Nautical Resume

Captain Bob Solliday
Mobile: 310.968.9441
Bob@BobSolliday.com
USCG License Ref #3564611
100-ton Master Near Coastal License w/Sailing Endorsement

Grew up water skiing and started sailing in my early teens on small lasers and Hobie Cat-type sailboats. NAUI certified diver at age 14.

1975: At the age of 15, I helped crew the 46’ sloop “Sumatra” (CG 286358) around the
Hawaiian Islands for two weeks and then back to Los Angeles, CA. The Pacific crossing took 21 days.

Thereafter, for at least ten or more years, I sailed our family 37’ sloop “Synapse” (CF 8575 HP) around the Channel Islands of California on many day trips and overnighters while fishing and SCUBA diving. My father had her in Hawaii for two years, and on one trip we spent 10 days sailing around the islands.

1981: During my senior year at Cornell University, I crewed on a C&C 41’ sloop “Tsunami” on many races around Cayuga Lake. During spring break, several of us Cornell students chartered a Morgan 41’ ketch and sailed from Miami to and around the Bahama out-islands. Seven days total on this trip.

After graduation in 1981, I returned back to CA and helped prepare the 68’ schooner “New World” for the ’81 Trans Pacific Yacht Race. We spent many days on the water practicing, and then the race took 11.5 days. We sailed around HI for another three weeks, and then delivered the boat home to Ventura, CA in 16 days from Hilo, HI.

During two years of graduate school at UCLA Anderson, I raced on several boats out of Marina del Rey. Wednesday night races, local races, and the Newport Beach to Ensenada, Mexico race.

1982: During the summer of 1982, I raced on a Santana 35’ out of Santa Cruz, CA, and then raced in the Santana 35’ Nationals that fall in Santa Cruz, CA. I raced in the 1982 San Francisco Big Boat Series on the Peterson 42’ “Saltshaker”.

1983: In the spring of 1983 started racing Wed. night Sunset Series races in Marina del Rey on the Santa Cruz 50’ “Tribute II”.  Also during the spring of 1983, several grad students and myself recruited a doctor to donate the use of his boat “Ariel”, a Tradewinds 40, to sail in the 1983 Trans Pacific Yacht Race from Los Angeles to Honolulu. For crew, we trained and prepared five undergraduate students   in thein the UCLA Sailing Club. We competed in the Newport Beach to Ensenada Race on “Ariel”, and then delivered the boat back to Marina del Rey. Upon completion of graduate school in 1983, we prepared the boat for the TransPac Race to HI which took 12.5 days. 

Upon returning from the TransPac’83 festivities, I again raced in the Santana 35’ Nationals on San Francisco Bay and crewed once again in the 1983 San Francisco Big Boat Series on the Peterson 42’ “Saltshaker”. Following Big Boat Series, I helped deliver the custom 52’ “Geronimo” from San Francisco to Santa Barbara.

During graduate school, I continued sailing my parent’s sailboat in the Channel Islands, but they moved to the east coast of Florida in 1987 and purchased a 47’ Atlantic with twin turbo diesels. For five years, I would help them deliver it to the Bahamas, and then each year I would spend 10 days to two weeks with them cruising the Bahamian Islands.

1987 to 2001: I continued sailing actively, and for five years, I helped crew aboard a friend’s 37’ sportfishing-style powerboat “Bad Habit” on multiple trips to Catalina, San Clemente, and Santa Barbara Islands SCUBA diving.

2001 to 2010: For over nine years, I raced, and delivered the Santa Cruz 50 “Lina” for Walter Pressel out of Channel Islands, CA. During this period, we participated in at least 15 local races a year, 9 Newport to Ensenada Races, 3 Coastal Cups from San Francisco Bay to SoCal, 2 San Diego to Ensenada Races, 1 San Diego to Puerto Vallarta Race, the Dolphin Cup in Monterey Bay, and many daysails around the Channel Islands area and to Catalina Island.  Following Walter’s death, I actually took a break from sailing for several years and pursued other activities. 

2004: Raced on a 34 footer in the Figawi Race from Hyannis to Nantucket.

2005: For five days I helped crew a 68’ Hatteras from Hyannis, MA down to Newport, RI, and then to Port Washington on Long Island.

2006: I raced four days on a 72’ maxi for a wealthy European lady at the Antigua Race Week Classic in the Caribbean.

2007: In the winter of 2007, I helped crew “Big Dog” a 44’ catamaran through the Panama Canal and up the coast of Central America for ten days. On this same Panama trip in 2007, I helped crew another 40’ powerboat on another trip through the Panama Canal.

2009: I helped cruise/deliver a Catalina 36 from Naples, FL up to St. Petersburg, FL in three days.

2012 to now: Since 2012, I have been the crew chief on the J109 “Spray” out of Marina del Rey, CA, on Wednesday nights and various other weekend races around Santa Monica Bay. In addition, we have participated in several regattas such as Cal Race Week, the Mid-Winters, and two or three cruises a summer to Catalina.  During this time, “Spray’s” racing program has improved immensely.

