CREW

Thomas J. Hampson is the captain and owner of ASHLANA (ex Robin), the beautiful 52’ Little Harbor sloop designed by and built for Ted Hood.

Growing up on the water in Connecticut, Captain Hampson started sailing at the age of 12.  For over thirty years, Tom was a yacht joiner and custom furniture maker creating many custom furniture pieces while living in Hilton Head, SC.  One of the most elaborate projects he did was for Arthur Blank, founder of Home Depot and owner of the Atlantic Falcons.  For many of those 30 years, Tom worked with Hodgdon Yachts, involved in the building of Scheherazade, Antonisa, Yorel and Windcrest - some of the finest yachts built to date.

Tom owned another Little Harbor in the early 90’s which he and his family cruised from the coast of Maine to Grenada for 3 years, providing him with excellent knowledge of the East Coast of the US and the Caribbean Islands. A USCG licensed captain for many years, Tom made numerous deliveries for charter companies in the late 80’s from Maine to Florida.  The highlight of those offshore trips was crewing on the US Coast Guard tall ship EAGLE (295 feet) from NYC to Maine.  His interests include photography, skiing, traveling and fine dining.  He is a certified scuba diver.

Christie MacConnell is your personal chef on ASHLANA.   She grew up in the Adirondack Mountains of northern New York State and spent many summers boating on Lake Champlain. Her years in the culinary field include private catering, catering special events for several universities and working for the 1980 Lake Placid Olympic Committee. During the Olympics she managed the day-to-day operations of both the Olympic Village and the Broadcast Center.   

Christie’s cooking style is “French, lightened up with intensive flavors and beautiful presentation.”   She enjoys skiing, beach combing, reading and creating new culinary delights.  

This year, 2007, marks the second summer that Tom and Christie have sailed along the Eastern Coast, mostly in Maine re-visiting favorite anchorages and exploring new ones.  They look forward to tailoring itineraries based on guest interests and sailing experience.