bill has been sailing most of his adult life coast wise on the US East coast and then out of San Diego in the Pacific. Bill has logged over 7,000 nm on Kailani, including a 4,600 nm trans-equatorial run to the South Pacific in 2012. Bill holds a USCG 100T Masters License and is a National Safe Boating Council (NSBC) Certified Instructor. He delivered his own boat Blue Venture from Texas to Florida and then up through the east coast to Maine, a journey of nearly 2,000 nm. Bill splits his time between cruising the summers on Blue Venture from the Chesapeake to Maine, and living in San Diego where he is a charter captain for hire.
EXPERIENCE sailing with KOA
build Sailing Skills
Kailani Ocean Adventures is designed for sailors that are looking to build on their skill sets and acquire hands on passage making experience and for non-sailors who have always wondered what it would be like to be at sea and want to find out. Responsibilities and duties will be assigned commensurate with experience. All participants regardless of experience will share with the regular crew in watch keeping, meal planning and preparation and general housekeeping.
Gain Sea Time
Your guides on passage have crossed oceans on multi week passages as captains and/or crew. They are also professional sailing instructors, and although your participation in an ocean adventure will not result in a certification, you will receive an extensive evaluation and endorsement of your sea time which may be used toward RYA or USCG license requirements. Non-sailors will be exposed to the equivalent of a competent crew course over the course of the passage, time and weather permitting.
Understand Passagemaking
While the syllabus may be of use to cruising sailors, the emphasis is on passage making itself. Topics covered will vary by passage but will usually include the following: provisioning, stowage, boat preparation, route planning, navigation, system maintenance and repairs, weather forecasting, SSB, VHF and satellite communications, power and fuel management, meal planning and preparation, watch keeping, radar operation, anchoring, dinghy operation, going aloft, safety at sea, basic seamanship and sail repair.
Talk to us
Have questions about making a passage with Kailani Ocean Adventures? We are happy to help you determine if this is the right fit for your needs.
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