My name is Michał Brennek and I have a bit different approach to sailing… Usually such statement is enough to trigger a storm of comments. I hold Yachtmaster Ocean certificate of competency with commercial endorsement and also polish highest yachting and powerboating certificates. I am certified to master ships up to 200GRT under sail with auxiliary engine on all waters. Having over 30000Nm under my belt in high latitudes and the North Atlantic I believe I can say a thing or two about navigation. My so called “day job” used to be (or sometimes still is) IT project management thus I have a bit different approach to carrying out maritime operations, mile builders, practical and shore-based training. It is a project after all ;) I have a soft spot for gaff rig and tall ships. You can meet me on board STS Pogoria, where I volunteer as officer of watch or instruct officers to be. I am Royal Yachting Association Instructor in following disciplines: Yachtmaster Instructor Sail, Navigation, Radar, Marine Radio. I am also appointed as SRC Assessor. Since 2015 I am certified International Maritime Organization Instructor.

Geographica Expeditions started as a blog and a way for me to take notes during my own development as a professional sailor. Now it became a company. My career started in physical geography, then I became IT project manager, wrote one or two lines of code, then became meteorologist and started to miss the outdoor industry. I am trained meteorologist, and probably I talk way too much about sailing weather. I’m an independent scientist working on dynamic meteorology. I am a member of Royal Meteorological Society . Since 2014 I work as a synoptic analyst and weather router, providing weather data and expertise for maritime operations. I am weather columnist of Przekrój a quarterly with traditions. I comment on the effects of climate change in the radio and TV.

Actually once I almost became a weatherman in one of the polish TV stations. I am certified trainer and course designer with solid experience in e-learning and blended learning. As an instructor I want to be one of the best. I try to learn something new whenever I can. I speak, breathe and think radio. There is something romantic in being able to send your message over half of the globe. I also teach long range communications and help amateur radio community (listen for SP1MM/MM). I popularize science in naukaoklimacie.pl (Science on Climate) and ziemianarozdrozu.pl (Earth at Crossroads).

Since the beginning my company focuses on specialist sailing and navigation courses and events. All our mile building trips have strong training component. It means that during the passage You will take an active role in navigation and execution of the voyage as well take part in intensive training program. If You are looking for tourist cruises I cannot help I’m afraid. But if you are looking for competent and friendly staff for your sailing holidays, myself and my team are ready to set sail.

I’am a radio operator for over 10 years. It all started for me pretty typically – I got SRC license. A couple of years later I trained to become RYA/MCA SRC Assessor. Then I followed the radio path. My next licenses were General Operators Certificate required for my work and LRC which maybe does not differ much (the devil is in the details of course) but was required by vessel owners. Further cooperation with Polish and British institutions allowed me to gain good understanding of the radio regulations construction and enforcement. After I graduated from the IMO instructors course, I implemented the IMO model course and now You can also benefit from LRC courses (under Polish regulations). In radio training, operators’ practice is most important to me. The exam preparation is, of course, our goal but an exam is only a moment, while the operators’ art will stay for much longer. I am licensed HAM radio operator. As a HAM I’m very enthusiastic about modulations that are no longer part of GMDSS namely Morse telegraphy and Radio Telex.

I was awarded an “Eagle of Training” for 2019.

If you have anything you would like to ask, drop me a line or two.