Edmonds Author & Speaker Series presents: Sailing Adventure to Tahiti

As teenagers, Daniel Johnson, CEO of the Edmonds Waterfront Center, and his twin brother Dave embarked on an extraordinary journey that would take them 14,000 miles across the Pacific to French Polynesia and back.

At age 17, Daniel and Dave decided they wanted to sail to Tahiti, but they did not have a boat and had never sailed on the ocean. That dream set them off on an odyssey that would change their lives forever. It took 3 ½ years to build the boat with high school friends Kerry and Marty. They laid up the 40’ fiberglass hull, built the interior installed the diesel engine, electronics and rigging – learning from mentors along the way.

They set sail at age 20. Building the boat was one thing. Learning to navigate with a sextant, weather storms, manage sea sickness, equipment failure and personality conflicts was another. Come and enjoy slides and stories about t heir 14,000-mile adventure to French Polynesia and back.

Special thanks to our program partners My Edmonds News & Edmonds Bookshop!

About our speakers:

Daniel Johnson has worked 38 years in the nonprofit sector. He has a master’s degree in Social Work in community organization and nonprofit management from the University of Washington. Working for a range of organizations his longest tenure was with Boys & Girls Clubs of King County, where he served as CEO for 12 years.

During seven years of nonprofit consulting, he focused on fundraising, marketing, board development, strategic planning, change management and leadership. Daniel has raised more than $100M in capital funding for community infrastructure. With his passion for helping organizations with big goals and limited resources, he considers his work social entrepreneurship.

Currently Daniel serves as the CEO for the Edmonds Waterfront Center. The 26,000 sf community facility serves as a hub for multi-generational, multicultural programs and activities.

Dave Johnson retired in July 2023 after 40 years in the marine industry. He has a degree in Psychology, a minor in history and teaching credentials for secondary education from the University of Washington. During his career he was responsible for hiring, managing, sales, marketing and product development.

Beginning his career of 13 years at West Marine, he supervised the opening and management of the first 22 stores on the East coast and supported store growth from 13 to 250. He was later hired by Blue Sea Systems, an electrical component manufacturer for boats, as VP of Sales and Marketing. The company was purchased by a private equity firm with a portfolio of 8 brands and later purchased by the NAVICO Group, a division of Brunswick with a total of 22 brands.

Currently Dave travels, reads, volunteers and almost anything else as long as it involves a boat.

Return to Tahiti 40 years later: Dave Johnson (left), Daniel Johnson (middle)

Subtitles and Closed Captioning will be provided for our guests who are deaf and hard of hearing. The EWC also offers Assistive Listening devices available to check out or connect with your smart phone.

Reserve your seat online ~ walk-ins are welcome the night of the event based on available seating.

ONLINE TICKET SALES END AT 4pm ON THURSDAY, JULY 23rd.