Captain Ben Doerr — Life on the Salish Sea (Bainbridge Island Review)
Our captain’s sailing roots began with childhood outings off Florida with his grandfather and racing on Lake Michigan after high school; he and his wife moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2003 and settled on Bainbridge Island, where the hobby became a lifestyle. Now in its 11th season, Sail Bainbridge operates TRUE, a 44-foot Pearson Countess ketch designed by renowned naval architect John Alden that carries nearly 900 sq. ft. of sail and weighs about 32,000 pounds, built for comfort and seaworthiness in the Salish Sea. He is a U.S. Coast Guard–licensed captain with more than 5,000 offshore miles (from the West Coast to the North Sea), wilderness first aid training, and deep local knowledge of marine life and waterways. Sail Bainbridge serves many Bainbridge residents and regional guests, with long-term relationships and repeat clients a highlight—last year our charters logged 22 whale encounters, up from an earlier average of 6–10 per season—and beyond charters he partners with the Puget Sound Restoration Fund, running a dive boat for kelp research and supporting roughly 30 dives since last June.




