Crane Stookey
Founder & Captain
Crane grew up by the water in New York and Massachusetts, sailing and rowing small wooden boats. Being near water always makes him happy. He discovered as an adult that being around teenagers makes him happy too. So in 1994 he combined these joys with the aspiration to do something useful and founded the Nova Scotia Sea School.
Crane has a Masters of Architecture degree from Harvard University and practiced architecture in Boston for 8 years. In 1990 he took time off to pursue his interest in the study and practice of meditation.
However after this Crane returned, not to his architectural practice, but to his childhood love of wooden boats and sailing. He served as deck officer and seamanship instructor on tall ships in the US and Canada, including HMS ROSE, PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II, CORWITH CRAMER and others, and earned his US Master's license as captain of sailing vessels up to 200 gross tons.
In 1994 he settled in Halifax, the best move of his life. He says that Nova Scotia is a sane and decent place, and that his life has really blossomed since moving here, and that the Sea School is the fruit of it.
In 2003 Crane was awarded the Queen's Jubilee Medal for the Sea School's contribution to the Canadian community.
Crane is now taking what he has learned at the Sea School into the business world, with his recent book, “Keep Your People in the Boat – Workforce Engagement Lessons from the Sea,” which is filled with Sea School stories.
MEET THE FLEET:
Heather Kelday
Executive Director
Heather is approaching her 15th year with Sea School and is deeply committed to reducing barriers so that all Nova Scotian youth can access Sea School programs.
Heather advocates for outdoor recreation and leadership through her work as former President of Recreation Nova Scotia, as a member of the Nova Scotia Outdoor Network leadership team, and has supported the implementation of national initiatives including the ‘Parks for All’ strategy and the ‘Canadian Adventure Therapy Symposium’.
Heather has a Bachelor of Education from Trent University, an Honours Bachelor of Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism, as well as a Bachelor of Natural Science from Lakehead University. Her past professional experience includes being an educator in schools, an environmental educator with Sierra Club Atlantic, a summer camp program director in Ontario, a wilderness and backcountry guide in Northern Ontario and Nova Scotia as well as numerous personal adventures in parks and protected areas from Newfoundland to the Yukon and beyond.
Erin
Program Coordinator
Erin spent many happy days exploring tidal pools and beaches along the South Shore of Nova Scotia as a child. At seventeen, she was part of an ocean paddling expedition that changed her life. She is honoured to help youth connect with themselves, others and the natural world, especially in coastal environments. She has worked in the Education, Outdoor Recreation and Health sectors for over 25 years. She loves to spend time playing in waves on some sort of board, kicksledding through the forest with her dogs, listening for ‘the call of the wild,’ meeting new people and hearing their stories.
Ellie
Recruitment & Operations
Ellie is a Sea School Alumni, world traveler, and ocean lover. With Nova Scotian roots, she has spent much time paddling, hiking, camping, and sailing on the East Coast.
Having had personal experience with how formative Sea School trips can be, she is passionate about supporting youth to access these opportunities!
She loves to paint, canoe, share music, and is always up for an outdoor/ocean adventure!
Dave
Captain
David MacCulloch is a native of Halifax, Nova Scotia and he grew up sailing in the Northwest Arm. He has been sailing for as long as he can remember as his mom and dad have always sailed. He joined the sea school as a student at the age of 15, doing boat building and summer sailing programs and he has been on trips with the Sea School nearly every summer since. He has sailed all around the Maritime provinces, south to Bermuda and the British Virgin Islands. He worked his way up from a participant, to Leading Crew to Assistant Instructor, then in 2007, David graduated to a Sea School Captain and began leading trips. He loves living on and around boats, teaching people how to sail and exploring the coast of Nova Scotia.
Charlie
Captain
Charlie left home in England bound for Northern Canada in 2000 and, many adventures later, has made the South Shore of Nova Scotia her home. Though she learned to sail dinghies as a teenager, it was not until she was in her early thirties that she finally made a voyage of her own and sailed around Southeast Alaska then down the coast to Vancouver. Her passion for boats and the sea led her to the Sea School where she thrills to see young people come alive to their own capabilities while on a voyage of their own. Her other big passions are playing the wooden Irish flute and practising the Japanese martial art of aikido.
