Sam Hilgartner worked for the National Park Services as a traditional ship rigger in California previous to employment at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in 2018. He holds a USCG captain’s license and completed a boat-building apprenticeship in Sausalito CA. Hilgartner has worked in maritime industries for eight years and has spent extensive time studying philosophy, theology, and literary fiction. Sam has organized humanities-oriented study groups. He grew up in Baltimore, Maryland.