Capt Gary McIntyre
Gary has been a sailor for over fifty years. He 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. He has owned sailboats most of his life and currently has a 30 foot Catalina in Oak Harbor. Gary joined the Coupeville Maritime Heritage Foundation in 2016 and has been skippering Suva since that time.
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). Zach is a graduate of the University of Washington and the Northwest School of Wooden Boat building. 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 Gene Reynolds
Gene joined the Suva crew in 2022. Gene has been sailing for over twenty-five years and skippering vessels on the Puget Sound since 2006. He has lived aboard and sailed all over North and Central America including the Caribbean. He holds a 50 ton Near Coastal Master’s License with sailing and towing endorsements. A helicopter pilot by trade, Gene works full-time as an aviation manager for Life Flight Network in the PNW. During some of his free time, Gene also works as a part-time captain for National Geographic.
Capt Brian Vick
Brian caught the sailing bug 25 years ago while sailing with a friend on her little wooden sailboat —a 1946 Blanchard Sr. Knockabout. Soon after, he found himself on a six-day trip sailing from Whidbey Is. to the San Francisco Bay. Brian currently holds a USCG 50 Ton Masters with sailing and towing endorsements. He is the owner of four boats upon which he offers charters and lessons. He specializes in providing sightseeing tours peppered with historical information about the local Whidbey waters.