Tom Desrosiers is a lifelong resident of New Hampshire. He retired with the title of dean emeritus from Franklin Pierce University. Among many activities, he has pursued are many sailing experience...view moreTom Desrosiers is a lifelong resident of New Hampshire. He retired with the title of dean emeritus from Franklin Pierce University. Among many activities, he has pursued are many sailing experiences on lakes, coastal waters, and transatlantic and Caribbean adventures. The boats he has captained range from a twenty-five-feet Cape Dory sloop to a ten-meter yacht. His Pearson Triton Northstar (#516) was purchased on Long Island, sailed to Maine, destroyed in Hurricane Gloria, and rebuilt by Tom and his wife, Debra. His thirty-seven-feet Endeavour Makai was purchased in St. Thomas and sailed extensively in the Virgin Islands. He and Debra brought the boat to Maine in 1989 and have enjoyed many years of New England coastal sailing on this wonderful boat.
Over twenty-five years ago, Debra Picchi joined Tom Desrosiers on his sailboat at a New Hampshire marina for an afternoon sail. This led to her crewing for him on various sailboats as she learned to sail herself during the years that followed. A cultural anthropologist by profession, she brings several of her skills to bear on this project. She is an educator and writer who has taught at the university level and has published many scholarly articles and a book. In this text, Picchi explains boats and sailing in an understandable, accessible way that will not intimidate a novice. She is also a trained anthropologist who has studied Brazilian and Mexican societies. She uses these abilities to describe in vivid and colorful terms the many New England communities they visit.view less