Ed
Captain
A love of sailing wooden boats, shared adventures, and a little bit of the jester.
Drawn to the slow intensity of sailing, connection to the ocean, and Sea School's curious approach to sailing instruction that combines a strong back, a soft heart, and an open mind.
Ed also works as a carpenter repairing old houses, wood boats, and has built a few boats too!
Luke
Captain
Luke Bryan is a jack of all trades. He is an excellent wood worker, boat builder and sailor. He has extensive sailing experience and he loves sharing his passion for the sea with youth.
David
Assistant Instructor
David had never done any sailing before going on a Sea School expedition as a high school student back in 2008. One trip was all it took – he was hooked. Since that time David has pursued as many sailing opportunities as possible, going on many sea school trips, crewing on yacht deliveries to the US and the Bahamas, and working on large schooners such as Bluenose II and Lettie G Howard. In 2016, David acquired Molly Kool, a 16 foot sloop built by sea school participants back in the 90s. In his spare time, he can be found taking Molly on coastal expeditions anywhere from Lunenburg to Tangier. Though he has sailed on larger boats on farther flung voyages, exploring the coast of Nova Scotia in small wooden boats is still what David likes best.
Sam
Assistant Instructor
Sam has been enthralled by the ocean since infancy. The offspring of an ocean engineer and a marine biologist, he was immersed in the science and exploration of the sea. Initially terrified of swimming, seeing his father surf at the age of ten broke that curse and he has taken every chance to immerse himself in the water, or ride on it, since. Education and learning has been a mainstay of Sam's life. With a PhD in physics and an educator for the last decade he couldn't be happier to bring his experience and passion for education and the ocean together working with the Sea School.
Claire
Assistant Instructor
Claire grew up spending her childhood identifying the call of a barn owl or picking volunteer compost cherry tomatoes from the garden. During the school year she explored the woods, the creek, and the farmland near her house in Pennsylvania and during the summer she waded in tidal pools, canoed, and snorkeled with her family on the South Shore of Nova Scotia. In 2018, she went on her first Sea School trip as a participant and has been returning with Sea School to practice primitive seafaring every summer since. As someone who was raised through Quaker education, she is drawn to Sea School because of its roots in simplicity and cooperation, and for the ways it fosters curiosity and adventure. When not in Nova Scotia, she resides in Ithaca, New York where she studies Environment and Sustainability. She can be found databasing preserved plants in the Herbarium, rock climbing, practicing aerial silks, with her sketchbook, or cooking for her 25 co-op housemates.
Scott
Sea Kayak Instructor
Cape LaHave Adventures
Scott first learned to paddle as a child on the rivers, lakes and ocean of Nova Scotia’s South Shore. With over 15 years of experience guiding sea-kayaking trips from Antarctica to the Norwegian Arctic and from Newfoundland to coastal British Columbia, Scott is excited to return to Nova Scotia’s South Shore as a co-founder of Cape LaHave Adventures.
Scott holds degrees in Outdoor Experiential Education and a Masters of Environmental Studies specializing in Environmental and Sustainability Education. He has worked extensively in the wilderness guiding and outdoor education field in a wide range of programmes with such organizations as East Coast Outfitters, the Nova Scotia Sea School, Outward Bound Canada, Quark Expeditions and Coastline Challenges. A certified canoe, SUP and sea kayak Instructor with Paddle Canada, having extensive open-ocean guiding experience and an easy going attitude, Scott delivers safe, fun and accessible trips for all populations and skill levels.
Sarah
Sea Kayak Instructor
Cape LaHave Adventures
While Sarah has always loved the outdoors, she didn't consider a career outside until she found herself taking a break from urban planning to run a ship-based yoga program in Antarctica. Inspired by the transformative potential of combining exceptional wilderness experiences with yoga & meditation, she decided to continue down this unexpected and wild garden path. This has led her on many great paddling adventures, from Patagonia to Newfoundland.
As co-founder of Cape LaHave Adventures, you'll find her on the water guiding & instructing, putting together next year's brochure or out teaching yoga on a remote island beach. Sarah is Paddle Canada Instructor for sea kayaking & SUP (Advanced Flatwater, Touring and River), and an a 500hr Advanced Yoga Instructor. She has served as the director of Stand-Up Paddleboard Instruction for Canoe Kayak Nova Scotia. Sarah loves meeting new people and helping them them unplug, be present and experience beautiful places by water.
