About Us

I've personally had thousands of questions about sailing and sailboats over the years. As I learn and experience the community, I share the answers that work and make sense to me, here on Life of Sailing.

Jacob Collier has had a rather unconventional journey into the world of sailing. Born into a family of sailing enthusiasts, words like “ballast” and “jibing” were often a part of dinner conversations. Ever the rebel, Jacob did not take an active interest in sailing until he was 13.

The unfortunate demise of an uncle, led to Jacob participating more keenly in their family’s voyages. There was a deep desire to celebrate the life of a man he adored so much. In doing so, Jacob discovered a connection to his uncle and fell in love with sailing.

It became more of an independent activity as he grew older. Having learned to sail on a dinghy as a teen (an ever-dependable wayfarer), he slowly made his way to more complicated rigs with age, including a Tayana Vancouver 42.

These days Jacob sails a Hallberg-Rassy 44, having covered almost 6000 NM. While he’s made several voyages, his favorite one is the trip from California to Hawaii as it was his first fully independent voyage.

In the future, Jacob hopes to make the trip from California to Florida via the Panama Canal. He also hopes to one day have his own Corbin 39 as it was his uncle’s favorite sailboat.

Beth York was born and raised in Michigan. From the age of five, she and her family would move onto their sailboat and sail the Great Lakes every summer. As a child, she often felt as though she was missing out on all the summer fun that her friends back home were having, but looking back she realizes that she was the fortunate one. Raising children while cruising is a blessing to all involved, even if they don’t realize it at the time.  

After college, Beth moved to Alaska and worked for several years as a deckhand for charter fishing boats out of Seward, Ak. She earned her 50 ton captains license and worked for two years as a boat captain on the Arctic Ocean for Alaska Clean Seas training oil field workers in oil spill response.   

Beth has a passion for traveling the world and has visited over 30 countries in her travels. She is a certified S.C.U.B.A. diver and avid fisherperson. Being on the water is in her blood. Beth currently enjoys the liveaboard lifestyle on her 30ft sailboat along with her husband, son and two dogs.

Bennett is a physical therapist living and working in the Pittsburgh, PA region who specializes in the areas of orthopedics, ergonomics, and weight loss. He started his own physical therapy and personal training mobile, cash-based service, which focuses on providing excellent care to those in underserved and underinsured areas. 

Bennett graduated from Slippery Rock University’s DPT program in 2017. He also obtained his BS from SRU in 2014 in Exercise Science with a Gerontology minor. In his work, Bennett has had the unique opportunity to rehabilitate many novice and experienced sailors and other water sport aficionados. 

Living and working near the three rivers in Pittsburgh, PA, Bennett has been exposed to many injuries specific to sailing and water sports populations. This led him to develop specific protocols for these individuals involving exercise progressions, warm-ups prior to engaging in water sport activities, and proper positioning during said sports and activities.

Bennett is an advocate for all of his patients and is happy to consult and refer patients to any specialty they may require for their own unique health issues.

He is also an avid watersport fan himself, and you’ll frequently find him on the Allegheny river with his stand up paddleboard in the summers. In addition to watersports, Bennett loves to participate in all areas of exercise and fitness including rock climbing, crossfit, running, weightlifting, and anything that gets the heart rate up!

Outside of the health realm, Bennett’s interests include reading, writing, and teaching. He works and volunteers part-time as a tutor for various organizations including those who provide adult basic education, English as a second language, as well as other subjects within the sciences. In addition, he loves to volunteer his time in supervising students at the SRU pro bono clinic, his alma mater.

Elizabeth O’Malley launched her love affair with boats, especially sailboats, at the age of 13 as a camper at Camp Morehead by the Sea in Morehead City, NC. There, for nine summers as a camper and then counselor, on the waters of Bogue Sound, she learned then taught the difference between a bowline and bowsprit, between a gaff and a gunwale.

From the salt waters of coastal North Carolina to the Virginia/Maryland Chesapeake Bay tides, from the bahias (bays) of Baja California to the sounds of the San Juan Islands, Elizabeth has sailed Sunfish, Catalinas, Knarrs, and countless other boats. Forty years later, she finds herself back on the waters of Bogue Sound, where she lives and sails with her daughter, Morgan, and chocolate lab, Choco.

I have been sailing since I was 7 years old. Since then I've been a US sailing certified instructor for over 8 years, raced at every level of one-design and college sailing in fleet, team, and match racing, and love sharing my knowledge of sailing with others!