Team | NW Explorations

Entire Crew

Owner/Captain

Administration

Brokerage

Charters

Maintenance

Jen Haaland

Senior Technician 2013 - present

FUN FACT: In addition to being an ABYC Master Mechanic, Jen has a BA in Fine Arts from Seattle University.

BIO: Jen received her marine training from the Skagit Valley College Marine Maintenance Technology program and holds ABYC certifications in Marine Electrical, Corrosion, Gasoline, and Diesel Engines. She specializes in AC and DC electrical troubleshooting and has a passion for labeling.

Gina Crovetto

Charter Manager 2021 - present

Ken Bowles

Broker 2010 - present

FUN FACT: Ken entered the boating life at the age of 5 on east coast lakes aboard his family’s Catalina 30 houseboat—basically a tiny mobile home on an aluminum hull with a Johnson 40hp outboard stuck on the stern.

BIO: Growing up around boats, Ken has cruised the Intracoastal Waterway, sailed the Bahamas and Virgin Islands and spent that last 20 years enjoying the amazing cruising grounds of the Salish Sea. He and his wife have raised three daughters on the two Grand Banks they have owned since arriving in the PNW and have their sights set on The Great Loop one of these days. Ken holds a Coast Guard OUPV license.

Tracy Sarich

Corporate Captain 2022 - present

FUN FACT: I make a mean paella, love border collies, have a background in the decorative arts, and am a U.S. transplant from the midwest currently living on Vancouver Island (one of the best sailing grounds in the world).

BIO: I've been sailing recreationally since 2000 as a student and boat owner. In the course my sailing career, I have enjoyed the pleasures and pains of British Columbia's currents and tides, offshore deliveries, boat purchases and sails, and the preparation of hundreds of charter clients seeking to charter power and sail boats in the Pacific Northwest. I became an instructor to help new and experienced sailors and boaters build their skippering skills and confidence, pursue the dream of visiting distant shores, push their personal limits, and make their bluewater dreams come true.

Rob Bombardir

Broker 2022 - present

FUN FACT: I like to sing country music and do a mean Donald Duck.

BIO: I have always loved boats and people, I live in one of the most beautiful places in the world and on the door step to Desolation sound. Buying my first boat at 18 yrs old and always being on the water it was a very easy decision for me to come and work with NW explorations.

Matt Clark

Service Manager 2023 - present

Hannah Kingscote

2023 - present

Stephanie Wilson

Charter Sales 2023 - present

Matthew Sutherland

Detail Specialist - present

Randy Nulle

Broker 2019 - present

FUN FACT: Randy was part of a team that delivered the first ever charter boats to the kingdom of Tonga. The trip from Tampa, FL to Tonga was over 8,000 miles.

BIO: BIO: Randy has worked as a delivery skipper, a sailing instructor and is one of our current Power Boat instructors. He has raced twice from Los Angeles to Hawaii as well as many races & deliveries up and down the Pacific coast from Mexico to BC. He has transited the Panama Canal, sailed the south Pacific and is currently a USCG licensed captain. He's a 40 year veteran of the boating industry and has spent equal time in both the power and sail industries.

Tara Mace

Detailing Lead - present

Steve Nordtvedt

Broker 2019 - present

FUN FACT: Born during the Battle of Midway, Steve is convinced his arrival on this earth was the key factor in turning the tide of war in the Pacific.

BIO: Steve first worked at Uniflite, rising to division GM. He was CEO of Nordic Yachts, builder of sailing & power yachts. He was PM at Dakota Creek Ind., building high-speed ferries. Steve joined Titan Corp as Program Manager, building X-Craft, an advanced technology ship for the US Navy, 272-ft 50-knot catamaran. Currently, he supports the owners of the many vessels he has enjoyed building.

Jonathan Gant

Parts Coordinator 2023 - present

FUN FACT: Jonathan spent many years working in hockey. He has worked for the NCAA D1, ECHL, WHL, and NHL teams.

BIO: Jonathan was born in Alberta and is a dual citizen of Canada and the US. He moved from Alaska to Bellingham with his family in 2018. Jonathan lives with his wife and two daughters in Sudden Valley, He enjoys playing hockey and exploring the PNW with his family.

Nicholas Lerma

Marine Technician - present

Doug Bizer

Service Writer 2019 - present

FUN FACT: Doug was the technical director of the 50th anniversary production of Death of a Salesman. The show went on to win the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play that year and he had the honor of meeting playwright Arthur Miller.

BIO: Lifelong Chicagoan and boater, both of Doug’s grandfathers worked for Johnson Motors, Doug has spent the last 35 years in the live entertainment industry. His second act in life has brought him and his wife to the PNW to work in the marine industry and sail the Pacific Ocean. After attending Skagit Valley Tech School, he’s achieved ABYC advisor certification.

Patricia Brown

Charter Sales & Marketing 2023 - present

BIO: Born in Boston, MA and raised in Houston, TX. Mix the Yankee with the South and add the PNW, you’ve now met Patti Brown. Her and her husband moved to Bellingham in 2009 and have never looked back. She, along with her husband and daughter, Parker, love to sail and love the local cruising grounds. Having a passion for food, she is also the owner of Galley Girls, a catering/provisioning company for pleasure vessels. She grew up with a life on the water from Nantucket to Lake Houston and now calls the Puget Sound her home. She’s excited to be part of the NWE team!

Cher Peters

2023 - present

Ben Oliver

Charter Service Writer 2016 - present

FUN FACT: Ben is currently a student at Western Washington University, earning a degree in Plastics and Composites Engineering.

BIO: Ben grew up near Olympia, WA and later moved up to Bellingham to pursue higher education. Having been fortunate to live near the Puget Sound all of his life, he has undoubtedly found a love in boating. Up until recently Ben has only had experience with powerboats, however he hopes to soon expand that experience to include sailing.

Max Schildwachter

Composites Technician - present

Bruce Richmond

Marine Technician - present

Alan Conger

Marine Technician - present

Talia Piper

Marine Technician 2021 - present

FUN FACT: I didn’t get to see the ocean until I was 20 years old. When I finally made it to the coast I was mesmerized. I changed my entire life plan, packed up, sold my house, and never looked back.

BIO: I was born and raised in Colorado. I moved to the PNW to learn everything I could about boats and life on the water. I love my job and I feel so lucky to live in such a beautiful place!

Jeanine Edwards

Lead Detailer 2019 - present

FUN FACT: I'm not too sure how to answer this one! I used to be a baton twirler and a figure skater, briefly, but those things require co-ordination!!

BIO: I am the proud mom of 3 grown children, Coral, Nicholas, and Ryan, as well as the proud grandmother to Yvonne, Hayden and Tatum.

Scott Blake

Broker 1991 - present

FUN FACT: Scott bought his first GB at 27, a 36 Sedan that he lived aboard, then being afflicted so young, bought five more of various sizes and models over the last 30 years. It's an incurable disease but fortunately not terminal.. :-

BIO: Scott has been with our company for 31 years, has been to the Grand Banks factory many times, has run boats and enjoyed our flotillas from San Diego to Prince William Sound and has helped hundreds of customers buy and sell Grand Banks and other cruising yachts. He has enjoyed cruising both his boats, RV's and motorcycles and has traveled the world a bit, with some fun warm water diving in some lovely spots...everyday is an adventure in life.

Daniel Armstrong

Marine Technician 2023 - present

Wyatt Piper

Marine Technician 2021 - present

Vanessa Pena

Detail Specialist - present

Savannah Griffiths

2023 - present

Nathan Parker

Marine Technician 2023 - present

FUN FACT: Nate is converting a fire rescue truck from 1987 into a 4wd camper to make exploring Washingtons forest roads and wilderness easier.

BIO: Nate grew up boating on lakes in New Hampshire where he fell in love with being on the water. After high school he went to Lakes Region Community College for Marine Technology and started his career as a Marine Technician. At 23, Nate moved across the country to Bellingham WA and has gained experience in the northwest marine trades since 2017. Outside of work he enjoys mountain biking, motorcycling, skiing, boating and many other activities that the PNW offers.

Matt Johnson

Marine Technician 2021 - present

FUN FACT: I've worked as Global Outreach Coordinator managing volunteers around the world for a global marine conservation organization. I hold an MA in Leadership and Education, and I'm an award winning art director in animation.

BIO: Originally from Tennessee, I moved to the PNW in 1996 in search of cooler weather, mountains, and salt air. I love road trips into the mountains in search of rivers to swim in, hot springs to soak in, and to the coast for beaches to comb. I try to make it to Vancouver Island as often as I can for city trips into Victoria, and getaways to places like Tofino and Cortes Island (in search of wild wolves). I attended the Marine Maintenance program at Skagit Valley College and earned my certificate in Marine electrical as well as my NMEA and ABYC certifications.

Jackson van Pelt

Detail Specialist - present

Chris Fairbanks

Training Manager 2012 - present

FUN FACT: In Boy Scouts I built a canoe. Later I built a tugboat for Sherlock Holmes in a production of ‘The Curse of the Sign of the Four’. I built a sailboat and then learned to sail. I build furniture now.

BIO: Chris has 25 years of experience operating pleasure boats and fishing vessels in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. He holds a USCG 100-ton Captain’s license and is a certified powerboat and sailing instructor. Chris has been teaching powerboat operations, navigation and seamanship for NW Explorations for 10 years. He is one of our captains of the Southeast Alaska flotilla.

Michael Labuschagne

Charter Sales 2023 - present

FUN FACT: My birthplace and home, South Africa, boasts the famed "Big Five" – lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhinoceros – captivating hearts with its extraordinary wildlife diversity.

BIO: From Cape Town's shores, my Afrikaans heart longed for the sea. Now a Sales Charter Yacht Specialist, I fuse maritime passion with sales mastery, crafting unforgettable nautical experiences.

Dane Bahr

Marine Technician - present

Lucas MacDonald

Lead Technician 2013 - present

FUN FACT: Lucas once drove a VW Bus from Fairbanks (-12 degrees) to Phoenix (110 degrees) in eight days, driving backwards through the seasons along the way.

BIO: At 9 weeks, Lucas started crawling around boats in Minnesota and things haven't changed much. He moved to Washington and became an ABYC Certified Master Marine Technician at the Skagit Valley College Marine Technology Center. When he's not working on customer's boats, he tries to be out on (or working on) his boat or enjoying the rest the PNW has to offer.

Samuelle Bernard

Detail Specialist 2021 - present

Ross & Evie Tennant

Owners 2017 - present

FUN FACT: In college, Ross worked as a logger in Haida Gwaii, but after meeting Evie wanted to work closer to home in Victoria and took a job driving old, British Leyland double-decker buses for the summers.

BIO: Ross and Evie met when they were 17 and have been together for 40 years. They have three grown boys and granddaughter they are nuts about. Family times revolve around boating and skiing. Ross’s career was in the software and technology sector (Canada and US), with a transition 15 years ago into land development. Evie focused on creating a great home environment for their family.

David Tanchin

Detail Specialist 2022 - present

Debbie Curry

Staff Account 2017 - present

FUN FACT: I love to decorate cakes in my spare time!

BIO: Born and raised in a small town in Missouri moved to WA in 2000 and have been here ever since. I have two grown sons and a 4 year old granddaughter. I love the ocean and whale watching. In my spare time I love spending time with my family.

Oliver Brown

Detail Technician - present

Owen Brown

Director of Operations 2015 - present

FUN FACT: Owen is an avid sailboat racer with two Newport to Cabo races (1st place), two crossings to Hawaii (2nd and 3rd places) and held a spot in the pro Farr40 fleet North American circuit.

BIO: Hailing from Nova Scotia, Owen moved to Bellingham in 2009. He lives aboard his 44’ sailboat with his wife, daughter and dogs. With a passion for cruising. they moved to California for 2 years aboard their Catalina 36' and returned to Bellingham with their current boat, delivering it all the way from Mexico. Owen holds his USCG OUPV Captain’s license and enjoys the surroundings of the San Juans.

Sophia Knabb

Charter Administration 2023 - present

FUN FACT: Sophia played college hockey in Missouri before returning home to Bellingham to finish her degree!

BIO: Sophia is currently a student at WWU studying marine ecology. Originally from Boulder, CO, she moved to Bellingham in 2005. Growing up with a family who loved to explore the coast, she fell in love with spending her free time on the water. Eventually, being lucky enough to find a job where she gets to do just that!

Lee Chapoton

Marketing Manager 2020 - present

FUN FACT: If he could have any super power, Lee would want to speak every language known to man. Unsure as to why, but thinks it'd be fun.

BIO: Lee grew up on and around boats in Louisiana where his family owned a seafood business. After graduating high school, he spent the better part of his adult life working on various aircraft in the U.S. Air Force. After marrying a girl from Canada, and two college degrees later, he is now back working around boats once again, this time in colder and deeper waters, and with far less alligators.

Morgan Beebe

Marine Technician - present

Berenis Burge

Accounting Assistant - present

Preston Sant

Lead Composites Technician 2019 - present

Warren Penner

Shore Support 2021 - present

FUN FACT: I find it difficult to decide which is better: sailing or riding motorcycles.

BIO: Fixing stuff and fabricating stuff makes me happy.

Tarilyn McSorley

Detail Specialist - present

Isabella Brunoro

2023 - present

THE TEAM