Tom ZydlerTom Zydler started racing dinghies at the age of 12 in his native Poland. He gradually moved up to ocean racing in the Baltic Sea, eventually becoming the youngest Polish holder of a yacht master's license for all oceans. He graduated from the Merchat Marine College and pursued a professional career at sea until receiving the first mate's position. Next, he moved ashore to study English Literature at the University of Lodz. After getting his M.A. with a thesis on Joseph Conrad, he stayed to teach English at the University while continuing to sail during the long vacations that academic life permitted. He led sailing expeditions as far as Iceland, Jan Mayen, and East Greenland. In 1972, he captained a 45-foot yawl from Poland to Cape Horn rounding it from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Next, he served as a deck officer on German ships and in 1974, immigrated to the United States where he skippered large private and charter yachts after obtaining a US Coast Guard 500-Ton Masters License for all oceans. Tom writes for yachting magazines and has been published in Cruising World, Yachting, Sailing, Sail, Southern Boating, Wooden Boat, and Professional Boatbuilder in the US, Classic Boat, Yachting World, and Yachting Monthly in the UK, and in Le Chasse Mareé in France. He markets his marine photography through Stock Newport in Portland, Maine. Read More Read Less