Captain Ian Barbosa
Ian brings an international welcome to the Chicago waterfront, speaking Spanish and Portuguese as well as English.
Meet Ian — Captain Ian Barbosa's profileTHE PEOPLE AT THE HELM · CHICAGO
Meet our captains.
Local knowledge. A warm welcome. A love of life on the water.
Get to know the people who help make a day on Lake Michigan your own—from their first days on a boat to the Chicago routes they love to share.
How choosing a captain works
Captain Russell Bergeron
Russell grew up fishing and boating across the Midwest. After a career designing outdoor products, he returned to the water.
Meet Russell — Captain Russell Bergeron's profile
Captain Nick Bieker
Nick has spent more than 40 years power boating on the Great Lakes, Gulf Coast, and U.S. rivers. Lake Michigan is his happy place.
Meet Nick — Captain Nick Bieker's profile
Captain Rich Brand
Rich’s boating adventures have taken him from Alaska to Antarctica. In Chicago, he enjoys helping guests explore Lake Michigan and the river.
Meet Rich — Captain Rich Brand's profile
Captain Taylor Breutzmann
Originally from Florida, Taylor grew up around boats. He enjoys lively groups while knowing when to give guests space to relax.
Meet Taylor — Captain Taylor Breutzmann's profile
Captain Tony Cartagena
Tony brings more than 15 years of experience on the water and a passion for helping guests enjoy summertime in Chicago.
Meet Tony — Captain Tony Cartagena's profile
Captain Alex Castillo
Alex welcomes guests aboard for a memorable day on Lake Michigan. He also speaks Spanish.
Meet Alex — Captain Alex Castillo's profile
Captain Chase Curtis
Originally from Michigan, Chase now calls Chicago home. His favorite outings range from the Playpen to a relaxed river cruise.
Meet Chase — Captain Chase Curtis's profile
Captain John Dorman
A lifelong Chicagoan and diesel mechanic, John learned to drive boats from his dad. Away from the helm, he enjoys fishing and motorcycles.
Meet John — Captain John Dorman's profile
Captain Pat Erwin
Pat is from Fort Lauderdale and has captained boats around the world for more than 30 years.
Meet Pat — Captain Pat Erwin's profile
Captain Michael Gabiga
Michael grew up boating on the Channel Lakes, Lake of the Ozarks, and Lake Michigan. He also welcomes Polish-speaking guests.
Meet Michael — Captain Michael Gabiga's profile
Captain David Groover
David pairs his love of boating with a background as a commercial pilot and entrepreneur. He speaks French and English, with some Spanish and Mandarin.
Meet David — Captain David Groover's profile
Captain Brian Haas
Brian has spent years boating around Chicago on Lake Michigan. He knows the Playpen, Monroe Harbor, and Chicago River.
Meet Brian — Captain Brian Haas's profile
Captain Arlo Kallemeyn
Arlo’s life on Lake Michigan includes sailboat racing, kayaking, and salmon fishing. He loves introducing guests to the Chicago skyline from the water.
Meet Arlo — Captain Arlo Kallemeyn's profile
Captain Dave Krell
Dave grew up on boats and has more than 40 years of power boating experience. He enjoys sharing Chicago’s skyline, fireworks, and favorite anchorages.
Meet Dave — Captain Dave Krell's profile
Captain John Kummerer
John brings more than 40 years of experience navigating Lake Michigan, welcoming everything from family celebrations to corporate groups.
Meet John — Captain John Kummerer's profile
Captain Dan Leslie
Dan combines a lifelong love of boats with a hospitality background. His outings range from relaxed cruises to the Playpen and evening fireworks.
Meet Dan — Captain Dan Leslie's profile
Captain Marty McConville
Marty has captained architectural tour boats in Chicago and narrated eco tours in Florida. His boating experience includes deliveries across the Atlantic and Gulf.
Meet Marty — Captain Marty McConville's profile
Captain Cabell Michie
Captain Cab feels at home on the water. He combines experience at the helm with years as a marine mechanic and familiarity with Knot My Boat’s vessels.
Meet Cabell — Captain Cabell Michie's profile
Captain Justin Moore
Justin grew up with boats and has owned several himself. He enjoys planning river trips, skyline cruises, fireworks outings, and days in the Playpen.
Meet Justin — Captain Justin Moore's profile
Captain Justin Pasciak
Born in Chicago and raised in Florida, Justin moved from the fitness industry into marine work. He enjoys welcoming families, celebrations, and corporate groups.
Meet Justin — Captain Justin Pasciak's profile
Captain Ronnie Roberts
Ronnie runs a small marine repair business and brings two decades of boating experience to his time at the helm. He enjoys taking in the Chicago skyline.
Meet Ronnie — Captain Ronnie Roberts's profile
Captain Rudy Schlink
Rudy has operated boats for more than 25 years. He loves sharing time on the water with guests looking to relax, explore, or celebrate.
Meet Rudy — Captain Rudy Schlink's profile
Captain Doug Scroggins
Doug enjoys helping groups explore Chicago from the water, from the Playpen and skyline to Navy Pier fireworks.
Meet Doug — Captain Doug Scroggins's profile
Captain Roland Senn
Originally from Texas, Roland brings Southern hospitality to Lake Michigan. He welcomes guests in English and German for relaxed cruises and celebrations.
Meet Roland — Captain Roland Senn's profile
Captain Adrian Tejeda
Adrian came to pleasure cruising from commercial fishing. He brings experience in both Chicago and Miami and an energetic welcome aboard.
Meet Adrian — Captain Adrian Tejeda's profile
Captain Jamie Tishel
Jamie grew up on the lake and has spent a lifetime getting to know its waters.
Meet Jamie — Captain Jamie Tishel's profile
Captain Michael Totten
Mike grew up on the water and has spent more than a decade navigating Lake Michigan. He enjoys river cruises, fireworks, and celebrations.
Meet Michael — Captain Michael Totten's profile
Captain Rich Wallace
Rich spent more than 20 years in the Caribbean, captaining sailboats, ferries, catamarans, and yachts before sharing that experience in Chicago.
Meet Rich — Captain Rich Wallace's profile
Captain Jonathan Zietlow
Jonathan’s career at sea has taken him around the world as a scuba instructor and captain. He moved from Honolulu to Chicago with his family in 2019.
Meet Jonathan — Captain Jonathan Zietlow's profilePLAN YOUR DAY
Your boat. Your group.
A captain to guide the way.
For bareboat charters, you hire and pay your captain separately. After booking your boat, use your post-checkout portal to choose from the available captains familiar with our fleet.
For our COI passenger charters, captain and crew are included and assigned by our team. Availability varies by date and vessel; a profile does not guarantee a particular captain.
Find your boat Read the booking FAQs