Edd Hewett
Principal & Co-Founder
After leaving home at 18 for a life at sea, Edd sailed to all seven continents on research and expedition vessels. The more he learned, the more he wanted to share, until he eventually co-founded Ardent Training.
Ardent Training has combined my love of sailing and sharing knowledge, whilst also enabling me to live, cruise, and start a family on my own boat. Ardent is very much me living my dream.
After leaving home at 18 for a life at sea, Edd sailed to all seven continents on research and expedition vessels. The more he learned, the more he wanted to share, until he eventually co-founded Ardent Training.
Qualifications:
- RYA Yachtmaster Ocean
- RYA Navigation Instructor
- RNLI Navigator
Additional Experience:
- Skipper on Skip Novak's Pelagic Australis in Antarctica and South Georgia
- Skipper for marine mammal research surveys aboard HWDT's Silurian and MCR's Song of the Whale
- Navigated tens of thousands of miles without electronics (and hundreds of thousands more with)
- Lives aboard and cruises SY Mipha, a Van de Stadt 42 Tyrant
- Volunteer Director of Tobermory Harbour Association
- Volunteer Trustee and Chair of the Boat Committee at Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust
Instructor background:
Edd's teaching is shaped by a wide range of experience at sea. From busy ports, to uncharted coastlines, on vessels with all the latest technology, and vessels with none. He believes a deeper understanding prepares skippers for every scenario, and likes breaking difficult subjects down to the core mechanics, removing the mystery and boosting confidence. He is happiest when a student goes from "I'll never get this" to "that actually makes sense".
At Ardent, his focus is on course design and making online learning feel personal. Students will usually notice a calm, plain-English style, with plenty of real-life examples.
Hobbies & Interests:
I live aboard with Charly and our two daughters, so life outside work is usually a mix of sailing, boat maintenance, exploring, and playing with the kids. As a family we are just as happy rock climbing as we are spending a full day in a museum. I also have a real interest in technology, from VR workstations to building my own autopilot. Give me something to tinker with, learn from, or improve, and I'm happy.
Previous Trips:
Competent Crew
My first ever taste of sailing was in January sailing from London to Gosport for my Competent Crew course. I absolutely loved it! We had everything from Force 7 to Severe Gale 9, freezing temperatures, plenty of rain, and I just assumed every day at sea was like this. My instructor said he couldn't believe I wasn't put off for life and told me that if I got some qualifications he would hire me as crew delivering yachts around the world. I was 17, of course I took my Day Skipper course the following week!
100 Degrees of Latitude
I had previously learned celestial navigation, but by the end of this trip I understood it. We sailed from Portsmouth to the Falkland Islands, navigating using nothing but the sun, moon, planets, and stars the entire way. It is also the trip myself and Charly met Charlie Triggs.
BBC Filming Expedition
On the first night, I set expectations. The BBC wanted to film something only rumoured to exist, in the roughest seas in the world, with limited time available. But boy were we fortunate enough to pull it off! I am ashamedly proud to have my name in the credits of a David Attenborough documentary.
Lockdown
I was supposed to be setting off across the Southern Ocean. Instead I was in lockdown on my new-to-me boat with my wife. The weather was fantastic, and for the first time ever, we were sailing without working. Ardent was born to sustain this new lifestyle!
