Jim grew up in Buenos Aires but spent many summers in Cape Cod where he became one of the first surfers on the East Coast. His career in journalism started at the Provincetown Advocate in Cape Cod, and continued in San Juan, Newport, and Ft. Lauderdale, focusing on maritime issues. Jim was editor-in-chief of the publishing company Seven Seas Press but later became fascinated by the beauty, mechanics, and people of superyachts (yachts over 130’), so he founded the magazine ShowBoats International to cover them. He was the founder, editor-in-chief, and eventual owner of the magazine, which received some of the highest praise in the superyacht industry.

While working at ShowBoats International, Jim founded and worked for 24 years for the charity The International SeaKeepers Society, which has done incredible work in protecting the marine environment. He engaged readers as supporters of the charity, raising over $10 million to fund this work, with over 100 members paying $250K each to join by the time he sold the magazine in 2005.

Jim also wrote The Admiral, a climate change-inspired novel, a fantasy book telling the story of a mid-ocean community living the realities of climate change. He then became president of Aquos Yachts and Christensen Shipyard, both yacht construction companies. He now lives and continues to fish in Cape Cod. Jim studied sociology at Occidental College as an undergraduate and completed three years of interdisciplinary postgraduate studies at UMass, Amherst.

I met Jim simply as a fisherman, or more appropriately, The Truro Fisherman, through Convisero mentor Ted Kurland. We had a number of lovely conversations about boats and fishing, mind you I never had a fishing rod in my hand, but he intrigued me. But now, reviewing this bio of a new friend you will see why. He will make an ideal addition to our Global Maritime Accord and has agreed to advise students on maritime issues.