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In my nearly two
decades working with Seascope not only have we amassed a collection of fine wooden
yachts, but by far our greatest assets are our Captains and Crew that have joined
the Seascope family along the way.
- Elizabeth Tiedemann, President
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Captain Kyle
Dufur
Fleet Manager and Captain, 12 Metre Northern Light
A professional violinist before taking the plunge into wooden boat restoration in
the late winter of 1998, Captain Kyle is the only Seascope skipper who drives every
boat in the fleet. That first cold winter, under the tutelage of Seascope founder
and mentor, Captain Bob Tiedemann, together they re-fastened the starboard side
of Gleam's bottom using over 3,500 silicone bronze screws. The following summer
Bob asked Kyle to join the crew of Northern Light. In 2001 Kyle became
Northern Light's permanent Captain. Some career highlights as Captain have
been the America's Cup Jubilee in 2001 held in Cowes, England with the Grande Tour
continuing in the Mediterranean classic yachting circuit in which Northern Light
took first place in the prestigious Les Voiles de Saint Tropez Regatta. More recently,
Kyle has top place finishes in many local 12 Metre events, winning the 2008 Newport
Trophy, an award sought after by every 12 Metre in Newport. When not piloting and
managing the Tiedemann Collection of yachts in the summer, one might find him hosting
a traditional New England Clambake or navigating the narrow streets of Newport astride
his snappy turquoise Italian bicycle. In the winter, when the yachts haul out of
the cold water of Narragansett Bay and move to the shelter of the boatyard, Kyle
spends endless hours working with shipwrights, painters, carpenters and in his own
woodshop, tending to the very unique maintenance needs of the entire 300'+ of wooden
boats in the fleet. He painstakingly oversees progress on each boat so that they
may see another safe year on the water. A meticulous researcher, Kyle continues
the careful restoration work that Captain Bob began many, many years before which
you can see and read about on his Northern Light blog http://12us14blogspot.com. When he can sneak away, you might
find this master snowboarder on slopes in the East or out West or enjoying St. John,
where his family lives.
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Captain Benjamin
Blakely,
Captain, 12 Metre Gleam
A book in hand and a thought in his head are what come to mind when visualizing
Captain Ben. A lover of words and wooden boats, Ben has been an integral member
of the Seascope team on and off since 1995. A year after graduation from Brown University,
Ben started working for Captain Bob in the early spring. Just 25 at the time, he
was asked to paint the bilge of Pam and found that he enjoyed both the process and
the pace of the boatyard. Later that spring he was asked to become 1st Mate on Gleam,
a position he held for three seasons. In the Fall of 1997 Ben went back to school,
this time to the Maine Maritime Academy. Upon graduation in 2000 with a 3rd Mate's
(Deck Officer) License he shipped out and worked primarily on tankers throughout
the world. Born in Sweden, Ben fluently speaks French, Swedish, English and can
get by with his Spanish and Italian. When his travels brought him back to Rhode
Island he always found his way to Newport and to his beloved Seascope fleet where
he would find plenty of work in the boatyard or on the water. In early 2006, while
living in Switzerland, he learned that Captain Bob was very ill and came back to
the States to help Elizabeth and the crew. It was upon Bob's passing in May 2006
that Captain Ben aptly took over the helm of Bob's pride and joy, Gleam.
When Ben is not on the water or in the boatyard he enjoys the very traditional European
sport of hunting wild mushrooms. He has spectacular recipes for the bounty he discovers
even when found in Elizabeth's front yard! Ben is also trained in Celestial Navigation,
a highly technical and mathematical skill that few sailors know in this day of digital
magic. On the vintage wooden yachts he sails and works on, his appreciation and
knowledge of living richly with simplicity is a daily mantra for Captain Ben.
