Meet Abby!

What are some of your favorite things about being part of AC?
I fell in love with Bantry Bay Gigs in 2021 when I joined AC as a participant. The Gigs serve as beautiful and dynamic vessels for connection and compassion... plus they're super fun to sail. The Atlantic Challenge Community is one that I return to every summer. I love meeting and reconnecting with people through our shared love of the boats and feeling held by the mossy forests on Greens Island. 

Have you had any other sailing/rowing experience? 
I'm a USCG licensed Captain and instruct with the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School. I've also worked on tall-ships and private schooners. I was named after a wooden sailboat, an Alden Ketch named Abigail, and learned how to sail as youth with my dad and Granddad in Deer Isle, Maine. 

Where do you currently live? 
Conway, NH 

What are some things you do in your professional life or study beyond AC?
I'm passionate about indigenous boats, particularly the preservation of their making traditions. I run a project in Vietnam that works to document the woven boat traditions before they disappear. I currently work as a Social Studies Teacher in New Hampshire. 

 What are some of your hobbies?
I love spending time outside; in the forest with my dog, climbing and skiing in the mountains, or floating along a gentle river.

If you could wake up with a new skill tomorrow, what would it be?
To paint and draw and be able to express the world in a visually creative way. 

What animal do you feel a kinship with?
Snowshoe hare! 

Favorite meal/food?
Vietnamese food! Banh Mi or my Mom's Pho 

Favorite song to sing while rowing?
The Mingulay Boat Song