Heather Gardner: IYRS Marine Systems, Class of 2011

Immediately following graduation, Heather went back to work for W-Class Yachts where she was put in charge of Mare, a tender to the W-Class yachts White Wings, Wild Horses and Race Horse.

By Jay Picotte

Restoration Quarterly: How did you get into working with boats?
Heather Gardner: I didn’t know anything about boats growing up. I come from New Hampshire where we only have 12 miles of coastline. I didn’t sail until I was 21. In fact, when I was invited to my first regatta, I said, “Great! What’s a regatta?” I didn’t even know that they had sailboat races! Two weeks later, I quit my job and moved to the Florida Keys to work on a catamaran. After that, I did some tall ship work. Eventually I moved to Newport because of all the sailing up here. I was walking the docks looking for a boat to crew on, when I met Donald Tofias [the founder of W-Class Yachts]. I’ve been with the company ever since.

RQ: What did you do before coming to IYRS?
HG: At the time I’d been with W-Class Yachts for about three years. I was a steward on one of the sailboats, and Donald asked me to run his powerboat. I had recently gotten my captain’s license, but I didn’t know anything about powerboat systems at all. I thought about going to the Landing School [in Maine] but I couldn’t afford to move up there and pay for school as well. W-Class has been incredibly generous. They put me through the IYRS program, which allowed me to stay in Newport, and they kept me on as paid staff while I was in school.

RQ: Was there anything specifically that you wanted to learn while you were at IYRS?
HG: I really wanted to learn how to be safe in my engine room. I knew nothing at the time, not even how to change the oil.

RQ: Was it harder or easier than you expected?
HG: It was both. I was intimidated at first, but once you have knowledge, you’re not scared anymore. There’s still so much to know, it can be a little overwhelming. One of the best things they taught me is that you don’t need to know all the answers; you just need to know how to find the answers.

RQ: Was it difficult being a woman in the program?
HG: No one treated me differently; I wasn’t babied. Still, I think that boys grow up playing with hammers and tools, and I grew up with girl things. I had a lot of catching up to do.

RQ: Has your job changed much since you’ve returned?
HG: I don’t have time to make sandwiches for the races anymore! I used to go sailing with everyone during the regattas, and now I don’t have time to do that. Now that I know what to look for, my punch lists are a lot longer. I look at how the boat is laid out and I can see what needs to be changed. For instance, one of my first projects was to make a bilge pump accessible for servicing. The boat had a floor built right over this pump, and I had to reroute the plumbing system and move the holding tank, just to make it accessible. I would never have known to even look for that before.

RQ: What are you up to now?
HG: I’m in charge of a 45’ powerboat! Right now I’m overseeing the repowering of her. I’m going to pick out the engine, match it to a transmission and prop and exhaust system—the whole thing. I now understand the relationship between engine power, RPMs, gear ratios and prop pitches. I understand how they need to all work together.

RQ: What would you want people to know about the IYRS Marine Systems Program?
HG: It’s changed my life in so many ways. I look at how everyday objects are made now, how they’re wired and constructed. I’m not afraid of taking anything apart; now I like to take things apart! I would tell people, “Stop considering it; just do it.”