Sail the Maine Coast With Your Grandchild

Dennis Gallant grew up in the mountains of Maine but fell in love with the ocean when he moved to the coast for college. In 1993, he began work on the Maine windjammers, first on smaller daysailers, then signing on as mate aboard Angelique. He held the position for 10 summers and worked as a boat builder during the winter months. After leaving Angelique, Dennis captained both schooners and yachts on the coast of Maine and beyond, racking up offshore miles on three transatlantic trips.

Kaylie Borden O'Brien is a high school alternative education teacher in Midcoast Maine. She focuses on helping her students develop their leadership, craftsmanship, and teamwork skills through connections with their communities' maritime heritage. Before moving into the classroom, she worked as shipboard education director with a number of tall ship nonprofits on both coasts, taught mariner credentialing courses, and served as mate on the Angelique for two seasons. She received her M.S.Ed. from Saint Joseph's College.

Katie Conroy is the education and engagement specialist at the Maine Maritime Museum. She holds a bachelor's degree from Clark University in environmental science and a master's degree from Stonybrook University in marine conservation and policy. She previously worked in marine research, policy, and education for organizations including the Alaska Sealife Center, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), and the Port Townsend Marine Science Center. She currently lives in Bath, Maine with her dog, and loves surfing, hiking, biking, skiing, and painting with watercolors.

Sharon Gallant is a self-proclaimed, lifelong science geek. With a M.S. in geosciences, she spends most of her days teaching at Gardiner Area High School. When not at school, she is an instructor in the Maine Master Naturalist Program and gathers specimens for her extensive skull collection. Having grown up on a farm, she also enjoys nature journaling, birding, and venturing around the forests and fields of central Maine.