About Us
Wayfinder
a person or tool that navigates, locates, or determines a path, often using sensory cues, natural signs, or tools to traverse physical or metaphorical landscapes.
Mission Statement
"Project Wayfinder is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to the mental and emotional restoration of combat veterans through high-standard maritime expeditions. Operating as a disciplined small-unit crew, we utilize the rigors of offshore sailing to mirror the camaraderie and accountability of military service. By successfully navigating the complexities of the open sea, our veterans move from the isolation of PTSD to the shared accomplishment of the mission—reclaiming their identity, their resilience, and their bearing for the journey home.
The Three Pillars of the Mission
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Operational Discipline: We don't take passengers; we build crews. Every veteran is assigned a billet and held to a professional standard, ensuring that recovery is earned through technical mastery and shared responsibility.
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Calculated Challenge: We use the ocean as a therapeutic catalyst. Facing the physical and mental demands of a blue-water transit forces the mind into the immediate present, replacing the "static" of trauma with the "signal" of the mission.
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The Shared Triumph: True confidence is forged in the crossing. By conquering a challenging environment alongside a trusted team, veterans prove to themselves that their greatest attributes—courage, focus, and leadership—are still fully intact.
A Note from the Founder: The Mission Behind the Wayfinder
When I looked at the challenges facing our combat veteran community, I didn't see a group of people who needed "treatment" in the traditional sense. I saw warriors who had lost their crew, their mission, and their bearing.
In the military, we are defined by our utility. We have a mission, a purpose, and a team that depends on us for survival. When that uniform comes off, that structure vanishes. Many of us find ourselves adrift, caught in the "shallows" of a civilian world that doesn't speak our language or understand our discipline.
I founded Project Wayfinder because the ocean is an honest teacher. The sea doesn't care about your past; it only cares about your readiness. After tens of thousands of miles at sea, I have discovered that offshore sailing requires the same small-unit precision, calculated risk-taking, and absolute accountability that we lived by in theater. By placing veterans back into a high-stakes, disciplined environment, we allow them to rediscover the strengths they thought they’d left behind.
We provide the vessel and the mission; you provide the soul and the sweat. Together, we find a new heading.
Welcome to the watch.
Eric Shelvy
Founder, Project Wayfinder
Our Founder
Project Wayfinder was founded by Eric Shelvy, a U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran, former federal law enforcement officer, lifelong sailor, and passionate advocate for veterans seeking a new path forward after military service. Throughout his career—from leading Marines during the Battle of Fallujah to serving overseas as a federal agent and later sailing thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean with his family—one lesson remained constant: the greatest challenges in life are often overcome through purpose, resilience, and the people beside you.
Like many veterans, Eric understands that the transition home can be one of life’s most difficult battles. The discipline, teamwork, and sense of mission developed during military service do not simply disappear when the uniform comes off, and finding a new purpose can be difficult. Through years spent living and sailing offshore, he discovered that the sea offers something unique—a place where distractions fade, confidence is rebuilt through meaningful challenges, and people reconnect with themselves while working together toward a common goal.
That experience became the foundation for Project Wayfinder. More than a sailing program, Project Wayfinder is a mission to help disabled veterans rediscover purpose through adventure therapy and offshore sailing. Every expedition is designed to build resilience, foster trust, strengthen leadership, and create lasting bonds among veterans who understand one another’s experiences. Participants are not passengers—they are valued members of the crew, learning, contributing, and growing together as they navigate both the ocean and the challenges that lie beyond it.
Project Wayfinder reflects Eric’s belief that healing is not about forgetting the past—it’s about finding a new course forward. By combining the demands of offshore sailing with camaraderie, responsibility, and shared accomplishment, the organization strives to give veterans an opportunity to regain confidence, reconnect with purpose, and realize that they never have to navigate life’s journey alone.
Meet The Team
Our Partners
