Mary Elkins

Digital Marketing Lead

A Bay Area native, Mary spent most of her adult life landlocked and working in the IT industry in Colorado. While employed full-time and raising three sons, she managed to indulge her love of nature and thirst for challenge and outdoor adventure through trail running, backpacking, and mountain climbing. Pining for the ocean, she returned to California in 2013 to seek new adventures. With her first sail on San Francisco Bay in March of 2016, she was immediately smitten. By her third sail, she firmly decided: “I have to find a way to make this my life.”

In April of 2017, she left the cubical life behind to work at Modern Sailing. After two years serving as a Customer Service Representative and Executive Assistant to the CEO, it was discovered that she has a knack for writing, photography, and design, and her talents were put to use in digital marketing. In the meantime, she also sailed the Bay frequently, completed ASA courses up to ASA 106, Advanced Coastal Cruising, and became a skilled sailor thanks to her friends and mentors at Modern Sailing. Mary is as passionate about her role to plan, write, and produce outbound marketing, website, print, and video content for Modern Sailing as she is about sailing itself.

Mary also plans to obtain her OUPV Captain’s License in the future and to continue sharing her passion for sailing as an ASA instructor and sailing photojournalist.

Testimonials

Rolf Zingg

Since many, many years, I had the dream to sail underneath the Golden Gate bridge. On October 14th last year, my dream became true. Thanks to our dear friend Aaron Fritz who made it possible and organized this cruise for us. With this adventure I was able to achieve one more milestone on my sailing career.

Finally on the water, it was great! Full moon made the flows even stronger and it was like sailing in a washing machine.

I did my sailing education in the English Channel, where the situation with the wind and flows is comparable to the San Francisco Bay. So I felt pretty much "at home" being on the helm in the Bay.

I hope our skipper Stan Lander enjoyed this day cruise too. We, definitely did! It was an unforgettable experience for all of us.

A very big thank you to all of you who made it possible, that my dream became reality! Also thank you for the MSC flag I got at the end of the day. It found it's place in my study, where I can see it daily.
David Dolenc, Member

I love sailing in the San Francisco Bay and greatly appreciate everything that MSC has to offer, the classes, clinics, club sails, racing and charters. I enjoy our supportive sailing community and use every opportunity to spend time on the water. After obtaining the certifications from MSC I did my first charter in Croatia in 2022 with my family. It was amazing and we’re looking forward to returning soon!
Andrew Goble, San Francisco

It has been wonderful sailing with MSC over the years. Please extend my thanks to the owners, management, and staff for unrequited professionalism and high standards in a charter fleet. I have sailed with several in my years and none nearly hold a candle to the quality of business and staff at Modern Sailing.