Michael French, President

Michael French is the President of International Yacht Training.  He joined IYT in 2008, firstly as Chief Operating Officer and in 2009 he became President. Mike started sailing as a dinghy instructor at the age of 18 and went on to do an apprenticeship as a mate on gaff rigged sailing vessels at the Island Cruising Club in Salcombe South Devon in England.  He then continued as a small yacht skipper and progressed into teaching cruising and racing in the Solent.

Mike left the UK for the Sudan and undertook a research project for the UK Government, designing sails and assessing their use in an artisanal fishery on the Red Sea. Mike spent the next ten years, mostly in Africa, working in the humanitarian sector.  He then returned to yachting and worked as a captain for ten years aboard vessels up to 200 feet in length. Mike currently holds the MCA Master 3,000 tons (yachts) and a Masters degree in Developmental Studies from The University of East Anglia.

James (Jim) Cartlidge, Director of Training

Jim joined IYT in 2001 and is a Master Mariner.

He started his career with an apprenticeship at the British India Stream Navigation Company. While there, Jim served on the cadet training ship, cruise liner and general cargo liner and obtained his Class 3, 2, and 1 Certificates.

Jim then joined the British Rail ferries in Dover as a Second Officer and eventually as Master. He also taught the “Lifeboat” course and set up the initial Basic Sea Survival course for Sealink in Dover. As a Royal Naval Reserve Officer, he served in a survey ship, mine countermeasures vessels, a frigate and LPDs.

Jim then left to become Master of a Sailing Ship and was recalled by the Royal Navy as an Instructor Officer for two years. After his naval service, Jim became Master of a cruise ship based in Bali, Indonesia, for three years and then spent two years afloat as Environmental Auditor with Cunard/Seabourn Line.
Jim’s duties at IYT include teaching all Masters and OOW classes for MCA examinations, preparing course materials, holding GMDSS examinations and general educational administrations.

Louden C. Hoffman, Instructor and Assistant Director of Training

Lou joined IYT in 1999.  He holds a dual Master’s Degree from The University of Cincinnati which includes a Master of Arts in Urban Economics and a Master of Community Planning.

He has also instructed Maritime Courses for the following Maritime Schools: Chapman's School of Seamanship, Stuart, FL; STAR Center, Dania, FL; and at the Maritime School of the West Indies, Saint Maarten. Lou is experienced in both power and sail as a professional Mariner on Private & Charter Yachts primarily in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and Atlantic, East Coast & Gulf of Mexico waters of the US. He holds an MCA Certificate of Competency for Yachts to 3000 Tons and a USCG Master’s License.

At IYT, Lou's major responsibilities include instructing the Master of Yacht 200 Ton-theory and Practical. That includes both MCA & USCG certification.   He also instructs OOW courses: General Ship's Knowledge, Seamanship & Meteorology, and ARPA, Advanced Sea Survival/Proficiency in FRB's and STCW '95 courses.

Kieron Doyle, Instructor

Kieron began sailing in 1962 and in the 1970s he sailed his own small yacht and dinghies on the River Crouch and Thames Estuary. He became a DTP/RYA Yachtmaster while running training and charter yachts in the North Sea coasts of UK and Europe. He moved to the South Coast in the 80s and worked for most major training schools in the Solent area in addition to delivery and private skippering jobs around the English Channel and North Sea.

Kieron was qualified as a Yachtmaster Instructor Power and Sail, then moved to the Mediterranean to work for the Swiss Institute High Seas Navigation, working on a number of private and charter yachts before returning to the UK to Southern Sailing.

After sailing from Palma to Antigua, Kieron spent several years sailing the Caribbean and East Coast of the US. Since 2004, Kieron has split time between IYT in the winter and running a classic wooden yawl in New England during the summer. He currently holds a MCA Master of Yachts 3,000t, RYA Yachtmaster Offshore and Ocean Certificates and IYT Yachtmaster Examiner Certificate.

Kathy Fearon, Finance Officer
Kathy has been our Finance Officer since August of 2007. She also assists students with course scheduling and selection, career guidance and just about any other needs the students may have.

