About the Captain and Crew Staff

Captain:

    Hi! My name is Joe Drago and I have been messing around on boats for as long as I can remember. Some of my earliest memories are playing with toy cars on the cabin sole of my uncle's O'day 22 and weekend trips to Fire Island. Somewhere around the age where memories first begin I was making different boat designs out of tinfoil, experimenting with keel and bottom shapes and using little stones for ballast. As I got older, I was playing around in my grandfather's skiff a bunch and joining him on his big, Canadian built Donelle to head out fishing. By the time high school started, I began "borrowing" my parents' O'Day 272 and I'd ride my bike down to the dock instead of first period and galavant around the Great South Bay. At age 16, I started working on a commercial fishing boat and not long after, realized I was going to make my living on the water. I left school in pursuit of an offshore education.

    Almost 20 years later, the commercial fishing industry was becoming ever more difficult to make a living in and it was time to start thinking of other options. That's when the idea for Sailing Resolution came about. I've combined my lifetime of acquired nautical skills, my passion for sailing, love for adventure traveling and upgraded my sailboat to make this a reality. I have not really kept track of my miles covered in boats. I started adding things up at one point and after I started getting upwards of 200,000 nm I just stopped trying to figure it out. I’ve  traveled offshore from warm trade-winds in the Caribbean to battling 90 knot winter storms on Georges Bank and spent 100’s of days in and crossing the Gulf Stream. When I'm not sailing I'm an avid hiker, climber, cross country skier and traveler. I cherish my time home with my wife Lisa and my two dogs Sam and Winnie. Thank you for taking the time to check us out and I very much look forward to sharing my passion for traveling via water and wind with you. 

    - Joe Drago
       US Coast Guard 100 Ton Near Coastal Captain's License
       National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Vessel Operator Permit

     

     

     

    Mate:

    Hi, I'm Lisa. I've been sailing with my husband, Joe for several years. I taught middle school science for the last 21 years and have decided to work full-time now doing sailing charters for Sailing Resolution with Joe and our two dogs, Sammy and Winnie.  

    In addition to being on the water, I love hiking, exploring new places, woodworking, ecology, being in the woods, mountain top views, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, cooking, camping, and always trying to learn more about how humans can have a lesser impact on our planet.

    I look forward to sailing with you!

    Lisa Gizzarelli-Drago
    ASA 101: Basic Keelboat Sailing
    ASA 103: Basic Cruising

     

    Canine Crew:

                                     Winnie                                                  Sammy