Personal

Name: Inigo Wijnen
Email: inigo_wijnen@yahoo.com
Telephone: 0409857097 (Australia)
Age: 39
Nationality: Dutch
Languages: English, Dutch and German
Now living: in Macksville, NSW, Australia
Driver’s Licence: Australian and international

Education and training

2006	MED 3 (marine engineer), Melbourne
2006	Master class V (skipper up to 24 meters), Melbourne
2006	First aid certificate, Melbourne
1995	VHF radio license, Melbourne
1992/1993	Served in the Dutch army; worked for United Nations in former Yugoslavia; trained as communications technician, maintaining radio and satellite equipment.
1991	Mechanical Engineering Certificate, MTS Alkmaar the Netherlands
1985	High School Certificate, MAVO Alkmaar the Netherlands

Key strenghts and Skills

• Design. As a young boy I always carried a notebook to sketch the ideas that came to my mind. Now designing, including structural calculations, is an important part of my profession. I have designed and built:
  • 1990 the 30 ft proa Gaia 1
  • 1991 the 40 ft proa Gaia 2
  • 1996/1997 the deck, waterproof bulkhead structure, wheel house and interior of the 55 ft Roberts sloop Love of Gaia
  • 1991 wind vane self-steering system for Gaia 2
  • 1998 wind vane self-steering systems for Love of Gaia and for clients
  • 1999 the wheel house and interior for 34 ft Van der Stad yacht for a client
  • 2008 the 71 ft proa Gaia’s Dream.
    
    Completed designs yet to be constructed:
  • 1995/2009 three 60ft proa's and a 65 ft catamaran.
    
    
• Construction in wood composite. I have extensive experience in and enjoy building in wood composite. I used it to build the proa’s Gaia 1 and Gaia 2 in the Netherlands and for the interiors of Love of Gaia and of the Van der Stad yacht. I am using sustainable timber and epoxy for Gaia’s Dream.

• Welding, especially stainless steel. I bought an empty hull of 6 mm steel with no deck to build Love of Gaia. In building this yacht (1996 till 1998) I became an experienced welder especially of very thin stainless steel. I continued to develop my expertise on numerous other projects including the Van der Stad yacht (1999 till 2000) and the wind vane self-steering systems.
  
  
• Project management. From September 2004 till December 2004 and again from September 2007 till April 2008, I managed the refitting of the S.V. 2041, an ex global challenge 20 meter racing yacht. The first project (2004) was in Australia. The second (a US$ 450,000 project) took place in the USA and Mexico. I also made the vessel fossil fuel free.
  
  
• Refit and modification. In September 2006 I worked on and directed the refitting and modifying of the 63 ft catamaran Pelican.
  
  
• Skipper.
  • April 1993 till June 1993 : sailed single-handed from the Netherlands to Bay of Biscay, France and back to the Netherlands on proa Gaia 2.
  • May 1994 till Sept 1995 : sailed single-handed on 40 ft proa Gaia 2 from Amsterdam, the Netherlands to Melbourne, Australia.
  • April 2001 till Nov 2003 : sailed single handed with 2 yr old son Joshua on Australian Eastern seaboard and Tasmania on S.V. Love of Gaia.
  • Aug 2002: took part with S.V. Love of Gaia in a month long project in the middle of the Tasman Sea protesting against the shipment of MOX plutonium fuel.
  • April 2004: deckhand on catamaran Pelican from Melbourne to Brisbane
  • Sept 2004 till Jan 2005: engineer leading fore deck hand on S.V. 2041; preparation for and sailing the Sydney Hobart yacht race with deliveries; S.V. 2041 was one of 56 out of 116 yachts who successfully completed the race.
  • May 2005 till Sept 2005: skipper/ engineer on S.V. 2041 from Melbourne, Australia to San Francisco, America.
  • June 2006: S.V. Love of Gaia used by Greenpeace, for whale watching tours and anti whaling campaign in Australia.
  • Sept 2006: skippered catamaran Pelican during a project with Australian aboriginals.
    
    
• Installation and maintenance of electrical systems for yachts.
  Vessels include:
• S.V. Love of Gaia
• Van der Stad yacht
• S.V. 2041.
  
  
• Installation of radio and satellite communication systems for yachts.
  Vessels include:
  • S.V. Love of Gaia
  • S.V. Gaia 2
  • Van der Stad yacht
  • S.V. 2041
    
    
• Sound analytical and problem solving skills. Significant experience and demonstrated capacity to understand and resolve complex problems in boat design, construction, refit and skippering, and in modification and maintenance of mechanics and electrics in general, eg., yachts, cars and computers.

• Computer literacy. High level computer skills including Excel, Word, Powerpoint, C-map and Velocity Prediction Program.

• Motivation. My enthusiasm, drive and ability to focus and complete design, construction and refit work is demonstrated in the efficient completion of the projects listed above, on time and on budget. I love what I do and I’m good at it.

Referees
Referees will be provided upon request.