Alan Woodyard grew up near the mouth of the Susquehanna River at the head of the Chesapeake Bay, but he didn’t discover sailing until he was 21 years old. In college, he became fascinated with the sport and started boat hopping as a novice crew member. A couple of years later, he enrolled at the Chapman School of Seamanship.
After attending seamanship school, he sought opportunities for long-distance cruising on ocean crossings. For five years, he took extended live-aboard crew positions on different boats. It was during that time that he realized he had found his calling.
He went on to complete three ocean crossings, two as the sole crew member responsible for everything from sail handling to engine maintenance, as well as dealing with any problems that unexpectedly arose. He visited 15 countries and sailed the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, but, more importantly, he learned everything he could about sailing.
“I was exposed to every facet of boat maintenance, refitting, and outfitting that can occur on an average yacht, and I loved the process, the constant education of it, and the satisfaction derived from a completed project or improvement,” said Woodyard. One such project was fabricating new hatch covers, which started him on the path to sail lofts and sailmaking. He eventually found himself at the Quantum Annapolis loft, an opportunity we has thrilled to have.
"Quantum is a great company. Literally everyone – from the collegiate sailor working in the loft for the summer to the CEO – has a passion for the marine industry and an expertise gained from real experience," said Woodyard. After working several years in Annapolis, he made the transition to Loft Service Manager at the Quantum Gulf Coast loft in Seabrook, Texas.
"As the Loft Service Manager, I am making it my goal to grow the service loft into the go-to crew for top-notch sail repair and beautiful marine canvas that is built to last," said Woodyard. "But even more importantly, I will make it my responsibility to exceed the expectations of our customers, and raise the bar for superior sail and canvas service in the Gulf Coast region."