GET TO KNOW US

LEARN. SAIL. DISCOVER.

We are Grays Harbor Historical Seaport, a 501 (c)(3) educational non-profit public development authority based in Aberdeen, Washington. For more than 25 years, we have provided hands on education opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds aboard the tall ship Lady Washington. With a focus on teamwork and empowerment, our programs explore our shared history and our daily connections to the world’s oceans.

Check out our Strategic Plan.

Our Mission

Provide Educational and Recreational Experiences that Connect our Maritime History.

Our Values

Integrity
Responsibility
Stewardship
Collaboration
Innovation

Our Vision

Our Vessel, Programs, and Facilities will be Nationally Recognized Examples of Best Practices and Innovative Excellence.

MEET THE CREW

The crew of Lady Washington is a tight-knit community of Grays Harbor sailors. They are bright, skilled, hilarious, and come from all over the US, as well as overseas. Many of them got their start in our Two Weeks Before the Mast program. If you’d like to join our crew, check out our Jobs page.

Lady Washington Crew 2020
Lady Washington Crew
— 2020 —

BEHIND THE SCENES

Behind-the-scenes our wonderful staff are always hard at work to keep our vessel sailing!  Say hello…

Brandi Bednarik
Brandi BednarikExecutive Director
Brandi discovered a love for non-profit work when she joined the Seaport. Her background is mostly in the private sector of construction finance and management. Brandi believes strongly in our mission and in providing opportunities for education and maritime career growth.

Brandi is a local Harborite, who currently resides in Montesano with her family. She attended Aberdeen High School before getting an Associate’s degree at Grays Harbor Community College.

Hali Boyd
Hali BoydSeafarer Collective Director
Hali is the Director of the Seafarer Collective program, and got her start in the maritime industry as a Grays Harbor sailor onboard the Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain. She continued her training on a variety of tall ships including Virginia, Mary Day, Unicorn and Tole More before making a move to the commercial sector onboard Columbia River cruise ships and tugboats. Hali has a BA in Medical Anthropology from UC Berkeley, her 100 ton Captains license and AB Special credential. When she isn’t on the water, she enjoys working with reclaimed wood and power lifting.
Halee Grimes
Halee GrimesSenior Chief Mate
Halee is originally from Florida, but now lives aboard her own sailboat in Astoria, Oregon when not onboard Lady Washington. She has sailed on ships covering four centuries of rig design including Kalmar Nyckel, Bounty, Pride of Baltimore 2, and Robert C. Seamans.

Halee has a B.A. in History and Anthropology from Flagler College. When she’s not sailing she can be found knitting or exploring nearby beaches.

Jamie Trost
Jamie TrostPort Captain
Captain Trost spent most of his teenage years racing on modern boats and rowing shells. He was captain of the Crew team at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, where he earned his degree in Professional and Creative Writing.

Over the past 21 years, Captain Trost has served aboard some of the finest sailing ships on the East, West, Great Lakes, and Gulf Coasts, including Sultana, Pride of Baltimore II, Lynx, Gazela, Elissa, Roseway, and, of course, Lady Washington.

Richard Lauridsen
Richard LauridsenInstructor
Richard Lauridsen currently works for GHHS in fundraising and is the instructor for our Seafarer Collective’s Recreational Marlinspike program. Richard’s background is in education where he was a public and private school teacher for fifteen years. Shortly after completing his Master’s in Educational Administration, he joined the GHHS team. Richard holds a USCG 25 Ton Master’s license and is a certified American Sailing Association instructor, teaching bareboat certification courses and working as a sailboat charter Captain. The San Juan archipelago and Canada’s Gulf Islands are where he spends his time sailing when not working at GHHS.
Kaylie Borden O'Brien
Kaylie Borden O'BrienEducation Coordinator
Kaylie Borden O’Brien is a teacher and mariner living in Midcoast Maine. She began her maritime career as a two-week volunteer on Lady Washington and has since sailed a number of contracts as Education Coordinator with GHHSA. Her career at sea has taken her up and down both coasts on a variety of tall ships, including Sultana, Soundwaters, Mary E, and Angelique. She’s ever seeking to combine her two loves of education and sailing, and instructing classes for The Seafarer Collective is an ideal combination of the two.

Kaylie holds a 100-ton Inland Master’s License and AB Special and Sail endorsements, as well as degrees in History and Political Science.

