The SeaStar Foundation

Gale Myers:

I’m Gale Myers, the founder of the SeaStar Foundation. I was born in Bakersfield, California. In high school I was certified to teach swimming and lifesaving and worked as a Lifeguard. After graduating as a math major, I worked for the Forestry Service.

During my college years, I attended Brigham Young University, San Diego State and San Francisco State. I majored in World Literature, and placed in the top 20

In 1969 I made a solo, contemplative hike of about 220 miles following the John Muir trail along the crest of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I climbed about 12 passes over 10,000 feet and wound up on the 14,000ft. summit of Mt. Whitney. A few months later I drove to Alaska to work with a Survey Crew in the Arctic during the winter. We were laying out Geophysical Exploration Grids on the North Slope over the Frozen Tundra. I was lead surveyor on crews in the Brooks Range, and up to 20 miles out on the frozen ice of the Beaufort Sea.

Texas Instrument sent me to Dallas where I trained in the original Satellite Navigation Systems, (the circumpolar satellites). I also completed courses in Geodetic survey, computer applications for field survey, Syledis Radio Tower Navigation, and GPS Navigation. I was the Navigator for 3 seasons on an exploration vessel in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. While on the vessels we used Side Scan Sonar and worked conversions in nautical, statute and metric charts for deriving grid locations. After my initial 3 years in Alaska, I then flew to Norway looking to buy a sailboat. I wound up on the south coast of England and purchased a 26ft Teak sloop.

I have spent the last ten years with several marine research groups, directing educational programs and coordinating logistical support and providing boats and funding for various research projects. I came into these positions “through the scuppers” by spending the previous 25 years and 50,000 miles at sea. It began with the 26ft. Teak sloop bought in Cowes on the Isle of White, England. After rebuilding the vessel and teaching myself to sail, I set out for 8 years living aboard, cruising solo and without an engine, I sailed to the Mediterranean Sea, Madeira, Canary Islands encountering a hurricane on the way. I left Grand Canary Island November 1st and spent 33 days crossing the Atlantic to Barbados. I navigated by plastic sextant and a Texas Instrument digital watch. I had no electrical or electronic devise, no radio and no fuel-burning machine. I arrived in Barbados spot on course. After a few months I flew to St.Lucia in the Windward Islands with a new companion who was to become my wife, and we charted for over a year on a 50ft Gulfstar. I also ran charters in the Virgin Islands and traveled throughout Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

In the mid 1990’s I began working in Florida as program director for educational groups and I am now involved with the Broward County School System, Florida Atlantic University, Nova Southeastern University and The University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.

In the Fall of 2003 I established the SeaStar Foundation Inc.

The SeaStar Foundation is a 501[c3] charitable organization. All gifts are fully tax deductible