About us

Stephen began sailing as a child in Cape Town, South Africa. At age sixteen he sailed with his family across the Atlantic to South America and on to the Caribbean on a 37’ catamaran. After finishing high school and working on charter sailboats for a few years he undertook an apprenticeship in yacht rigging at highly successful FKG Rigging in Sint Maarten.

After five years of rigorous training at FKG, he moved to the UK with his wife and while there co-founded Brighton Rigging at Brighton Marina. Two years later he found himself in Michigan and began offering his services as a mobile yacht rigger.

After a successful run in Michigan, his wife’s educational requirements took them to East Tennessee where he continued to operate as a mobile yacht rigger, servicing the inland lakes of western North Carolina, East Tennessee, middle Tennessee, and southern Kentucky. During this time he founded “The Yacht Rigger” and grew it into a successful mobile mast and rigging company. He also set up a web store selling parts across the United States and South America and a global consultation service.

After four years in Tennessee he and his wife moved south to St Petersburg, Florida for a life on the coast. He is now offering his services as a mobile yacht rigger and mast supplier in the Tampa Bay area while partnering with suppliers and brands with whom he has developed great working relationships over the past decade.

“Boats, in particular sail boats, have a profound effect on me. I find my mind wanders to boats naturally and my wife since 2000 would tell you “I will ‘talk boat’ with anyone”. I’m fascinated by the forces of nature that intersect with man’s ability to make a vessel that works on principles of compromise.

My career began in metal fabrication welding jobs such as bridges, structural steel, and airport equipment. My attention to detail, problem solving and artistic abilities led to finer work fabricating furniture, museum pieces, and precision machinery parts.

My passion for sailing started at age 15, when I reunited with my estranged father, a life-long sailor, who at the time lived aboard a motor-sailor. He took me on my first sail leaving St. Petersburg under the Skyway Bridge. This short trip around Egmont sparked a passion within me to sail and a desire to figure out the physics behind the power. I bought my first boat at 18 years old and my first sailboat at 23.

Fortunately my career path in metal fabrication and my obsession with being on the water had their own kind of intersection. In 2006 I began working as a spar builder and custom marine fabricator at J.S.I. (then changed to Island Nautical). I particularly enjoy working as a prototype fabricator and gravitate toward custom work beyond just masts and spars.

During the recession I honed my salesman skills and sold impact windows and doors for 5 years. Windows are not as fun to talk about as boats….

So, here I am- let’s “talk boat”!

My first experience of sailing was on 505 dinghies in South African inland waters when I was seventeen. We entered many competitions and even did some offshore racing. Once in Durban we all had our spinnakers up and a gale came from nowhere and almost the whole fleet was rolled over, damaging many masts and boats. This didn't deter me and I still loved being on the ocean. Then I met someone who needed a captain for his 50-ton fishing boat. I did the necessary courses and skippered his boat on many weekends, also helping him maintain it.

Later I got my own small fishing boat and had many adventures with it. We had to launch from the beach in Durban and I have a sequence of photos showing us launching into a twenty-five foot back line.

For a while we moved inland but the ocean was calling and my family and I moved to Cape Town. It was there that we made the momentous decision to buy a cruising sailboat, a 37' catamaran that had only been partially completed internally. I set about making her seaworthy and learnt a lot very quickly. We even had a lightning strike and I had a quick lesson in AC and DC electricity when I had to re-wire the boat. I fitted all the electronic equipment. I did the plumbing, fitting all the seacocks, two new heads and fresh and salt-water hoses and faucets.

My family and I set sail from South Africa in 2001. This first offshore voyage to St Helena took 18 days and we were very happy to find the tiny island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. We sailed on to Brazil and the Caribbean. We really enjoyed life on the boat but after a few years made the decision to sell her and went to live in England.

We bought another catamaran in 2007 and this one needed a complete refit. What a sucker for punishment! I replaced the engine and stern drive myself. I replaced all the windows and hatches. I did the carpentry, replacing bulkheads, fitting doors and converting part of the saloon into a double cabin with lots of storage. I insulated the boat with a two-part spray-on high-density foam and fitted head lining throughout. I redid all the electrics, fitted the electronics and solar panels and two wind generators. I also did the plumbing and propane fitting.

