LINDA AKSOMITIS Linda has walked under the South China Sea with a “fish bowl” on her head, snowmobiled 3,000 feet up a mountainside, ridden horseback through the mountains in Yellowstone Park and, in Tennessee, zip-lined 800 feet from one mountain to another, paddled whitewater rapids, floated miles through an underground river and, generally, taken every opportunity for adventure life threw at her.

JANE AMMESON Jane is a freelance writer who specializes in travel, food and personalities. She is a member of the Indiana Foodways Alliance, a restaurant reviewer for Gayot.com and is also a James Beard Foundation judge. A member of Society of American Travel Writers, Association of Food Journalists and Midwest Travel Writers Association, Jane’s base camp is Stevensville, Mich., on the shores of Lake Michigan.

CAPT. DAN ARMITAGE Dan is an Ohio-based freelance writer, photographer, radio show host and speaker. His boating articles have appeared in magazines including HeartLand Boating, Lakeland Boating, Pontoon & Deck Boat and Houseboat. He holds a USCG Captain’s License with a 50-ton Master Rating, is a past “Ohio Boating Educator of the Year” and recently was recognized by the National Safe Boating Council for his work to promote boating safety.

LEE BRAFF Lee was born near the Ohio River and has loved the Heartland waterways ever since. She learned about publishing during a 16-year stay in New York City, and though the business is now computerized, Lee feels this has not changed the essentials of writing or photography. Likewise, while much of the apparatus of recreational boating has gone electronic, no one has discovered how to computerize the fun of boating. And for that, she is grateful.

JOHN R. “JACK” CASSADY John is an artist, cartoonist, writer and retired Army officer. He has been with HeartLand Boating since the early days. His graphic humor and writings have been published in hundreds of publications here and abroad. Currently, John teaches at the J.C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, N.C., and produces a weekly Internet feature called “Cassady’s Monday Funnies” from his studio in the hills of western North Carolina, where he lives with his wife, three attack cats and two guard dogs.

JEANNE CRAIG Jeanne is an award-winning marine journalist based in Rowayton, Conn. She has been covering powerboats since 1988 as a staff editor at Boating and Motor Boating magazines, and as a freelance writer for national, local and trade magazines and websites.

CAPT. FRED DAVIS For 25 years, Fred worked as a fishing-boat charter captain out of Port Austin, Mich. He then spent three decades operating the marine towing and salvage company, Thumb Marine. He and his wife, Pat, now live in a lakeshore resort during summers but move to the Florida Keys for winters. Fred began writing in 1988, and in addition to HeartLand Boating, his work has appeared in Mid-America Boating and Woods-N-Water News.

KATE GODFREY-DEMAY Kate lives with her husband, Paul, in the town of Lebanon, Ill. They are avid boaters and count a Bayliner (Boogie), 16-foot Boston Whaler (Sea Dog), Hobie Mirage kayak, 11-foot Whaler and Sunfish sailboat among their fleet. Kate is a seasoned writer and has appeared in HeartLand Boating virtually since its creation. At any one time, her desktop features works-in-progress about her four grandchildren, her mom and boats.

BOB DUTHIE Bob believes that boating was in his blood from an early age. Growing up in Toronto, he spent summers on the Muskoka Lakes, and in his lifetime he has cruised up the Trent-Severn Canal, completed America’s Great Loop, and has created interactive CDs about navigating the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers. Bob has been invited to speak to the America’s Great Loop Cruisers Association, U.S. Power Squadron and other groups.

BRAD KOVACH Brad is a professional writer and editor, underwhelming guitar player, recovering boat show circuit groupie and father of three darling daughters living in St. Louis (the Yachting Capital of the Midwest). His credits include Caribbean Travel & Life, Motor Boating, Boating World, Cabin Life, Marinalife, ShowBoats International and Sea Ray Living. He is the current editor of HeartLand Boating and MarineMax Rewards magazines.

GARY KRAMER Gary is an enthusiastic boater and a frequent contributor to HeartLand Boating. He has written the feature article in Quimby’s Cruising Guide for the last few editions, and has visited all of the marinas on the Mississippi and Illinois rivers as part of this assignment. Gary is always on the lookout for interesting story ideas, boats, owners and places, preferring to focus on “real boats and real people.”

ARTHUR LEE Arthur has been sailing since he was a teenager in Honolulu. Beginning with outrigger canoes and rowboats, he learned that power from a sail was easier than paddling. He has cruised aboard everything from a 14-foot sloop to an aircraft carrier, and these days, crews regularly on a Cal 34 and, occasionally, a Hatteras 53. He is a frequent contributor to HeartLand Boating and other sailing publications.

CAPT. SANDY LINDSEY Sandy is the author of Quick & Easy Boat Maintenance, the revised and updated second edition of which will be released this summer by McGraw Hill. She is also the author of The Women's Guide to Powerboating. A licensed Captain, her award-winning articles have appeared in national, regional and international boating publications for the past two decades.

PAM MCDANOLDS Pam has been writing for as long as she can remember. First published in 1997, she has authored both fiction and non-fiction, as well as serving as editor of a regional tourist magazine. She has been a part of the HeartLand Boating team since 2000. In her family are two kids, a black lab named Captain Nemo, a powerboat and a sailboat. Other hobbies include reading, gardening and the martial arts.

BOBBYE MILLER KENYON Bobbye’s features of boating adventures, high-performance events and destinations have appeared in a variety of publications nationwide and worldwide via the Internet. She has expressed her zest for Mid-America’s lakes and rivers as a contributor to HeartLand Boating since 2007. Her company, Offshore Public Relations, is a multi-faceted firm that has represented marine industry leaders and champions in the offshore racing arena.

AMY NARISHKIN Amy and her husband, Cyril, own St. Louis Sail & Paddle. With a desire to revitalize sailing in St. Louis and get folks out onto our great waters, they sell and service trailerable sailboats, kayaks and standup paddleboards. Amy's passion for water began with waterskiing. When Amy met Cyril, they began sailing and kayaking together. Summer Sundays, you’ll find them and their four kids on their Hunter Edge, a 27-foot motorsailor. Amy holds a PhD in adult education.

CAPT. STEVE ROSENBERG Steve has written extensively about boating, particularly lifestyle, travel and boat handling, for well over a decade. His credits include numerous boating magazines, blogs and websites. Active in the industry, he has served on the board of the Watersports Industry Association, the Georgia Boating Advisory Council, and has worked as an advisor to the Discover Boating campaign and the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

SHERRI A. STANCZAK A proud mother and grandmother, Sherri was introduced to boating by a “great man” who she married after a previous divorce. She fell in love with the sport and its people immediately, and the Stanczaks now boat out of Lake Center Marina in St. Louis. Sherri became a freelance writer three years ago. She often writes for the website Riverbills.com, which contains entertaining news about the Mississippi River and the people who boat on it.

CLIFF & SANDY STEELE When he was young, Cliff lived near Lake Michigan and was always fascinated when he looked out from shore. He built his first small boat with his wife, Sandy, who was his girlfriend back then, at his side. Because he has enjoyed boating for so long and has maintained four assorted vessels, Cliff says he has racked up hundreds of technical articles and DIY projects. First mate Sandy frequently contributes photos and stories to HeartLand Boating, too.

JOAN WENNER A native New Yorker having also lived for three decades near the Intracoastal Waterway in Florida, Joan is a longtime boater now residing in coastal North Carolina. Having a law degree, she has covered legal topics for boating publications, including HeartLand Boating, since 1994. Her extensive marine industry and governmental contacts help bring readers the most relevant information available.