All of our captains as USCG Licensed and are highly qualified to ensure a safe, fun outing on board Suva.  We’d like to tell you a little bit about them…so here they are, listed alphabetically:

Capt Gary McIntyre

Gary has been a sailor for over fifty years, starting on a 16 foot sunfish.  He has owned sailboats most of his life and currently has a 30 foot Catalina in Oak Harbor.  Gary obtained his U.S. Merchant Marine Officers License in 2008 when he moved to Whidbey Island.  When he was the Commodore for Whidbey Island Naval Sailing Association (WINSA), he trained navy personnel for recreational sailing. Gary joined the Coupeville Maritime Heritage Foundation in  2016 and has been skippering Suva since that time. Contact Captain Mac at mcintyre.g@gmail.com

Capt Zachary Simonson-Bond Zach grew up in Coupeville. After high school he fell in love with traditional sailing aboard the historic schooner Adventuress (1913). After serving on Adventuress for a number of seasons and in a variety of positions, he went back east to Camden, ME where he sailed on the schooners Mary Day (1962) and Lewis R. French (1871). Zach is a graduate of the University of Washington and the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding. He is also an alumni from Skagit Valley College’s Marine Maintenance Technology program. When not operating the schooner Suva, Zach runs his own business inspecting vessels: Kingspoke Marine Surveying, and is often accompanied by his golden retriever Bosun.

Capt Eugene Reynolds

Want to become a Suva Captain?

To become a Suva captain, you must be a member of the CMHF,  be a Suva crew member, and hold a USCG Master’s license with a sailing endorsement.  While completing our Suva crew personal qualifications training through First Mate, we will submit your sailing resume to the insurance carrier. When you are approved by the insurance company, you will sail as a Captain Trainee with our experienced Suva Captains until you are thoroughly checked out on Suva.  Upon the recommendation of three current captains with whom you have sailed, you will be recommended to the Board of Directors for upgrade to Suva Captain.