Steve Blakely started his journalism career at a small daily newspaper in the Poconos (Pennsylvania), and went on to run a statehouse news bureau in Harrisburg before being transferred to a regional news bureau in Washington. Over the years he covered all branches of the federal government for various news outlets and ended his Washington career as editor of a nonpartisan economic research institute. In recent years he has written extensively for various recreational boating and travel publications before joining WorkBoat as a contributor. His sailing has taken him to Cuba, Croatia, Iceland, and several Atlantic passages, in addition to countless domestic voyages. He lives on Cape Cod.