David G. Brown currently holds a Master, Great Lakes & Inland, 100 GT with Auxiliary Sail and Commercial Assistance Towing endorsements. He has held his license since 1985. During that time he has operated commercial vessels ranging from aluminum pontoon boats to a 74-foot wooden schooner and a 65-foot, 20-knot ferry. Currently, he is co-owner of the Maumee River Navigation Company which operates two water taxi vessels on the Maumee River in Toledo, Ohio.
David is a nationally-recognized boating expert. He publishes monthly columns in Offshore and Boating World magazines. His work has also appeared in Motorboating, Dockside, Chesapeake Bay, Voyages, and Southern Boating magazines. He was the chief writer for the 62nd update of Chapman: Piloting, Seamanship & Small boat handling. He is the author of the book, Boatbuilding with Baltek DuraKore. He estimates that he has taught more than 65 Coast Guard License prep classes since 1986. Brown has rescued nine people while serving as a professional master. Prior to becoming a full-time maritime writer, Brown spent 17 years in TV news, working in markets from Burlington, Vermont to Detroit MI.