Communications Program

Captain Will "Savage" Fink

USCG 25-ton Master Inland, OUPV Near Coastal with Towing Endorsement

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Brackish water entered my veins early! At eight or so, I learned sailing from my father on the Rhode River during a rainstorm. That was on a Penguin dinghy, tender to Vilasar—a custom all-wood ketch built in Spain, a vessel that took us on countless summertime adventures up and down the Chesapeake.

I was often on or around boats (and boat yards) growing up. My first job was a helper at Belkov Yacht carpentry at 14, where I learned an appreciation for the effort (and sawdust) required to get a vessel from design to floating. Through high school, I’d spend nights fishing the Magothy and Chesapeake in a friend’s 20’ Wellcraft center console, and kept helping my father (who’d formed his own yacht construction company) part-time until I went off to college. After getting (deservedly) booted from UMBC, I went into construction, and later into IT.

But the water always called. I helped helm my ex-father-in-law’s 33’ Henrique offshore of Ocean City, MD, chasing blue and yellowfin during the summer. I’d tool around on my mother’s Bristol when I wasn’t climbing over some mountain. After purchasing our family home on the Magothy, I acquired my first boat—a 1989 22’ Seasprite bowrider for $5k. My wife and I (and many friends) enjoyed countless days that first season cruising to restaurants, or just anchoring up and tossing bumpers for the dogs to chase. We had affirmatively developed the affliction that is boating, and so when that first bowrider went up in flames, I quickly found and purchased a 2011 Regal 2500. Four years and 300 hours later, we upgraded again, to a 2020 Regal 33 OBX, the Still Crazy II.

That vessel’s cost caused my fiscally conservative nature to reassert itself. I needed a way to justify the expense—and pay for gas. Some internet sleuthing led me to Boatsetter, where I could rent out the boat. But I wasn’t about to hand over the keys to a random internet “captain.” I was introduced to Captains Dave Ohler and Ashley Love, both CAPCA members. They helped me through that first season, where I logged some more hours and started learning the business of captaining. A year later, I had my license and formed Savage Charters LLC.

I still run personalized day trips on Still Crazy II and on other owners’ boats, as well as deliveries. I love the challenge of a long-distance cruise on an unfamiliar vessel, and the humbling that only Mother Nature can deliver. I learn something new each day at the helm, and hope to continue doing so for decades to come.