Welcome (Part II) and Meet the Skipper

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In keeping with this blog’s theme of offering a glimpse of what’s going on “inside” Practical Sailor, this post-our second since we’ve revamped the new website-will offer a brief introduction to who is behind these missives. Most of the posts from the old Inside Practical Sailor blog have been transferred over here, but a few entries, including biographies of other crew at Practical Sailor have not. We’ll find a home for these at the Practical-sailor.com soon.

Although I hope to feature some guest columnists, I’m the one who will be writing most of these posts. I am the editor of Practical Sailor, ultimately responsible for what goes into the magazine. I usually handle crew complaints gracefully, so don’t hesitate to gripe. (Praise is nice, too.) Keeping Practical Sailor on course is a monumental responsibility, one that I and everyone who works with us takes very seriously. There is a special bond between sailors, and we regard our readers as an extension of our family. We don’t want to let you down. If you’re unfamiliar with the publication, here’s a brief YouTube video giving some background.

Please let me know if you have any questions about the new website. If you are digging around for back articles and are having trouble, try out the “advanced search” feature to narrow your results. If you still can’t find it, contact me. For now, I’ll post new blogs once or twice a week. I hope you also subscribe to our free e-letter Waypoints, which offers wide range of practical tips on maintaining boats and equipment, and making your sailing safer and more enjoyable.

Darrell Nicholson

A bit about me:

I grew up sailing in South Florida (Biscayne Bay) and worked for a small newspaper before setting out from Miami aboard a 60-year-old wooden William Atkin ketch named Tosca. For 11 years, writer Theresa Nicholson (now an editor at Cruising World) and I explored the Caribbean, the Pacific, and Southeast Asia aboard Tosca, documenting our adventures for various newspapers, travel magazines, and sailing publications. We lived in Portsmouth, R.I. for five years, where I was senior editor at Cruising World and both our sons were born. I hold a U.S. Coast Guard 100-ton masters license and have worked on a variety of commercial fishing and charter boats.

The sea, boats, and the people who sail them have made a inestimable impact on my life. I’ve worked for a variety of different publications, but Practical Sailor, because of its mission and no-advertising format, has put me in a better position to honor my debt to the sailing community. The new open-archives format website reflects our commitment to this cause. I hope you enjoy following my posts and look forward to hearing from you. I sincerely thank you for your support.

A bit more about me:

1. Age 46

2. Size Easily stuffs into most lazarettes

3. Weight Same as an 8D lead-acid battery

4. Hometown Osprey, Florida.

5. First boat El Toro (age 10)

6. Dream boat Varies by the hour. At the moment, Atkin’s Tally Ho Major

7. Best Cruising Memory Landfall at Fatu Hiva, Marquesas

8. Worst Cruising Memory Typhoon Paka in Guam

9. Favorite Racing Moments Wed. Nights with Shake-a-Leg (now Sail to Prevail)

10. Currently reading The Shadow-Line” by Joseph Conrad

Darrell Nicholson
Practical Sailor has been independently testing and reporting on sailboats and sailing gear for more than 50 years. Supported entirely by subscribers, Practical Sailor accepts no advertising. Its independent tests are carried out by experienced sailors and marine industry professionals dedicated to providing objective evaluation and reporting about boats, gear, and the skills required to cross oceans. Practical Sailor is edited by Darrell Nicholson, a long-time liveaboard sailor and trans-Pacific cruiser who has been director of Belvoir Media Group's marine division since 2005. He holds a U.S. Coast Guard 100-ton Master license, has logged tens of thousands of miles in three oceans, and has skippered everything from pilot boats to day charter cats. His weekly blog Inside Practical Sailor offers an inside look at current research and gear tests at Practical Sailor, while his award-winning column,"Rhumb Lines," tracks boating trends and reflects upon the sailing life. He sails a Sparkman & Stephens-designed Yankee 30 out of St. Petersburg, Florida. You can reach him by email at practicalsailor@belvoir.com.

1 COMMENT

  1. As a teenager, camping on Elliott Key & Key Largo was adventurous. After moving away from Miami, you realize how great an area Biscayne Bay really is. Biscayne Bay is a step out your back door. The Bahamas is in your backyard if you feel like a trip. I don’t recommend that jump to Bimini at age 15 with nothing but a boy scout compass… 🙂