Meet The Team
William Rudek
Born on Long Island and raised in the Hudson Valley, Billy will always be a New Yorker at heart. But while his subsequent travels have taken him to many locales, he has always settled near the water. Living and working aboard tall ships since 2003, Billy has worked his way from deckhand to Captain, offshore from Maine to the Caribbean, and from inland rivers to the Great Lakes. He has crewed aboard sloops, schooners, square riggers and skipjacks, with a handful of motor vessels thrown in for good measure. Most recently he worked aboard the U.S.S. Constitution for her 3-year, out-of-water restoration. He has rescued whales and dolphins with Americorps, and helped to build the first offshore wind farm in the U.S. near Block Island. He has extensive experience with experiential and environmental education, and loves learning about the ocean. He came to World Ocean School originally as a volunteer on the Roseway Restoration Committee, helping to plan the preservation of the historic schooner we all love.