Your Captain and Crew
Captain Brett Derr
Captain Brett holds a 100-ton USCG Masters license with a Great Lakes and Sailing Endorsements. He has been sailing professionally on traditionally rigged sailing vessels for 17 years; the last 12 of which have been on Lake Michigan and Grand Traverse Bay. He is very passionate about Great Lakes and sailing history. He currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Maritime Heritage Alliance and is an active participating partner with the Discovery Center Great Lakes. In the off season Captain Brett works as a teacher of Science and Business at Traverse City Central High School.
Captain Brett, along with his wife Heather, started the Compass Rose Sailing Co. in 2021. They are very happy to invite you aboard beautiful Althea for an unforgettable experience on Grand Traverse Bay.
Compass Rose Sailing Co. was featured in Northern Michigan Magazine last summer. Click the link to read more
Ethan Gerds
Eagle scout and NMC alum, Ethan is working his 5th season as a professional sailor. He is currently enrolled at Michigan Tech studying the correlation of GPA and mango margaritas. Next spring he will enter a masters program focused on environmental policy.
Jack Smiley
Jack is entering his 4th summer season as a professional sailor. Though originally from Kentucky by way of Missouri by way of Texas; he now calls a live-aboard sailboat home in Florida when he is not sailing on the Great Lakes. Jack is an aspiring novelist and is working on his Merchant Mariner Credential to captain sail cargo vessels in Alaska.
