1 st Officer Richard Fuher (American, Age 31)

Richard (Rich) grew up in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, and alas, his position as 1 st Officer on M/Y StarFire is not exactly typical of someone who grew up surrounded by snow-peaked mountains and 3 million acres of national forests! An avid snow skier since youth, Rich’s all-around love of the outdoors ultimately led him to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in 1993.

Rich spent his undergraduate years at the Merchant Marine Academy not only gaining his knowledge of marine engineering and navigation, but also participating as a Varsity member and Fleet Captain of the Offshore Sailing Team. He still enjoys racing sailboats in his leisure time; and yet, since leaving the Academy, he has applied his skills & knowledge to a variety of professional marine positions on both charter and privately used vessels.

After logging 130,000 nautical miles in deck and engine cadet positions on unlimited tonnage cargo ships, Rich eventually found his way to the yachting industry in 1995. He has since worked on many high-profile sailing and motor yachts, not only in First Mate and Engineer positions, but also as a Captain. With many impressive marine licenses and certifications under his belt—among them a U.S.C.G. 1600-Ton Inland Master, a U.S.C.G. 100-Ton Upon Oceans Master, and a Cayman Islands 3000-Ton Mate license—Rich’s sailing experiences have taken him all over the world. From South American to Alaska, Egypt to Singapore, and throughout the Caribbean and the Eastern shores of the U.S., Rich has certainly made the most of his career at sea.

Rich obviously has a passion for sailing…but his talents don’t stop there. He is also a PADI-certified diver, and he shoots rifles, pistols, and shotguns competitively. And of course, Rich will always find the time to fit in some quality snow skiing when he can – especially when he can make it back home to visit Colorado.

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