GET TO KNOW US

LEARN. SAIL. DISCOVER.

We are Grays Harbor Historical Seaport, a 501 (c)(3) educational non-profit public development authority based in Aberdeen, Washington. For more than 25 years, we have provided hands on education opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds aboard the tall ship Lady Washington. With a focus on teamwork and empowerment, our programs explore our shared history and our daily connections to the world’s oceans.

Check out our Strategic Plan.

Our Mission

Provide Educational and Recreational Experiences that Connect our Maritime History.

Our Values

Integrity
Responsibility
Stewardship
Collaboration
Innovation

Our Vision

Our Vessel, Programs, and Facilities will be Nationally Recognized Examples of Best Practices and Innovative Excellence.

MEET THE CREW

The crew of Lady Washington is a tight-knit community of Grays Harbor sailors. They are bright, skilled, hilarious, and come from all over the US, as well as overseas. Many of them got their start in our Two Weeks Before the Mast program. If you’d like to join our crew, check out our Jobs page.

Lady Washington Crew 2020
Lady Washington Crew
— 2020 —

BEHIND THE SCENES

Behind-the-scenes our wonderful staff are always hard at work to keep our vessel sailing!  Say hello…

Brandi Bednarik
Brandi BednarikExecutive Director
Brandi discovered a love for non-profit work when she joined the Seaport. Her background is mostly in the private sector of construction finance and management. Brandi believes strongly in our mission and in providing opportunities for education and maritime career growth.

Brandi is a local Harborite, who currently resides in Montesano with her family. She attended Aberdeen High School before getting an Associate’s degree at Grays Harbor Community College.

Hali Boyd
Hali BoydSeafarer Collective Director
Hali is the Director of the Seafarer Collective program, and got her start in the maritime industry as a Grays Harbor sailor onboard the Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain. She continued her training on a variety of tall ships including Virginia, Mary Day, Unicorn and Tole More before making a move to the commercial sector onboard Columbia River cruise ships and tugboats. Hali has a BA in Medical Anthropology from UC Berkeley, her 100 ton Captains license and AB Special credential. When she isn’t on the water, she enjoys working with reclaimed wood and power lifting.
Jamie Trost
Jamie TrostPort Captain
Captain Trost spent most of his teenage years racing on modern boats and rowing shells. He was captain of the Crew team at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, where he earned his degree in Professional and Creative Writing.

Over the past 21 years, Captain Trost has served aboard some of the finest sailing ships on the East, West, Great Lakes, and Gulf Coasts, including Sultana, Pride of Baltimore II, Lynx, Gazela, Elissa, Roseway, and, of course, Lady Washington.

Halee Grimes
Halee GrimesSenior Chief Mate
Halee is originally from Florida, but now lives aboard her own sailboat in Astoria, Oregon when not onboard Lady Washington. She has sailed on ships covering four centuries of rig design including Kalmar Nyckel, Bounty, Pride of Baltimore 2, and Robert C. Seamans.

Halee has a B.A. in History and Anthropology from Flagler College. When she’s not sailing she can be found knitting or exploring nearby beaches.

Richard Lauridsen
Richard LauridsenInstructor
Richard Lauridsen currently works for GHHS in fundraising and is the instructor for our Seafarer Collective’s Recreational Marlinspike program. Richard’s background is in education where he was a public and private school teacher for fifteen years. Shortly after completing his Master’s in Educational Administration, he joined the GHHS team. Richard holds a USCG 25 Ton Master’s license and is a certified American Sailing Association instructor, teaching bareboat certification courses and working as a sailboat charter Captain. The San Juan archipelago and Canada’s Gulf Islands are where he spends his time sailing when not working at GHHS.
Kaylie Borden O'Brien
Kaylie Borden O'BrienEducation Coordinator
Kaylie Borden O’Brien is a teacher and mariner living in Midcoast Maine. She began her maritime career as a two-week volunteer on Lady Washington and has since sailed a number of contracts as Education Coordinator with GHHSA. Her career at sea has taken her up and down both coasts on a variety of tall ships, including Sultana, Soundwaters, Mary E, and Angelique. She’s ever seeking to combine her two loves of education and sailing, and instructing classes for The Seafarer Collective is an ideal combination of the two.

Kaylie holds a 100-ton Inland Master’s License and AB Special and Sail endorsements, as well as degrees in History and Political Science.