Marine Surveyors
Marine Consultants
Professional history
Mark Gilbert:
Born into a boating family, Mark has been on the water since a toddler. Both his father and grandfather were boat builders. Mark has been sailing for 50 years since starting junior sailing at the Royal Hamilton Yacht Club. He was a sailing instructor at 15 as well as being a Sea Cadet. He began racing in national and international sailing competitions. His first job at 16 was assembling Lasers for the local Toronto dealer. Educated at York University, Mark began working in the marine industry rigging sailboats and new yacht commissioning as a summer job at C&C Yachts in Oakville, Ontario. After graduating, he went to work full-time at C&C’s on water facility progressing to electronics, mechanical and structural repairs. Mark rigged and installed electronics and equipment on SORC, Admiral’s Cup and America’s Cup challengers. In 1985, he was appointed Service Manager at C&C.
After leaving C&C in 1986, Mark started Gilbert Yachts Limited in Oakville, Ontario with his brothers and working as General Manager, produced the Gilbert 30+ sailboat. The Gilbert 30+ was voted Best New Production Boat, and Runner-Up for Import Boat Of The Year at the 1988 Sailing Worldmagazine awards. Mark moved to Vancouver in 1990 and started MG Yacht Services on Granville Island. MGYS has been running for 23 years in which time they have worked on more than 4000 boats. They are dealers for Espar heaters, Sealand products, Selden sailing equipment, Variprop propellers and Nanni diesel engines. Also MGYS is an authorized service and installation center for Raymarine,ICOM, KVH, Seatel, Simrad and Yacht Controller. In his career, Mark has commissioned more than 1600 new sail and powerboats in his career. Mark is an instructor in electronics and electrical systems at the Quadrant Marine Institute.
Mark is a unique person in the industry having worked and had contact with all aspects of yacht building, servicing, sales and on-water operation. From taking a marine diesel engineering course at 16 as a Sea Cadet, or designing the Gilbert 30+ with his brother Neil, or commissioning more than 600 Hunter sailboats alone, Mark’s experience in boating is unique and multi-faceted. He understands needs of today’s boater and with his many years of experience, he can help owners of older boats.
Memberships and associations
American Boating and Yachting Council (ABYC) -YAI -
SARAH WHITE:
Ms. White is a surveyor for Yacht Associates International. She has a Masters Degree in Marine Surveying, accreditation as a Small Craft Surveyor through the Lloyds Maritime Academy in the UK, is a qualified Marine Service Technician and also has skills in the use of non-destructive testing equipment for small craft inspections. Sarah has worked in the marine industry for more than 25 years; in the yacht charter business, vessel restoration, yacht commissioning, and service (15 years as Service Manager for Canada’s largest sailboat dealer). Sarah’s love of classic wooden boats led her to restore a well-known 1950’s sailboat. Her working history has provided a thorough knowledge of wood, metal, and fiberglass vessels. As an adjunct to her career, Sarah has CYA instructor certification, with offshore sailing experience. She teaches Marine Business Practices and Marine Electrical at the Quadrant Marine Institute in Vancouver and is a Board member and Treasurer for the International Institute of Marine Surveying Canada.
Ms. White embraces outdoor activities, is passionate about the West Coast and lives in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Certifications:
Master of Science (Marine Surveying), University of Middlesex, UK
Lloyds Maritime Academy – Small Cr aft Surveyor, UK
Quadrant Marine Institute – Marine Service Technician, Vancouver, BC
American Boating and Yachting Council (ABYC) – Certified Marine Electrician, USA
Canadian Yachting Association (CYA) – Offshore instructor
Flir – Level One Thermography
North West School of Wooden Boat Building – Marine Corrosion Surveys
Associations:
International Institute of Marine Surveyors (IIMS) – Full Member
Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors (SAMS) – Accredited Marine Surveyor
American Boating and Yachting Council (ABYC) – Member
West Coast Boatyard Association – Member
Nautical Institute – Member
Vancouver Wooden Boat Society – Member
International Institute of Marine Investigators (IAMI) - Member
