Flagship Faculty

CAPTAIN SKIP ANDERSON / Director, Head Instructor

A graduate of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, Skip earned his B.S. degree in Operations Analysis. He was also a letter-winner on the USNA Varsity Sailing Team, and went on to compete in several national and North American championships, and one Olympic trials. He earned his M.S. degree from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. His naval career spanned twenty-four years, including service aboard three destroyers, one frigate, three aircraft carriers, and a battleship. His travels spanned the globe, to all continents, through over thirty countries and countless harbors. He founded the Tacoma Tall Ships Society and Tacoma Community Sailing. He is a certified sailing instructor and a certified US Sailing Race Officer, conducting races and teaching race management seminars throughout the region. He is the past President of the Tacoma Waterfront Association, and formerly served as dock master, harbormaster and yacht club commodore in a variety of locales.

Flagship presents approved Zenith Maritime USCG license training course delivered by CAPT Skip Anderson - an authorized and approved independent contracted instructor for Zenith Maritime.

CAPTAIN KEITH GRAHAM / Maritime Law

For the past 34 years, Captain Grahama has been Adjunct Professor at the California Maritime Academy (CMA) teaching international maritime law, admiralty law, environmental law, engineering ethics, and business law. He administers CMA’s Law Minor Program and serves on the Academy’s Industry Advisory Board. In 1991, he was appointed a trustee and assumed as well the State statutory office of Counsel to the CMA Foundation Board of Trustees during 1992, serving until 1996. He is presently the Deputy Manager, Site 300 experimental test facility for the Weapons and Complex Integration Principal Directorate which supports the Laboratory’s main mission of overseeing the Nation’s nuclear arsenal through the science-based Stockpile Stewardship Program. He has held appointments as Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for 28 years for criminal, civil, and national security cases and assisted the Justice Department’s prosecution of Exxon for environmental crimes associated with the EXXON VALDEZ incident. Having held an appointment as an adjunct professor at the U.S. Naval Justice School, he was recalled for duty during Desert Storm for international environmental law training of Navy judge advocates. He was assigned as Commanding Officer, Naval Reserve Legal Service Office San Francisco 120 from October 1991 to September 1993 and as Assistant Staff Judge Advocate at REDCOM XX until its closure in 1995. Captain Graham retired from the Naval Reserve effective 1 September 1996. Captain Graham is a licensed Merchant Marine Staff Officer, frequent lecturer, and author of several legal articles while maintaining an active pro bono legal practice involving maritime matters as well as the relocation of refugees from Viet Nam.

DAVID TAIT / First Aid, CPR and AED Trainer

Dave is regarded by many to be one of the top instructors working today. His training approach is based on a personal commitment to prepare his students for success in actual emergencies. His classes are adult learner centric and involve fun, lively lecture and class discussion, combined with drills and practical demonstration of student skills. He is a 13-year veteran Firefighter/Paramedic currently working for the Bellevue Fire Department in King County, State of Washington. Trained at the renowned University of Washington’s School of Medicine Paramedic Training Program at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Dave brings a level of professional training and experiential insight rarely found in most first aid instruction. A majority of Dave’s work in the last five years has been providing First Aid, CPR, and AED training under the auspices of the American Heart Association to professional mariners as a part of Basic Safety Training under STCW training requirements, as well as customized programs for major marine transportation companies. Dave began his career in the fire service on a ladder rescue company performing search and rescue, vehicle extrication, high angle rope rescue, confined space rescue, water rescue and fire suppression. He now works full time as a Medic One paramedic on one of four medic units responding in a 301 square mile area covering both urban and remote mountain locations. Dave has been witness many times to the positive outcomes of having the right training and equipment in place, and was inspired in 2000 to become one of the top trainers in the field of emergency first aid and response. Dave serves as an instructor of Advanced Cardiac Life Support for Harborview Medical Center including trauma instruction for their Paramedic program. He is a Community Emergency Response Team Instructor for the Bellevue Fire Department and teaches and consults for businesses across the country needing emergency preparedness and response training for large scale disasters such as fire, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, hazardous materials, bomb threats and workplace violence. Dave’s professional development under the renowned Harborview Medical Center Medic One program ensures that you experience the very best instruction possible.

"I have learned a great deal about the types of emergencies and the unique situations mariners face while at sea and the added difficulty that presents itself when 911 is not readily available. Providing care to a victim(s) on board a vessel when help is not immediately around the corner can be extremely challenging. It is imperative that the training be adjusted to prepare the students for the unique situations that they may face. My goal is not only for the student to know what steps need to be taken to help mitigate or buy time for the sick or injured patient, but also how to protect themselves as they respond to the initial emergency and deal with the after effects."