BoatUS Magazine Editors

Bernadette Bernon, Consulting Editorial Director

With numerous national awards for her feature writing, Bernadette was editorial director of Cruising World and Sailing World magazines before joining BoatU.S. Magazine as Consulting Editor, and spearheading the magazine's exciting new redesign. She serves on the board of the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water. While she was at the helm, Cruising World won National Folio and Ozzie awards as well as Boating Writers International awards. She created Cruising World Adventure Charters, and founded the Cruising World Safety at Sea Institute with US SAILING. She and her husband spent six years long-distance voyaging on their 39-foot cutter Ithaka, giving her invaluable practical knowledge about boat systems and seamanship, to world travel and liveaboard issues. She co-authored the best-selling book Maiden Voyage, and remains a feature writer for national publications, including Islands, American Express Executive Travel, Cruising World, and ForbesLife.

Michael Vatalaro, Executive Editor

He grew up waterskiing and fishing on the Severn River near Annapolis, Maryland, and can still be found most weekends cruising with his family on the Chesapeake Bay. Mike's owned power and sailboats, and loves tinkering with his 1979 Marinette sedan. Before attempting to treat his boat obsession by writing about them, he covered public health, biology, and astronomy for Technology Review, Sky and Telescope, and The Boston Globe, and covered safety issues for the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety. Mike handles our coverage of new boats and products.

Ann Dermody, Managing Editor

A columnist and features editor for the national Irish newspaper Ireland On Sunday, Ann, and her late husband, completed a two-year, 10,000-mile adventure aboard their 48-foot Chris Craft Desperado. They traveled from San Francisco through Central America and Columbia, through the Panama Canal, to their home in Alexandria, Virginia. She continued to contribute to Irish and British newspapers and magazines; edited Luxury Destinations, a travel and business supplement from exotic destinations such as the Arabian Gulf and Australia; and then decided to join BoatUS Magazine, where she's won first-place awards for her features from Boating Writers International.

Ryck Lydecker, Associate Editor

A veteran outdoors writer, Ryck covers fishing and fisheries, the environment, and marine-resource issues. In addition to writing features, he handles our BoatUS Reports news section. He also sits on the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; is on the board of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association; and is a member of the National Sea Scouting Committee, Boy Scouts of America. A life-long boater, he grew up fishing and boating on the Hudson River, Long Island Sound, and at the New Jersey shore.

Beth Leonard, Technical Editor

BoatUS Magazine's new technical editor, Beth Leonard, grew up powerboating, waterskiing, and fishing on Lake Ontario. Since 1992, she and her husband have completed two circumnavigations on two sailboats, doing all maintenance themselves. They also installed the systems on their 47-foot aluminum sloop. Beth has written The Voyager’s Handbook, the offshore sailors' bible; Following Seas; the National Outdoor Book Award winner Blue Horizons; plus hundreds of tech articles.

Tom Neale, Contributing Editor

Since 1979, Tom and his family have lived aboard and cruised far and wide. He’s been on the masthead of Cruising World and PassageMaker and is technical editor for Soundings. He authored the acclaimed book All In The Same Boat, as well as Chesapeake Bay Cruising Guide, Vol. 1. His extensive cruising and technical knowhow is featured in our most-popular "Ask The Experts" column, and he’s won nine first-place writing awards from Boating Writer's International.

John Adey, Contributing Editor

President of American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC), John grew up boating and has been prominent in the industry since 1990, with diverse experience from a yacht brokerage and boatyard, to owning a marine supply store. He and his family sail their classic 1976 Irwin ketch, a boat that he completely restored himself, including the hands-on installation of all systems. During his years at ABYC John has become a trusted source for tech information for industry pros. He’s one of our “Ask The Experts” team handling readers’ questions on all things technical.

Don Casey, Contributing Editor

One of the most consulted experts on boat care and upgrade for more than three decades, Don is one of the three experts who handle readers’ technical questions in our popular "Ask The Experts" column. He’s also the most sought-after expert on our 12-member online forum of the same name. Don and his wife cruise aboard their 30-footer, part of the year in the eastern Caribbean. His books include Don Casey’s Complete Illustrated Sailboat Maintenance Manual, and the recently updated This Old Boat, known as a bible among do-it-yourself boaters.

Charles Fort, Consumer Editor

Charles writes for Seaworthy and BoatUS Magazine on technical topics and consumer issues. He grew up enjoying canoes, ski-boats and sailboats, spent several years cruising with his family on a 30-footer, and lives aboard his 45-footer on the Chesapeake Bay. He serves on ABYC technical committees, is a member of the National Association of Marine Surveyors, the BoatUS Salvage Arbitration Board, and holds a 100-ton USCG license.

Chris Landers, Associate Editor

Chris started sailing at a young age aboard his family’s Sunfish, then stopped abruptly at age five after an incident involving an accidental jibe. Decades later, he tried again, working as a deckhand on tall ships and completing two trans-Atlantic voyages. He’s been a shipwright; a feature writer for the Baltimore City Paper, Christian Science Monitor, Professional Mariner, and National Geographic News; and teaches college English. He still has the Sunfish, and regards it with a mixture of fear and suspicion.

Claire Wyngaard, Public Affairs Associate

An avid Force 5 sailor, Claire is the magazine's caring connection to our writers and photographers, handling their contracts and correspondence. She also handles reader mail, reprint requests, assists our columnists, maintains the Association’s press list, handles our cooking website and administers the BoatUS Speakers Bureau.