Melanie Sunshine Neale
Melanie is a US Coast Guard 100 Ton Master Captain, Yacht Broker, Author, Educator, Editor, and Public Speaker who grew up living aboard her family’s 47’ GulfStar, cruising up and down the East Coast and through the Bahamas. Melanie captained and crewed on various boats while working her way through college, then bought and lived aboard her first sailboat while attending graduate school in North Miami. Her books include Boat Buying basics (Sheridan House 2025) memoirs Boat Girl and Boat Kid (Beating Windward Press, 2012 and 2013). Her "Short Story" column ran in Cruising World Magazine from 2006 to 2009) and she has written for BoatUS, Soundings, the Miami Herald and many other publications. She has worked over the years as everything from boat detailer to college professor to educational administrator. Her father, maritime author Tom Neale, instilled in her a love of sailing, writing, perusing boat listings, hard work, and repairing marine diesel engines. Melanie is a solo sailor and full-time single parent. As Employing Broker for Sunshine Cruising Yachts LLC, Melanie is dedicated to building a strong team that embodies integrity and passion for matching people with the right boats.
