Meet our team at Gulf Island Sails

Our experienced staff is here to answer any questions you may have concerning the Precision, Com-Pac, and Ranger lines of sailboats and trawlers.

Our sales associates include:

• Capt. Ed Benson — edbenson@earthlink.net
  Ed Benson and his wife, Sara, are the owners of Gulf Island Sails/Punta Gorda Yacht Brokers. Ed brings more than 50 years of experience in both power and sailboats to the business. Ed enjoyed racing one-design sailboats for many years, while also exploring the cruising lifestyle on all sizes of powerboats.
  
  As a Coast Guard Captain, Ed has boated on the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Gulf of Mexico and the Great Lakes. He is also a State of Florida licensed yacht broker, notary, as well as a member of the Florida Yacht Brokers Association, Punta Gorda Boating Alliance, Charlotte County and Punta Gorda Chamber of Commerce and Mariners of PGI boating club.
  
  His first-hand knowledge of many types of boats, their characteristics and repairs help you find and enjoy the vessel of your dreams.
  
  Ed and Sara have been residents of Punta Gorda for fourteen years and can’t image living and boating anywhere else.
  
  
• Jim Guernsey — pdgnjcg@yahoo.com
  Jim Guernsey has been boating for over 40 years. He began by cruising the lakes and rivers of Iowa and Minnesota. Jim has also sailed the South Pacific, reservoirs in South Dakota, the coast of Southern California and all of Florida. He was a live-aboard and sailboat charter captain in San Diego.
  
  Jim holds a 50-ton captains license and has owned dozens of boats from river ski boats to blue water sailboats. He is a State of Florida licensed yacht broker and a licensed notary. Jim is the sales manager of Gulf Island Sails/Punta Gorda Yacht Brokers.
  
  Jim and his wife, Pat, are owners of the 33’ S/V “Captain Morgan” and ten-year residents of Punta Gorda Isles, Florida. Jim is also a proud Navy Combat Veteran.
  
  
• Capt. John Casaus — casausjohn@yahoo.com
  John comes to us from Minnesota, where he sailed his 35ft Catalina on Lake Minnetonka. He eventually grew tired of the cold weather and, in November 2004, moved to Southwest Florida. John currently lives on his boat in Burnt Store Marina.
  
  He is a very experienced sailor with more than 40 years on the water. He estimates he has owned at least fifteen boats during that time. One of John’s most memorable experiences is single-handling his Catalina to the Keys and back. It was a great trip. John also enjoys sailing all over the Charlotte Harbor and neighboring anchorages.
  
  John is a licensed Coast Guard Captain
  
  
• Capt. Mike Rigby — captmikerigby@yahoo.com
  Mike is one of the newest member of the Punta Gorda Yacht Brokers/Gulf Island Sails team. He has been a power boater and sailor for the past 30 years and just ended a twelve-year run in the Virgin Islands. There he sailed everything from large schooners, tug boats, luxury yachts and pleasure boats. He and his wife, Cindy, have just returned to Florida and are making their home in Venice.
  
  Mike is a certified Sea School Instructor for Coast Guard licensing and a veteran of the U.S. Navy submarine Service. He is also a licensed 100 ton Coast Guard Captain.
  
  We are happy to welcome Mike to Punta Gorda.
  
  
• Robert Nelson — www.rockbottomdiving.com
  Robert, born in Derry, NH, relocated to Punta Gorda in 1992. Native to the water, Robert has been sailing since he was twelve years old. He has sailed on various boats ranging from 7ft. to 62ft. He has owned several boats over the years. His favorite is a Cal 29 that is known for its handling characteristics and speed. Robert currently owns a Catalina 22 with the catchy name of “Cheap Date”.
  
  Robert is the owner of Robert Nelson’s RockBottom Dive Service. The business was started in 2005 and Robert has been our diver of choice since 2008. Being a sailor himself, he knows the importance of a clean and well-maintained boat bottom.
  
  
• Capt. Tim Benson — www.gisails.com
  Captain Tim’s love of sailing began when he moved to Florida in 1967. It was then that he got his first of many sailboats (a Pram). His stepfather passed on to Tim the love of sailing, aboard a Venture 22 on Choctawhatchee Bay. Tim learned that sailing is a passion that is more caught than taught. While in high school, Tim bought a Snark sailboat and sailed many afternoons on Lake Maitland in central Florida.
  
  Capt. Tim is also a United States Coast Guard captain and opened an American Sailing Association school: Charlotte Harbor Sailing, which operates out of Fisherman’s Village in Punta Gorda. In 2008 ASA awarded Tim an Outstanding Instructor of the Year and his school won Outstanding Sailing School for 2008. Tim (science) and his wife, Diane (math) both teach at Charlotte High School.
  
  
• Bob Halsey — rdhalsey@aol.com
  Bob is one of the newest members of the Gulf Island Sails team.
  
  Bob was born and raised in New Jersey where he began his 60 years of both power and sail experience having sailed the waters of New Jersey, Vermont, the Florida keys and the Charlotte Harbor area.
  
  Bob and his wife Jean have been RVers for over 10 years and lived in their current motorhome here in Punta Gorda for three years.