Exploring the Puget Sound with local sailing expert

Published 1:30 am Thursday, June 25, 2026

The wind and water have shaped Ben Doerr’s life for as long as he can remember. What began as childhood sails with his grandfather off the Atlantic Coast of Florida has since grown into a way of life. “I fell in love with it,” said Doerr. “I really loved going sailing with him. That’s where I got the hook in me.”

The day after his high school graduation in Missouri, Doerr drove to Michigan with a friend and raced on a boat on Lake Michigan for a season. “I really loved the whole sailing thing, but did not love the racing thing,” laughed Doerr. Though racing wasn’t for him, the experience deepened his connection to life on the water, something that would resurface years later.

Doerr and his wife, who is originally from New Zealand, moved to Seattle in 2003. Being by the water, they went on the hunt for a boat. After having kids and moving to Bainbridge Island, the opportunity approached them when they purchased a small Catalina 22. “We sailed it constantly for the three years we had it, but I was pining for a bigger boat,” said Doerr. “We got a 28-foot boat; it was junky, but it was a dream to me. We went to the San Juan Islands and really loved it, and I realized we had to make this a lifestyle.”

Wanting a bigger boat came with higher expenses, so with his sea time saved up, Doerr decided to get his captain’s license to run a charter. “The rest is history,” said Doerr, as they are now heading into their eleventh season of Sail Bainbridge.

“The business worked,” Doerr added. “It has grown in a really beautiful way over the years.”

Now, as an owner, caretaker, and captain of his classic sailing yacht, TRUE, Doerr shares his love for being on the water with his community. About half of Sail Bainbridge’s clients are Bainbridge Islanders or from the surrounding area, but people from all over the world have set out to the Salish Sea with Doerr, he shared.

World-renowned naval architect John Alden designed TRUE. Alden designed over 1,000 boats in his career before he passed away in 1962 at the age of 78. “His work, without question, represents great American boat design, and our 44-foot Pearson Countess Ketch, TRUE, is no exception,” said Doerr.

TRUE is a sturdy, ocean-going vessel designed for moving through calm and rough seas alike, suitable for the waters of the Salish Sea. The vessel carries three working sails at a total sail area of almost 900 square feet, weighing 32,000 pounds total.

In addition to a decade and many miles of experience sailing the Puget Sound and greater Salish Sea, Doerr has over 5,000 miles of offshore sailing background from the West Coast of the U.S. to the North Sea. He has sailed from Sweden to Scotland, Key West to Bermuda, the Caribbean to Maryland, and around the British Virgin Islands. He is also a U.S. Coast Guard-licensed captain and trained in wilderness first aid.

Sail Bainbridge has become Doerr’s lifestyle. Not only does he charter and sail around the Puget Sound, but he also makes connections through his work that have led to further opportunities. Almost a year ago, he began working with Puget Sound Restoration Fund, running a diving boat that he owns for kelp research. Since he began working with PSRF last June, Doerr has assisted the research team on about 30 dives.

“There’s so many rewarding aspects of this job; I really do love it,” said Doerr. “I get to go sailing all day with friends. I really do make a lot of friends through this. I have regulars that have been with me since 2018, in our early seasons. There are families that come out every summer multiple times a year. I think the long-term relationships made through this and seeing people love it so much that they come back for years is really cool.”

A large aspect of Sail Bainbridge is not simply getting to set sail on a boat, but all of the experiences encompassed throughout the journey. Last year, Doerr had 22 whale encounters from his sailings, which has increased rapidly from an average of 6 to 10 sightings per year in past years.

For Doerr, the hook that first took hold when he was a young boy has never let go. “Getting to share the rich natural history and culture of the Salish Sea with others is really amazing,” said Doerr. “As part of that, the nature is incredible. I really do love where I live and getting to share that with others.”