Finally she was ready and we sailed from England in 2014 across the Atlantic to Antigua via Madeira and Gran Canaria. We spent time revisiting the Caribbean before arriving in the USA a year later. Sailing and boats are a way of life for me. This fits well with another one of my hobbies, fishing. If I'm not working on a boat I’m fishing from one!

William Pregliasco or Will as he prefers, learned to sail in the boy scouts at a young age and was hooked. First introduced to racing on the lakes and rivers back in Kentucky, Will knew staying landlocked wasn't an option. Moving to Florida four years ago, Will has immersed himself into the sailing culture here in St. Petersburg and the surrounding areas. Participating in everything from Thursday night beer can racing at Davis Island Yacht club to the boat of the year series, several Noods regattas, two years at Charleston race week and the SORC island series. Starting at Island Nautical (formerly JSI), a short stint at Mauripro, Will has landed with us here at The Yacht Rigger where he hope's to grow his knowledge of all things sailing. Will is a floater, just like his position on the boats and crews he sails with; primarily part of the store and office staff, parts research, you can also find him in the boatyard and out on jobs helping the mobile rigging teams as needed. Will has big plans for the future with the largest goal being the Pacific Cup. He and three friends are currently rebuilding a Hobie 33 to make the journey to Hawaii. When not sailing, you can usually find Will and his fiancé working on their new house or at the local bar enjoying a nice IPA.

Nicole grew up sailing on the Gulf Coast and started racing sailboats when she was 11. From there it sparked her love of sailing and competitive racing. Currently on the weekends she enjoys racing in the phrf fleet on various boats. Before working at The Yacht Rigger she coached youth sailing for 10 years, traveling with competitive teams all over the country. She's really just seas-ing the day at The Yacht Rigger.

From the most amazing moments to being face to face with death, sailing will always be my favorite way to spend my time. I started my sailing journey at seven years old, and since then I have sailed a ton of miles dingy racing and coaching. Rigging as a career has taught me so much about not only sailing, but people and the world around me. I found my passion working on my boat and others as well. I am a sailor helping sailors. My goal is to make your dreams come true in the most exciting, calming and effective way.

I'm knot shore if you noticed, but I'm on a boat.

Glenn R. Mooney was born in New England in 1953. (Yes, that was a real year.) He attended Northeastern University in Boston for a few years but dropped out to move to Florida in 1973 where he could ride his motorcycle year round.

In 1980 Glenn accomplished two life goals:
He received his 50-Ton Master's License for both power boats and auxiliary sail.
He was also accepted as a member in Mensa.

He has sailed to five foreign countries including a paid delivery of a 36-foot Pearson ketch to Columbia. (No, it wasn't a drug run.)

Glenn has been a professional sailboat rigger for over 20 years and hates computers.

Sailing, for me, is an opportunity. An opportunity to follow in the footsteps of some of the greatest and most accomplished in history. Explorers, conqueror’s, and moneymakers of the past, most of them sailors. I have always admired sailors and there seemingly infinite knowledge of the natural world. Even now, I am fascinated when I see sailors read the wind and waves like words in a book. They can anticipate squalls and determine the tide using just their senses, wind direction and puffs determined while eyes are closed. I crave such deep and intimate knowledge of something so vast as the sea and skies. I hope one day to be such a proficient sailor. Until that day, I count myself incredibly lucky to be learning the ins and outs from both Steve and Brian. Each day I learn so much; my aim now is to be an exceptional rigger. The better I am at rigging the better a sailor I know I will be. My wish now is to do right by the yacht rigger and by extension all the yacht riggers customers. I will see you out on the water! Schooner rather than later.

Bart Blankenship's grandfather taught him to sail off Anna Maria Island when he was 15. After which, he was always taking family and friends out sailing.
He served 6 years in the Navy on ship as a nuclear engineer.
Rock climbing has also been a huge passion and he's been up El Capitan and Half Dome in Yosemite. He says big wall climbing has really helped with rigging yachts and working well off the Deck.
He's sailed his own boats twice to the Bahamas and three times to Cuba. Once, taking his mom for her birthday to Cuba to give away baseball gear to girls.
He holds a 50 ton Masters License with sailing and towing endorsement and has delivered sailboats to and from the Caribbean.
He's also taught climbing and sailing for Outward Bound for 25 years. He says working at The Yacht Rigger is his dream job.

Last night I watched a documentary on how ships were built...
It was riveting.