Sailing Lake Lanier, the Florida coast, and the Atlantic
I'm Darren, aka Skipper D. I'm a sailor based in Atlanta, GA, and I skipper club boats on Lake Lanier, sail my Com-Pac Picnic Cat Bluebell on the Florida coast, and have crewed offshore in the North Atlantic.

Logbook totals
- hours underway
- 305
- nautical miles
- 951
- USCG sea days
- 26
- trips as skipper
- 45
From 73 logbook entries, Sep 28, 2024 to Oct 25, 2026. Sea days toward my OUPV license
Latest video
Play video: Man Overboard (MOB) Drills Using the Figure Eight MethodMan Overboard (MOB) Drills Using the Figure Eight Method
Oct 20, 2026 · Watch on YouTube: Man Overboard (MOB) Drills Using the Figure Eight Method
Recovering a man overboard under sail with the figure-8 method on the Hunter 29.5 Odyssey: the procedure, three passes at a throwable cushion, the mistakes and how to fix them, then tacking versus jibing, light air, staying calm, getting the person aboard and warm, two people overboard at once, and visibility.
Next up
January 2027
Lake Lanier US Islands activations
Sailing to Lake Lanier's islands and operating my ham radio from them for the US Islands amateur radio awards program.
Boat: Com-Pac Picnic Cat Bluebell
Recent trip reports
- Upwind toward Flowery Branch Bay on Great Dog Oct 25, 2026
- Figure-8 man overboard drills Oct 18, 2026
- Heave-to, wing-on-wing, and a beam reach home Oct 11, 2026