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Captain Charlie
Costa,
Captain, Pam, Mariner & Fawan
If you volunteer long enough, they just might hire you& .as good fortune would have
it, in the winter of 1998, Charlie's love of wooden boats led him to Wickford Cove
Marina where he found 4 (at the time) classic beauties all with winter projects
needing attention. He generously offered his time, electrical and carpentry expertise
to help the cause of keeping the Tiedemann Collection of wooden yachts alive and
helped to get them ready to go into the water for the next season. After many years
as a volunteer member of the Seascope family, in 2002, Charlie earned his Captains
License and happily began piloting Mariner and Pam- as a paid employee! What we
all want to know is how Charlie has invented a way to create more than 24 hours
in a day& . In addition to his work with Seascope, he has a 401k job as an Electrical
Draftsman at Raytheon (for 35 years), just finished building a Factory Five Racing
1965 AC Cobra replica that he has successfully campaigned in shows throughout New
England, builds model boats, has raised a family with his wife of 20 years, Donna,
and still has time to enjoy a cold beverage after a long day on the water with the
Seascope crew! We are so pleased (and Charlie is so proud) that his daughter, Chelsea,
joined the Seascope family as 1st Mate on Mariner in the 2008 season.
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Captain Dave
McCurdy,
Captain, Pam, Mariner & Fawan
The next time you drive over the Newport Bridge look down to the South as you pass
over the center span. Below you'll see Rose Island and a beautifully restored white
lighthouse on a tiny island. When not tending to a myriad of duties as Executive
Director of the Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation, Captain Dave McCurdy drives our
custom built power boat Pam, our glass cabin launch, Fawan and 54'Alden Yawl, Mariner.
You might also see him ferrying visitors to and from Rose Island aboard Starfish
or sailing his own classic 40'Concordia Yawl, Rowdy. Captain Dave is an Environmental
Consultant by training and has been on the water sailing since he was 6 years old.
When not skippering, Captain Dave might be found skiing, windsurfing, scuba diving
or playing tennis.
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Captain Tom
Wright,
Captain, Mariner
A native Rhode Islander and sailing since he can remember, Tom has Captained Mariner
since 2008 and works meticulously on her in the wintertime in the boatyard. The
Tiedemann Collection of yachts have been in his blood for far longer, as he was
a guest aboard 12 Metre Gleam over 25 years ago. He admits to wanting to be sailing
as much as humanly possible and loves to share his love for the sport, classic wooden
yachts and his local nautical knowledge with charter guests. Prior to joining the
Seascope team, Captain Tom worked for Sightsailing captaining sailing charters and
teaching sailing lessons. He is also well versed in blue water sailing having made
deliveries from Maine to the Caribbean. When not on a sailboat, Tom is no fish out
of water when there is a guitar in his hands. You can find him singing and playing
with his band at local venues in and around Newport on almost any given night. Bob
Dylan, the Beatles and New Orleans band, the Continental Drifters are some of Tom's
favorite musicians.
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Captain Carl
Bowen,
Captain, Pam
Tracing his roots in Rhode Island to the 1600s, Captain Carl has a passion for Narragansett
Bay and especially enjoys sharing its history and aesthetic beauty with charter
guests. But don't let him convince you that Newport's famed Bowen's Wharf belongs
to him! Although sailing and boating have been in his family since they came to
the United States, with Sea Captain Isaac Bowen noted in the 1800's, they don't,
unfortunately, own the wharf. A software marketing and sales executive by day, Captain
Carl enjoys skippering the lovely Pam evenings and weekends for Seascope. When he
is not aboard Pam, he is most likely aboard (or working on) his own Fortier 26 power
boat with his wife of a quarter of a century, Kathy. One of his most memorable charters
aboard Pam was a beautiful and colorful Indian Wedding, complete with music and
a flame around which the Bride and Groom danced all while cruising around the Newport
Harbor.