Kathy holds a Bachelor of Science degree from The University of Phoenix in Business Management with an emphasis on Finance.   She grew up near the Chesapeake Bay and has a great deal of boating experience.

Claire French, Instructor

Claire started her yachting career at the tender age of three months, strapped in her crib at the bottom of the cockpit. Throughout her youth she continued to cruise and race sailboats in many RORC races including the Fastnet.

Claire joined her first boat in Turkey after going to chef school, but returned to the UK after a year to continue her education. Once she had completed her BSC Hons Degree from Oxford Brookes University in Hotel and Catering Management, she flew to Tahiti to join a boat as a chef and never looked back. Four years into her career, she met her husband and together they worked on boats for 10 years. Claire moved from the position of Chef to Chief Stew and then Purser.

Terry Stout, Adjunct Instructor
Terry primarily teaches the GMDSS course. He acquired general business training from Ohio State University, which allowed him to be involved in commercial vessel training programs. Terry chose to leave the office and work onboard vessels where he obtained his USCG Radio Officer designation.

Terry’s primary training was accumulated on EPA, NOAA, and commercial research vessels. This allowed Terry to become proficient on all GMDSS consoles. His primary responsibility for the past 25 years has been training captains and crew on the most current communications equipment. He obtained a degree in Computer Electronics to stay current with all GMDSS Satellite and Terrestrial options.

Terry currently holds the FCC GMDSS Radio Maintainer license and Ship Radar endorsement which allows him to install and repair all GMDSS equipment. He currently uses that license to work on the AUTEC Naval facility in the Bahamas, where he services the operations vessels used during submarine calibrations exercises.

Terry currently does the GMDSS adjunct instruction for the following organizations: Great Lakes Maritime Academy, AMO Star Center, and The University of West Florida. He also holds a Certified Teaching Certificate for all Maritime Training facilities.

Amanda Merhige, Administrator

Amanda joined IYT in November of 2006 as Administrator. She started her yachting career as a deckhand / stewardess on a small boat based in Rapallo, Italy.  She went to Porto Fino most afternoons on the boat Vespa for a cappuccino and to buy the “Daily Mail”.

She then spent 10 years cruising the Mediterranean, Caribbean and New England on both private and charter yachts as a Chief Stewardess. 

Amanda is now shore based, owns her own small boat and is a member of a Palm Beach Yacht Club.

Hazel Gallagher, Interior Course Coordinator

Recently joining the IYT team has allowed Hazel to bring a wealth of service knowledge to the interior course, gathered from many years at sea on both sailing and motor yachts, private and charter. She has experience in exclusive private service in the UK and extensive retail management service, insuring that a broad base of knowledge is brought to the course. Now a mother, Hazel is pleased to be back in the industry teaching what she enjoys.

Douglas McDaniel, Instructor

Doug began working for IYT in 2001. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida.

Doug has instructed courses at several maritime schools including: AMO STAR CENTER Dania, Florida; Maritime School of the West Indies, Saint Maarten; Sjossportskolan Goteborg, Sweden; Cooper Boating Center Vancouver, British Columbia; and Captain Confident Ocean Pro Newport, Rhode Island.

Doug is experienced in mostly sail and power, as a professional Mariner on private and charter yachts including his own vessels, primarily in the Bahamas, the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, US East Coast and Transatlantic crossings. Doug also served onboard the EPA Research Vessel as the Environmental and Sonar Technician for 12 years. In addition, Doug worked in the Marine Electronic Industry as an installer and technician.

Doug currently holds the USCG 100 Ton Master of Oceans/200 Ton Mate with Radar Observer, MCA Master of Yachts 200 Ton, ARPA, GMDSS Operator/Maintainer-Both US and MCA, STCW w/ Medical Care Provider/Medical Person in Charge, AB Seaman (unlimited) w/Life boatman Endorsement, KLEIN Certified Sonar Technician and Records Interpreter, NOAA/EPA Scientific Diver.

Doug’s instructs GMDSS-both MCA and US, Master of Yacht 200 ton-theory and practical, Advanced Sea Survival/Proficiency in FRBs, General Ships Knowledge and STCW '95.