Charles Hawley, widely known as Chuck, is a California native who started sailing at a young age.  He graduated with a degree in economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1977 and went to work for West Marine, the large marine retailer.  He served as the company’s vice president of product development and wrote articles with helpful advice on everything to do with boating for West Marine’s customers.  In the process, Hawley became an engaging speaker.  For more than 30 years, he has moderated many Safety-at-Sea Seminars across the country and eventually became Chair of US Sailing’s committee (2011-2017), overseeing the series of seminars.

Hawley has raced and cruised over 40,000 miles at sea.  Three years after graduating from college, he raced a Moore 24 singlehanded to Hawaii. Reflecting on the race, Hawley said “I did it on a shoestring budget. It wasn’t easy folding my frame into a Moore 24.”  He moved on to an Olsen 30, which he described as a better boat for a singlehanded Transpacific Race. In 1983, he held the position of boat captain with a crew that included National Sailing Hall of Fame inductee Stan Honey aboard Charlie.  Unfortunately, the keel fell off on the return delivery.  Hawley and the crew were able to get the boat back to Hawaii – a remarkable feat.

The lessons he learned from his sailing adventures helped him develop the curriculum for his seminars and articles.  Hawley has researched crew recovery methods and helped design life rafts and anchors for West Marine.  His most riveting talks cover storm tactics, especially for short-handed crews. He has worked with US Sailing and World Sailing to simplify the Offshore Special Regulations, specifically detailing equipment requirements for offshore passages.  He was one of the contributors to a book published by US Sailing: Safety at Sea: A Guide to Safety Under Sail and Personal Survival that was edited by National Sailing Hall of Fame Inductee, Sally Honey. Chuck Hawley hosts a series of films featuring fifteen topics on safety for mariners, available for viewing on YouTube to this day.

Recognizing his extraordinary work, US Sailing awarded him the Timmy Larr Trophy in 2016 for his contribution to the advancement of sailor education, and the Nathanael G. Herreshoff Award, the national governing body’s most prestigious award, in 2020.  Hawley served as commodore of the Santa Cruz Yacht Club in 1992 and has served on the Board of Directors of the Transpac Yacht Club, the Pacific Cup Yacht Club, the American Boat & Yacht Council Technical Committee, the Singlehanded Sailing Society and the U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety Council.  He is also a member of the Cruising Club of America (CCA) and serves on the club’s Safety & Seamanship Committee; in 2024, he served as the Rear Commodore of the CCA of the San Francisco Station.

In 2011, Hawley led an independent group to study the cause of a horrific capsize of the 35-foot yacht WingNuts in the Chicago to Mackinac Race that resulted in two fatalities. The comprehensive report provided safety recommendations for long-distance racing, many of which continue to guide sailors in offshore racing today.

~ Gary Jobson