About
I'm Darren, a sailor based in Atlanta, GA. I post my sailing on YouTube as Skipper D Adventures.
I started sailing in September 2024 with ASA 101 at Lanier Sailing Academy on Lake Lanier. Since then I have completed ASA 101 through 105 and the ASA 118 docking endorsement, and logged 71 trips covering 934 nm and 300 hours underway.
Most of my sailing is on Lake Lanier, on club boats from Passport Sailing Club and Lanier Sailing Academy out of Holiday Marina. I skipper Capri 22s, Catalina 270s, a Catalina 28, a Hunter 29.5, and a Catalina 320, sometimes solo.
I also sail as crew. I have raced in club regattas on Lake Lanier, and in May 2025 I crewed on an Elan Impression 444 with Myrtle Beach Sailing School, from Cricket Cove Marina to Hilton Head and back. The two offshore passages covered 355 nm in the North Atlantic. Over the 2025 holidays I sailed my own boat, Bluebell, out of St. George Island and Apalachicola, Florida.
I'm working toward the Florida 120 in 2027 and a USCG OUPV license. My sea days are on the license page.
My boat
Bluebell is a 14 ft gaff-rigged catboat. I trailer her to the water and sail her on the Florida coast.
| Model | 2004 Com-Pac Picnic Cat |
|---|---|
| Length | 14 ft |
| Rig | Gaff-rigged catboat |
| Keel | Centerboard |
| Auxiliary | ePropulsion electric outboard |
| Transport | Trailer |
Gear
- Jackery 1000 power station: charges my phone (for charting) and camera underway, and powers electronics when camping.
- Osmo Action camera: filming on the water.
- Davis hand bearing compass: checking the wind direction against the forecast.
- PredictWind: wind forecasts and route planning.
- Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3 tent: shore camping on multi-day trips.