Nick Bellico hails from Connecticut where he fell in love with sailing at the age of eight. In the years that followed, he taught sailing to youngsters in Rhode Island and built a boat at the age of fifteen to race as a Junior Olympian. The experience of building a boat led him to the IYRS School in Rhode Island where he began formally honing his skills as a craftsman in boatbuilding and restoration. While at IYRS, he was offered a varnish job on the historic Dorade designed by Sparkman & Stephens. When he was done with the job, he was invited to be a crewmember and made mate within a year. On the Dorade, he sailed trans-Atlantic, throughout the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and Europe.

Nick made it back to IYRS after racing the Dorade, and it was then he became an ABYC Master Technician - certified in marine systems, diesel engines and electric systems. Upon completion, he interned at Brooklin Boat Yard, and the rest is history.

Today, Nick has performed almost every type of job at BBY. From shoveling rocks in the yard to managing major restorations, Nick has developed expertise in all facets of boatbuilding and restoration. He also takes tremendous pride in caring for and servicing his regular clients. “I love developing a trusting relationship with the owners of these boats,” Nick says, and “It’s important to honor the history of each boat- what this boat did forty years ago matters today. There’s a lot of pedigree in Brooklin Boat Yard boats.”