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Captain Nate
Oberg,
Captain 12 Metre Onawa
Boats and sailing run deep in Captain Nate's blood. As the son of a Shipwright,
he remembers cold, wet, blustery days aboard his father's cabin-less catboat. The
beaming grin on his father's face did not sway young Nate's mind about sailing he
did not like it. Somewhere along the way that sentiment not only changed, it took
an about face, for sailing is now a beloved passion of Captain Nate's as well. In
2000, Nate joined the Seascope team in the boatyard. His charismatic demeanor and
thorough knowledge of boats made him a natural choice when a Mate position became
available on Mariner. Two seasons later he took on the 1st Mate position aboard
Gleam along side his mentor and second father , Captain Bob Tiedemann. After several
seasons in the boatyard and working aboard all of the Tiedemann Collection yachts,
Nate was inspired by Captain Bob, to earn his Captain's license. His first Captain's
watch was aboard a sailing vessel he knew well, Mariner. The next season the great
honor to take over the helm of 12 Metre Onawa came along and Nate was a shoe-in.
He now carefully oversees Onawa year-round winters in the boatyard and summers on
the water. When he is not sailing or spending time with his lovely girlfriend Rebecca,
he is no doubt searching for churning surf. No sails necessary for his second favorite
on-the-water pastime give Nate a surfboard and a big wave and you'll see a very
happy Captain.
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Becky Brewster
(aka Becky Chace)
Mate, 12 Metre Gleam
The summer of 2006 was when Becky Brewster, better known to her music fans as Becky
Chace, joined on 12 Metre Gleam as a Mate. Seasons later and it would be difficult
to imagine not having her as a member of the Seascope team! A lifetime sailor, Becky
brings her crowd charming personality to charters in the summer and into the boatyard
in the winter months. Her passion for wooden boats runs equally as deep as her talent
for playing guitar and song writing. With 9 albums/CDs under her belt, Becky is
a regular on the regional music scene, plays the Newport Waterfront Music Festival
and in venues large and small throughout New England. Last season she wrote a beautiful
and touching song in memory of her father, named for the 12 Metre she so aptly helps
to sail, Gleam. See and hear more of Becky's work on her web site www.beckychace.com.
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Chelsea Costa
1st Mate, Mariner
Although not our first legacy employee, Chelsea is the only current one. As 1st
Mate aboard Mariner, Chelsea knows her job well and loves what she does. She has
been around the Seascope boats since she was 7 years old, tagging along with her
father, Captain Charlie, and truly learning by seeing and doing. In addition to
sailing, Chelsea is an accomplished equestrian and would eventually like to be a
large animal veterinarian. Currently a student at the University of Rhode Island,
when she is not riding or sailing, you might find Chelsea playing flute, piccolo,
recorder, guitar or piano. She is a natural addition to the accomplished Seascope
team of musicians.
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Mary Weaver
Director of Marketing & Sails
Organizing classic yacht regattas at the Museum of Yachting and a love of animals
are what brought Mary to the Seascope team. Having met Bob and Elizabeth in the
early 1990s, Mary was immediately drawn to their dedication to rescuing, restoring
and racing classic and vintage wooden yachts. The sad occasion of the Tiedemann's
dear old Schnauzer Ben passing away brought them together, and they have been working
and playing together ever since. Mary's background in hospitality, communications
and marketing are an ideal fit with Elizabeth's fine tuned skills in the Seascope
office. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design's Interior Design program,
she and Elizabeth also have a small Interior Design business that takes on marine,
residential and commercial clients. In her spare time Mary enjoys her Colonial house,
sailing, skiing and rides horses. Don't be surprised to see Mary on one of your
charters, as she is always the first to aptly volunteer as fill-in crew!
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 Seascope
Office Cats
Merlin, Orange Tabby, Hired in 2001 - Director of Hiding
Places and Head Bat Catcher.
Swivel, Gray, Hired in 1993 - Office Mediator, Full Time
Purrer and the Best Lap Hunter.
Spider, Black, Hired in 1994 - Head Honcho, Professional
Flopper and Paperweight.
Moxie, Brown Tabby, Hired in 2003 - Office Bouncer, Southpaw
Swatter and Ferocious Hisser.
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Newport,
Rhode Island 02840