Donald Street Jr., the indefatigable sailor and writer whose charts and guides to the Caribbean quite literally opened the islands to charterers and cruisers, has died in Glandore, Ireland, where he lived with his wife, Trich. Just 93 years old, he still regularly sailed his 87-year-old International Dragon, Gypsy, and according to Scuttlebutt Sailing News, he died on April 30 after spending the day working on Gypsy in preparation for the coming racing season.

Just last year, SAIL Cruising Editor Charles J. Doane visited Street in Ireland, where he joked about Gypsy’s age—“She’s trying to catch up to me”—and said he was looking forward to racing her in the 100th anniversary Dragon class regatta in 2029.

“Don Street first came into my life through his timeless tomes on seamanship I found on my parents’ bookshelves,” said SAIL Offshore Editor Andy Schell of 59° North Sailing, whose 2014 story in SAIL, “Don Street is Not Dead,” provides an excellent history of Street’s career and contributions to sailing. “His writing inspired my wife, Mia, and me to sail our first transatlantic via the northern route from St. Pierre to Crookhaven, Ireland. That’s where our personal friendship with Don began in 2011, when we met at his house in Glandore. Since then, Don’s been a mentor, colleague, and friend, always inspiring with his tireless passion about sailing, quick to reply to an email or phone call, and always pushing forward his ideas on seamanship. We will dearly miss him.”

Don Street grew up in Manhasset Bay on Long Island and at age 24 landed a gig as crew on Huey Long’s 53-foot Abeking & Rasmussen yawl Ondine, ending up as skipper, albeit briefly. Eventually he landed in the the U.S. Virgin Islands where in 1957 he bought the 1905, 46-foot yawl that would become synonymous with his name—Iolaire.

“When I first bought Iolaire, she had been noted as a fast boat but her weather helm was so bad that if you sailed on her for more than a month you would look like a orangutan, the weather helm having pulled your arms all the way down to your knees,” Don wrote on his website (street-iolaire.com). “I have succeeded in redesigning Iolaire’s rig to the rig she has today which is so well balanced, that my wife Trich, who weighs 100 lbs., can handle her in all but extreme conditions.”

The engineless Iolaire became the boat on which Street explored the islands at first using the only chart source he could find— a 1867 edition of Norie & Wilson’s Sailing Directions to the West Indies. He started taking notes and developed his own sailing instructions, which eventually became his Cruising Guide to the Lesser Antilles, published in 1966. He went on to publish many more guides and books, including The Ocean Sailing Yacht, volumes I and II, which became primary sources for a multitude of sailors.

In his SAIL story, Schell noted that: “In 1979, Tom Wilson of Imray Charts agreed that Street’s idea of charting the Caribbean would be ‘a nice little project.’ Street claims his wife thought income from what became known as Imray-Iolaire charts would at least provide whiskey to drink at boat shows. ‘There’s no way we’d be able to drink all the whiskey it’s provided!’ he says now with a chuckle. To this day Garmin, Navionics, Jefferson, and France-based Map Media, all continue to use information from Street’s Imray-Iolaire charts.”

Street also took credit—not necessarily with pleasure—at kick starting what is today’s bareboat charter industry. As described in Schell’s story, the charter trade in the 1960s and ’70s was hodge-podge to say the least, with a variety of boats that frequently broke down.

“To make a long story short, Street essentially talked through the design of a 41-foot purpose-built charter yacht with the principals of what would become Caribbean Sailing Yachts Corporation, CSY, sketching particulars on a napkin just prior to the New York Boat Show.” The concept was to get people to buy a boat and put it in charter, so they’d have access to it in the islands for a chunk of time each year and could help pay for it. In one show, he said, they took deposits on 37 boats.

Street became a passionate and prolific writer about all topics sailing, and on his website he tells a lively story about how it all started over having drinks with John Steinbeck—yes, that John Steinbeck—in Caneel Bay.

“The subject came up on writing and talent. It was kicked around for quite a long time, until finally Steinbeck said, ‘Hell forget all the B.S. on talent, becoming a good writer depends on your ability to put your ass on a hard wooden chair and look at the G.D. typewriter for six hours a day, seven days a week and pound something out. Eventually an editor will accept your work.’ Later that evening he turned to me and said, ‘Kid, you tell a good story. Why don’t you try writing?’ To which I replied, ‘But Mr. Steinbeck,’ ‘Never mind Mr. Steinbeck, call me John,’ ‘John, I can’t spell or punctuate.’ To which Mr. Steinbeck replied, ‘What the hell do you think secretaries and editors are for? Try writing. Go get me a drink.’ I went to the bar to get Steinbeck a drink and had to report that despite it being only 10:00 p.m., the bar was closed. Steinbeck said, ‘My God, this is a great place for newly weds and nearly deads. I don’t know what you characters are doing, but I’m going back to my room to wrap myself around my bottle of scotch. Good night.’ That started my writing career.”

In addition to the countless thousands of sailors who continue to benefit from Street’s work, he is survived by his wife, Trich, and children Dory, Donald, Richard, and Mark (Ted), and nine grandchildren.