2014: Won the J109 Class in the Mid-Winter Regatta

2014: Won the Sunset Series at the California Yacht Club

2015: Won the 2015 J109 Class in the Mid-Winter Regatta

2015: Won the 2015 Sunset Series at the California Yacht Club

2015: Became an American Sailing Association (“ASA”) Certified Sailing Instructor and started officially teaching sailing enthusiasts in Marina del Rey.

2015: Chartered a Beneteau 49 in the USVI for 10 days with family and friends.  Then sailed from St. Thomas to St. John to St. Croix and on to Culebra in the Spanish Virgin Islands enjoying SCUBA diving and sight-seeing along the way.  After Culebra, we sailed back to St. Thomas.

2016: In the spring, delivered a Tartan 101 from Miami to Key West, FL, stayed to participate in the week-long racing festivities at Key West Race Week, continued the delivery north up the intercoastal waterway to Hyannis, MA on Cape Cod, and participated in the Charleston Race Week and the Figawi Race along the way.

Raced on Spray in the Midwinters, Sunset Series, Long Beach Race Week, and Cal Race Week (First Place J-109 One Design). Delivered Spray down to Long Beach and back for Long Beach Race Week. Chartered a Hunter 46’ and took 7 passengers/crew to Catalina for a three-day Buccaneer Days Cruise.

Earned a Captain’s License and captained a Custom 59’ power boat on several outings to Malibu and Catalina Island for Charter LA Yachts.

Fall of 2016 and beginning of 2017 trained a Beneteau First 47.7 crew for offshore racing around Southern California, placed third in the 2017 Around Catalina Island Race, and second in the SoCal 300 from Santa Barbara to San Diego.

 Competed in the Mid-Winters Regatta again in Marina del Rey and placed second on ‘Spray’, the J109. Went on an 11-day USVI family cruise to St. John and St. Croix on a 42-foot catamaran.

Went on a week-long charter from Ft. Lauderdale to the Upper Keys and back with a Venture Scout group from Atlanta.

2017-2018: Conducted several charters and instruction courses for Key West Sailing Academy in Key West, FL, on their Hunter 45 sloop and their Leopard 47’ catamaran.

2017: Took a charter group to Catalina Island’s Buccaneer Days on a Beneteau First 47.7, and got third place on Spray in the 2017 Sunset Series in Marina del Rey.  

2018: Participated in the SoCal 300 Race again from Santa Barbara to San Diego on the Beneteau First 47.7.

2019: Prepared the Beneteau 47.7 for the Trans Pac race to Hawaii and trained the crew. Raced in the SoCal 300 again and had a USCG helicopter rescue 100 miles off San Diego due to a crew member falling ill. 

Captained “Macondo,” the Beneteau First 47.7 in the 2019 Transpacific Yacht Race.  Great start, and then 500 miles out we had rudder post problems and started sinking.  We made repairs, but disappointingly had to return to CA.  

2021: Delivered Medicine Man, a custom carbon graphite 63′ footer, back from HI to CA.  Lost the autopilot after 3 days, the engine after 10 days.  Didn’t have any electricity, refrigeration, and navigated with a handheld GPS to find CA after 21 days at sea.

Continued teaching many sailing classes and have driven many power boat charters around Marina del Rey and out to Catalina Island.

Continued teaching with the Key West Sailing Academy, now Florida Yacht Charters, and have become one of their top charter boat captains for charters around the Florida Keys. Captained many trips to the Dry Tortugas to visit Fort Jefferson.

Have also worked with Fun in The Sun charters in Ft. Lauderdale, FL on many of their charter trips. 

2022: Since sailing is an outdoor activity, it was a busy time during COVID for sailing instructors and charter captains.  And, since international travel was limited, people stayed close to the US.

• Raced the Heineken Cup in St. Maarten on “J Boss”, a J-111.
• Continued the Spray J-109 race schedule with a Second at the Cal Race Week Regatta, and third overall in the Wednesday night races.
• Taught numerous ASA classes and charters in Key West on the Jeanneau 41 and the Jeanneau 44, as well as a private FountainePajotHelia 44 Catamaran charter with an ASA 114 class in the US Virgin Islands.
• Captained a Lagoon 52 private charter in La Paz, Baja CA.
• Captained a catamaran delivery from Martinique to St Thomas, and on to the Turks & Caicos.

2023: Continuing to race the J-109 in Marina del Rey in the Sunset Series, and captained 5 week-long sailing charters in the Florida Keys.  Continuing as a part-time ASA sailing instructor and charter captain at the following locations:

• Marina del Rey, CA at Blue Pacific Yachting and Bluewater Sailing
• Key West, FL at Key West Sailing Academy and Florida Yachts Charters.

And, continuing as a powerboat charter captain at:

Parties-At-Sea.com in Marina del Rey, CA on “Last Light”

Bella.com in Marina del Rey, CA on a Sea Ray 48’ “Bella”