ANNIE NIXON fell in love with the ocean and sailing right after college when she went to work for Thompson Island Outward Bound in Boston, Massachusetts. She learned to sail and teach aboard their traditional 30′ open rowing and sailing vessels. Annie then spent four years at the Chewonki Foundation in Wiscasset, Maine, leading 21-day sailing wilderness trips for high school and college-age students. On these expeditions Annie captained both a 26′ Crotch Island Pinky and a 28′ Mackinaw Lake design. She taught elements of seamanship, wilderness “leave no trace” ethics, and marine ecology as part of these expeditions. For five summers Annie worked on two larger traditional vessels in Maine, the schooners MARY DAY and AMERICAN EAGLE. In 2006 and ’07 she was mate and educator for WoodenBoat School’s course on the MARY DAY. Annie holds a USCG 100-ton license.