Watch: sailing LABORA
experienced as Captain first mate engineer, have knowledge of teaching bosun work
David Perdew – Explorer, Captain, Shipwright, and Educator
David Perdew is a seasoned mariner and expedition leader with over five decades of experience navigating some of the world’s most challenging waters and remote regions. His maritime career spans commercial work on tugboats, fishing vessels, fish processors, and offshore supply ships across the Alaska coast and the Gulf of Mexico, as well as extensive offshore sailing in the Pacific and Atlantic.
He has sailed from Alaska to Panama, ventured as far west as Hawaii, and extensively navigated Northern Europe—from Denmark, Sweden, and the North Sea down through the British Isles, the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, and across the Atlantic to the Caribbean.
In addition to his oceanic expertise, David has led deep-river explorations throughout the Upper Amazon, Borneo, and Southeast Asia, spending years navigating and studying remote river systems and island cultures.
A skilled shipwright and engineer, David has spent over 20 years working as a Compton, specializing in the restoration and maintenance of both wooden and fiberglass vessels. He has rebuilt multiple 60-ton ships from the keel up, combining his knowledge of traditional rigging, navigation, marine systems, and seamanship.
Since acquiring his 1939-built, 60-ton traditional Danish sailing vessel S/V Labora, David has dedicated the past 7 years to teaching seamanship and traditional sailing to hundreds of international crew members. Through this work, he blends mentorship, cultural exchange, and maritime education, preserving the art of sailing while inspiring a new generation of ocean stewards and explorers.
CV
https://labora5156dave.my.canva.site/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/LibertySailing
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