There is more than one author with this name Ben Smith is the Captain of the CCOM/JHC research vessel Coastal Surveyor. He is also a Research Technician specializing in programming languages and UNIX-like operating systems and services. As a renaissance man, Capt. Ben has experience in such things as electrical and civil engineering, architecture, meteorology, boat design, sailing and navigation, and is an accomplished artist as evidenced by the paintings used in his seminar flyer.