Matt Murphy

Murphy, who grew up in Salem, Massachusetts, and graduated from Colby College before pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Rhode Island, has sailed and worked on wooden boats since age 10. He worked for Dutch Harbor Boat Yard in Jamestown, Rhode Island, repairing and refinishing wooden boats, before joining the WoodenBoat staff as associate editor in 1992. He succeeded founder Jonathan Wilson as editor in 1994. “Jon set an elegant tone and a high standard for WoodenBoat magazine nearly five decades ago.” Murphy said. “Those elements still guide everything we do.”