Before the TV and radio shows, there were the columns — a decades-long run of weekly and monthly writing for the Los Angeles Times, Sea Magazine, Santana Magazine, and more. Here's an overview of the newspapers and magazines where Captain Mike Whitehead has shared his maritime voice in print.
Long before the Boathouse TV and Radio Shows, and alongside my books, the newspaper and magazine column was where I really found my voice as a maritime writer. For decades, a weekly or monthly deadline has been one of the constants of my working life — a standing invitation to put the harbor, the weather, the boats, and the people who love them into words. This is an overview of some of the columns and articles I've written for select publications over the years.
The Harbor Column — published in the Daily Pilot section of the Los Angeles Times
The Harbor Column was my longest-running newspaper home. Week after week, I wrote about the life of the harbor — new vessels arriving, regattas and races, waterfront development, safety topics, and the characters who make the marina a community. It was a column about a place as much as a subject, and writing it taught me to pay close attention to the rhythms of harbor life in a way I don't think anything else could have.
From the Boathouse Column — published in the Daily Pilot section of the Los Angeles Times
The From the Boathouse column was a natural extension of the radio and television work — a place to expand on the stories, interviews, and topics we covered on air, and to share the behind-the-scenes perspective that didn't fit into a broadcast segment. It let me bring readers into the conversation in a different way, with more room to tell the full story.
Sea Magazine
As a writer for Sea Magazine, I wrote boat test articles — only on board new vessels — evaluating their design, performance, and construction, and translating the experience into something a prospective buyer or serious boater could actually use. Sea Magazine has long been one of the most trusted voices in recreational boating, and writing for it was a chance to reach a dedicated audience of boaters who wanted the real story on the latest boats.
Cruising Column — Santana Magazine
The Cruising Column in Santana Magazine was where I got to write about the cruising life the way a captain actually lives it — the practical, the seasonal, and the sometimes unpredictable. Month after month, I'd take on the questions that come up when boaters head out and stay out: when and how to move a newly purchased boat to her home port, why winter in Southern California is my favorite time on the water, how to read a fast-moving storm system, what to expect rounding Point Conception, and when to call in a delivery captain rather than make the run yourself. Drawing on decades of delivering boats between Mexico, Canada, and Hawaii, the column mixed how-to with sea stories — and always came back to the same bottom line: safety first, and never be stingy on a delivery.
Boat Test Writer — Go Boating Magazine
For Go Boating Magazine, I wrote boat tests — taking new models out, evaluating their design, performance, and construction, and translating the experience into something a prospective buyer or curious boater could actually use. It's a different kind of writing: precise, objective, and grounded in time spent on the water with the boat.
Boater's Weather Column — Newport Beach Independent
Weather is the single most important variable in boating, and the Boater's Weather Column in the Newport Beach Independent was my attempt to make marine weather approachable — explaining what the forecasts mean, how to read the signs, and how to make better decisions before leaving the dock.
A Different Kind of Luxury — Newport Beach Magazine
A Different Kind of Luxury, for Newport Beach Magazine, was a more reflective column — exploring what makes the boating life feel luxurious in ways that have nothing to do with price. It was a chance to write about the water the way boaters actually experience it: as a kind of freedom.
Original Works & Poetry
Alongside the columns, I've also published original works and poetry. It's a quieter corner of my writing life, but one I value — a reminder that the sea has always inspired language as much as it has inspired adventure.
Why the Columns Still Matter
A column is a conversation with a reader over time. You build trust week by week, month by month, and over the years that trust becomes the most rewarding part of the work. I'm grateful to every editor and every publication that gave me the space to keep that conversation going.
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Captain Mike Whitehead
USCG licensed captain, host of Boathouse TV and the Boathouse Radio Show, newspaper columnist, author, and keynote speaker. Captain Mike has been America's premier boating voice since 1991 — sharing real stories, boating insights, and safety tips from a lifetime on the water.