Meet the Crew

Captain Alex Blackwell, Master Mariner

Alex Blackwell is a lifelong sailor and passionate cruiser. Together with his wife Daria, he has completed three Atlantic crossings (double handed) and has spent years cruising the coasts of North America and Europe, as well as the Bahamas, the Caribbean islands, and the Atlantic islands on their Bowman 57-foot ketch, Aleria. Alex holds a 100 GRT USCG Master’s license with sailing and towing endorsements, he is a certified diver and holds a Master’s degree in marine biology.

Alex is a member of the Irish Cruising Club, the Ocean Cruising Club, Mayo Sailing Club, American Yacht Club, Cruising Association (UK) and the Seven Seas Cruising Association, for which he delivers global seminars/webinars about anchoring and cruising. Alex and Daria are OCC Port Officers for the West of Ireland and the SSCA “cruising station” for Ireland.

Alex frequently writes about technology and sailing adventures contributing to publications on both sides of the Atlantic as well as his website CoastalBoating.net, “the boaters’ resource for places to go and things to know”. Alex and Daria wrote the best selling anchoring book Happy Hooking - the Art of Anchoring. Alex Also wrote the oyster cook-book Oyster Delight, and has recently completed his second novel The Brotherhood; Acquisition of Power, a fast paced thriller. His first novel was The Butterfly Effect; it Started on 9/11.

click here for more about Capt. Alex

Captain Daria Blackwell

Daria Blackwell is a passionate sailor. She holds a USCG OUPV Captain’s license and has spent years perfecting her seamanship skills, including advanced navigation, amateur radio (HAM) operation (KC2KTD), CPR and shipboard medicine, diesel mechanics, weather prediction, and dive certification.

Daria has sailed extensively on Chesapeake Bay, Long Island Sound, New England waters, Florida, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean before sampling the Atlantic Islands and Atlantic coast of Europe. Daria most recently completed three double-handed Atlantic crossings in three years with her husband, Alex, aboard their Bowman 57 ketch. They sailed to Ireland across the North Atlantic from where they headed south to Spain and Portugal before touring the Atlantic Islands and the Caribbean.

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Crew Positions

We are always on the lookout for potential crew members.

Feel free to mail or email us your resume and sailing bio.