About Us

Heather Tiszai grew up in the piedmont of South Carolina exploring the mountains on the back of her Mama’s motorcycle.  Her high school years were spent in Minnesota riding horses and dabbling in human rights activism.  College in Charleston, SC taught her what it takes to be a good geologist and helped her realize that she was seeking a life of adventure, travel, good friends, and meaningful work.  After academia, she got her hands dirty learning about growing and saving heirloom seeds in Port Townsend, WA.  She longed for sun and warm water, so she migrated to the Bahamas to learn about birds, sailing, and how to teach kids about nature.  Mountains and a desire to ski beckoned her back to the Pacific Northwest where she got pregnant and started a childcare to save money for voyaging with her kids.  A good day for Heather usually involves digging in the dirt, running in the woods, and swimming outside.  She likes to sing songs and laugh often.

Joe Hoats grew up swimming with alligators and looking for snakes in the Low Country of South Carolina.  He studied Geology at the College of Charleston, but soon abandoned the life of a scientist to work on boats.  He has sailed with kids in the Bahamas and the Puget Sound.  Currently, he works on tug boats that have taken him along the western seaboard from Alaska to California.  His hands are always busy and his mind is always active.

Pearl sings her way through the day.  When she takes a break from climbing and hanging from things, she likes to play with her bunny and draw.  She is happy to go cruising for she has long been promised a boat cat.  She hopes to see lots of dolphins and maybe an occasional shark.

Juniper loves to be outside.  She is eager to hold the moon and find an owl.  She often whispers sweet nothings in our ears.