BACKGROUND
Richard A. "Rick" Fisher 
I have been actively boating, on both inland and coastal waters, for over 40 years, owning both single screw power and auxiliary sailboats. After moving to south Texas in 1984, I got involved in the United States Power Squadron (USPS), and have become a USPS certified instructor for both public boating safety courses, and advanced level USPS courses.
Boating safety has always been a strong interest of mine, and I actively participate in the USCG sponsored Vessel Safety Check program, both as a Vessel Examiner, and currently head of the Houston Vessel Safety Check program.
In addition to my volunteer instructor duties at the Power Squadron, I am a lead instructor at a Houston area US Coast Guard approved, "Captains" school, where I am approved to teach all courses leading to a 100-ton Masters License.
I also participate in NOAA's Cooperative Charting Program, a program that helps ensure our nation's nautical charts are kept up-to-date. I was recently cited by the US Department of Commerce for my active participation in this program.
In January 2007, I attended the Chapman's School of Seamanship, graduating at the top of my Yacht and Small Craft Surveying class. Following this, I tested for and received certification from the American Boat and Yacht Council for ABYC's Standards Accreditation. Since that initial training, I have attended a number of Damage Claim courses and other surveying related classes and seminars in order to stay current.
I was accepted as a SAMS - Surveyor Associate in April 2007, and, following 4 years of training and experience, I was advanced to Accredited Marine Surveyor (AMS) status.
In addition to conducting many pre-purchase and insurance surveys over the last few years (see sample list below), I have been extensively involved in boat damage claim work, representing both insurance companies and the individual insured. I gained tremedous experience as a result of Hurricane IKE in 2008, conducting damage surveys on innumberable boats of all sizes.
A sample list of boats, both power and sail, that I have conducted pre-purchase and insurance surveys on include: