meet
the
crew
With over 300,000 nautical miles of combined sailing experience, these pirates in crime are excited about empowering YOU to start your sailing journey! Learn from them in our liveaboard sailing course in Mexico!
CAPTAIN BRADY TRAUTMAN
More commonly known as Señor Brady, this salty pirate has been cruising around the globe for over a decade across the Pacific, Indian, Atlantic and Arctic Oceans.
As a seasoned captain, trusty weather man, certified dive instructor and co-founder of the Academy, he has sailed over 80,000+ nautical miles, exploring 45 countries. Brady holds his US Coast Guard 100 Ton captains license and has worked on vessels ranging from 48-150 ft.
As the official Admiral of Cruisers Academy's ever growing fleet of sailboats, Brady shines at maintaining vessels and teaching while doing so.
You can always count on Brady for a
good time, cool head and the inside scoop.
Connect with Brady on Instagram
CAPTAIN ALEX BLUE
Alex, aka Blue, was led to the ocean by her love of photography and traveling. Blue's eye for photo, film and design drives the artistic edge behind Cruisers Academy's culture.
Her sailing adventures started with a rag tag crew in South America, which eventually led three Atlantic crossings, obtaining her USCG Captains License, and co-founding the Academy. Along with being a dive enthusiast, filmmaker, avid snowboarder and cowgirl, she has racked up 35,000 nautical miles and many years of living aboard sailboats.
Blue's natural ability to organize thoughts clearly into digestible curriculums and bring ideas to life, means her focus these days is on business development and creating for the Youtube Channel.
Connect with Blue on Instagram
captain Ryan Noble
Ryan, also known as Captain Noble, moved to Lake Tahoe for “one winter” 20 years ago, and never left! He and his brother bought a boat and a book and cut their teeth, learning to sail on Lake Tahoe.
After 10 years of lake life, Ryan and his wife bought a cruising boat in 2019 and lived aboard for 4 years full time, logging 15,000 nautical miles throughout the Caribbean, South and Central America, and Mexico.
Before sailing, Ryan was an instructor in the industrial rigging industry for many years where his teaching skills and attention to safety developed into a way life. These days you will find him playing with his Catalina 27' on Lake Tahoe or spending time aboard ‘Wabi Sabi’, their cruising boat in Mexico. Ryans attitude towards life and sailing is 100% Cruisers Academy style, and we are honored to have him running trips in both Tahoe and Mexico!
CAPTAIN PHOEBE ROGERS
Captain Phoebe discovered the camaraderie and empowerment of sailing while racing on Lake Tahoe during the yacht club’s Wednesday night series. After meeting Blue and Brady during the COVID years, she knew she wanted to build a life around sailing and sharing it with others. Her first cruising experience was in Baja, Mexico and since then she has logged over 20,000 nautical miles as a professional sailor.
Phoebe holds both her RYA Yachtmaster Offshore and USCG licenses and has taught on everything from dinghies on Lake Tahoe to offshore passages with novice sailors. She has crossed both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and completed much of her training in the English Channel. An integral part of our Women’s Program with the Ebb and Flow Organization, Phoebe is passionate about making sailing accessible, empowering, and transformative for all.
CAPTAIN heather richard
Heather is a USCG Captain, live-aboard mother of three, and has been sailing since the age of 4! She raced competitively on the Boston University sailing team, has worked for the US Navy in Japan, Sail Carribean Voyages, Modern Sailing School, Tall Ship Matthew Turner, the Saint Francis Yacht Club, and even raced with the America’s Cup.
In 2014 she purchased and refit her own sailboat, and lives aboard with her 3 children in a maritime co-op in Sausalito. Heather is passionate about volunteering with youth programs and welcoming people of color who have traditionally not had access to sailing.
Heathers safety record, attention to customer service, and wide range of experience in a huge variety of vessels is rare among sailors, and even more rare among women in this industry!
Read more about Heather here.
captain jon totten
Jon was born and raised in Wisconsin where fell in love with the great outdoors as a young boy. He headed west to Idaho at the age of 18 in search of a higher education and a career in the wilderness. Idaho’s vast mountains, rivers, and lakes didn’t let him down. Upon graduation from the University of Idaho, Jon became a professional outdoor educator with the North Idaho College Outdoor Pursuits program where he spent 12 years leading countless adventures and falling deeply in love with sailing. Jon would eventually earn his USCG Captain’s license and leave college to work as a professional sailor, piloting boats in the San Juan Islands of Washington state and throughout the Caribbean Sea.
Jon has returned to North Idaho and created a non-profit named 'Dogsmile Adventures,' an organization offering therapeutic sailing opportunities for EVERYONE!
Read more about Jon here.
Captain Zac
Zac grew up in a small fishing town on Long Island, New York, where the ocean was part of everyday life, but it wasn’t until he bought his first boat at nineteen, a Catalina 27, that he truly fell in love with sailing. Drawn equally to the mountains and the sea, he pursued a degree in Sustainability and Outdoor Adventure Leadership in Lake Tahoe, splitting his time between alpine terrain and offshore horizons. Summers found him in the Caribbean, crewing on a wide range of vessels and building real offshore experience the only way that matters by doing it.
After earning his USCG Captain’s License, Zac connected with Cruisers Academy, where mentorship and community helped guide him into larger offshore sailing, and he now captains on Lake Tahoe, helping others step confidently into sailing themselves.
He is the owner of Wabi Sabi, his liveaboard cruising sailboat, which he purchased from a fellow Cruisers Academy captain, and is currently sailing the coast of Mexico while preparing for a global voyage. With a calm attitude, hands-on teaching style, and real stoke for the lifestyle, Zac helps people see what’s possible for themselves out there.
Kira KESSEL
Kira grew up in the Bay Area where she first learned to sail (and race) on smaller dinghies. During the summers she frequently visited Tahoe, boating on the lake and enjoying the outdoors.
After graduating from UC Berkeley, she spent six months sailing from San Francisco to New Zealand with family and friends. Although she had spent some time on catamarans in the BVI and French Polynesia, and knew she loved life on the water, this trip solidified her passion for boat life.
Following that trip, she spent the following half of the year in Australia, connecting with other sailors and upon returning to the U.S., completed the CA-1 course on Lake Tahoe.
After getting to know the crew at Cruisers, we asked her to come aboard and help write and run business operations. Kira's love for the environment, adventurous spirit, and experience sailing have made her a great addition to the team!