Gavin
Sea Kayak Instructor
Cape LaHave Adventures
Gavin is a bona fide south shore lad who loves the great outdoors. He’s spent time sailing aboard tall ships and traveling to Central/South America, and Spain, but Nova Scotia’s charms have always brought him home.He gets a kick out of meeting new people as well as spotting and identifying plants and animals. Gavin has been making paddling trips to the Lahave Islands since he was a tot to camp and explore but it’s only been within the last three years that he’s decided to get certified as a kayak guide.Although most of his experience has been gained here in Nova Scotia he has also kayaked inplaces like Lake Nicaragua, Bocas del Torres and even the Amazon River. He can catch a grape in his mouth from 30 meters.
Julia
Sea Kayak Instructor
Cape LaHave Adventures
Spending her childhood in Petite Rivière, Julia feels at home along the beautiful coastline of the South Shore. She moved to Halifax to complete her degree in neuroscience at Dalhousie University and broaden her horizons in the big city. After graduating, Julia joined the Canadian Conservation Corps program and found herself back on the shores of LaHave for a two-week sea kayak expedition guided by Cape LaHave Adventures. She fell in love with the way paddling allowed her to see her home in a new light and began working her way to becoming a sea kayak guide. Julia can’t wait to share her enthusiasm for adventure and local knowledge of her favourite place with others.
When Julia isn’t spending time on the water, working on paddling skills and exploring the local coastline, you can find her under the water scuba diving or in the woods camping and hiking.
Julia
Sea Kayak Instructor
Cape LaHave Adventures
Julia has been a lover of the outdoors since she went on her first canoe trip as a kid. Growing up mainly in Ontario, her background includes instructing youth in leadership and outdoor skills. She spent her summers working with youth on canoe, kayaking and hiking trips based out of Ontario while completing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in Nova Scotia. During her studies, Julia discovered a love for the ocean and a respect for the knowledge and skill required to safely navigate a sea state.
After several years working as an RN, Julia has decided to integrate her love for the outdoors back into her professional life. She has now completed certifications with Paddle Canada in order to guide and instruct sea kayaking in one of her favourite areas of Nova Scotia, the LaHave Islands. During the “off season”, Julia continues to explore the outdoors while working throughout Canada as an emergency RN.
Julia is excited to share knowledge with you on the water!
Colin
Sea Kayak InstructorCape LaHave Adventures
Originally from Ottawa but always felt that Nova Scotia was his real home, Colin is now living his Atlantic dreams. Colin fell in love with sea kayaking while at Acadia University (2013) and found guiding to be the perfect way to enjoy his love of paddling and share it with others. He began working his way to become a sea kayak guide and found any excuse he could to get in a kayak and learn something new. This led to learning how to roll a kayak which then led to an obsession. Colin can often be found practicing the many Greenland rolls or paddling techniques. He is obsessed with this traditional style of paddling and is trying to digest as much of the history and knowledge as he can.
Colin loves being on the water and sharing new adventures. LaHave is one of his favourite places to do just that.
Liam
Facility &Programs
Assistant
Liam grew up in Cape Breton (Baddeck) sailing on the Bras D'or Lakes as a young person. His first Sea School trip was when he was 14 and the last one was at 19. He has worked for the Bras D'or Yacht Club as an assistant sailing instructor, at Baddeck Marine doing boat servicing and maintenance, and then on the Bluenose II for the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
His father used to work on various boats and tallships when he was Liam’s age, so he’s kind of carrying on a tradition of sorts. Liam loves being on the water and playing around with boats. He always has.
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Ryan is a haligonian born and raised. He has always enjoyed getting out of the city though; exploring all of the different ecosystems Nova Scotia has to offer. This includes taking part in activities such as hiking, biking, paddling, camping, diving and sailing to name a few.
Ryan first got involved with Sea School at the age of 15 when he did his first 7-day trip. That first trip ended up being exactly what he needed at that time in his life. Since then Ryan has stayed involved with Sea School either as a participant, staff member or volunteer. He is very happy to be working for Sea School again and helping to provide such amazing programs for passionate youth.