Sarah Gierden is one of those people you meet and know immediately that she is doing exactly what she was meant to do. Her enthusiasm and confidence on the water and at the helm of large, sometimes intimidating boats is not only impressive, it’s natural. Her journey to becoming a captain is a series of life events that simply make sense – and they all stem from a deep-rooted love for the water.
Sarah Gierden always knew she wanted to be near the water. Growing up in Illinois, she spent a lot of time with her parents on Lake Mills in Wisconsin boating and scuba diving in the Caribbean, developing an early love for all things aquatic. College and grad school led to a bachelor’s degree in marine science from the University of Maine and a master’s degree in marine science from Nova Southeastern University. After graduation, Sarah became a scuba instructor so she could share her passion with others who wanted to learn more about marine environments. But that was just the start. Why did she pursue her captain’s license?
“It just made sense to me. I was a marine biologist, a scuba instructor – I was looking to pursue a sustainable lifestyle in this field and realized I really needed to be a captain, she said. “I wanted to continue to be on the water, so I spent the time needed, took the classes, passed the exams and boom, I was a captain. Then I thought ‘Now what do I do?’” Sarah had to start at the bottom and work her way up. She moved to Ft. Lauderdale and started working for local water taxis giving boat tours. And she didn’t get to drive the boat.
“I was only allowed to give the tours, not drive the boat,” she said. “You have to pay your dues, and that job was part of mine. But I was on the water and that’s what mattered.”
Next, she took a job at a dealership, Intermarine, hoping to learn more and inch her way to having more time at the helm.
“Most dealerships in this area have an in-house captain who handles sea trials, boat deliveries and training for customers,” she explained. “My job at the dealership was washing boats, but the captain there said he would take me out with him whenever he took a boat out. So, I washed boats and shadowed him for about a year and a half.”
When the captain at the dealership left to pursue other opportunities, Sarah became the in-house captain – a job she continued for about 4 years, teaching customers to drive boats ranging from 16-to-80 feet.
After her time at Intermarine, Sarah became a private boat captain for two different boats over the span of about four years and struck out on her own as an independent contractor and started her company, Lionfish Yacht Service in Ft. Lauderdale, which she runs with her husband who is a marine electrician. She supports several dealerships, moves boats in and out of boat shows, brings boats in for services and trains new owners. She also has a contract with Yamaha as a Helm Master® EX demo tour captain.
“About four years ago, I was contracted by Four Winns to take a boat to the Yamaha slips and run that boat during the Miami show,” said Sarah. “That was the year I met the Yamaha team and learned more about Helm Master® EX, by the end of the show, I was asked if I was interested in becoming a part of the Helm Master® EX demo team.”
Sarah had already attended dealer training for the original Helm Master system, but her knowledge of the more sophisticated Helm Master® EX was minimal – she had to learn a lot in a short period of time.
“I needed to learn so I could tell everyone what it could do,” she continued. “I thought it was mostly for docking, but I discovered it can do so much more and so many other things that make a big difference on the water.”
When she demos Helm Master® EX at the Miami International Boat Show®, does it in different levels depending on the customer.
“The speed control button is a big hit for everyone. For people who troll, pattern shift is important because the system goes in and out of gear on its own. Folks with kids and friends on the boat like the neutral hold feature,” said Sarah. “Most boaters are familiar with autopilot but really like the deceleration aspect of TrackPoint that keeps them for overshooting fishing or scuba spots.”
Sarah also praises Helm Master® EX for single outboard applications.
“I figured out quickly that single-outboard boats are harder to drive,” she continued. “With Helm Master® EX, single outboard docking is less of a controlled crash, and it eliminates all the wheel working. With one hand on the joystick, boaters can control the boat easily and dock with complete confidence - a lot of folks are impressed when I show this to them.”
What new boating technology advancements excite Sarah?
“Yamaha debuted the new Helm Master® EX wireless controller this year in Miami and it’s really going to make boating a lot easier and Secure for boaters,” said Sarah. “The controller is great for folks who are docking or moving boats by themselves because they can stay on the back of the boat or the front to do all of this. The man overboard bands for multiple passengers are also a great. Most of the time boat owners go out and bring friends and family along with them - most have no clue what to do on the boat. By attaching man overboard sensors to the passengers on the boat, the captain is always aware and can react quickly if necessary.”
What’s Sarah’s secret to continued to success as a female captain?
“Keep learning. I’m on different boats with different people every day, and I love that,” she continued. “As a woman in this industry, I feel like I have to be better. I hold myself to higher standards, and I feel so privileged to have the opportunity to teach other women the ins and outs of their boats. Many times, it’s the wives, daughter and significant others who pay the most attention because they are starting from scratch. They have no preconceived notions about the boat and that’s a great place to start because they can really take in all the details and become incredible boaters.”
When asked her advice for young women who hope to start careers in the boating industry, she says,
“Be open to being a deckhand or a boat washer. Don’t be afraid to go into a dealership and ask what you can do to help,” she said. “Know your limits, observe and ask as many questions as you want. This is a big industry but it’s smaller than you think. You may get a lot of no’s at first, but once your name is out there on a short list, you will start getting calls. You must ask to take the wheel.”
Back to Blue Life
Sarah Gierden always knew she wanted to be near the water. Growing up in Illinois, she spent a lot of time with her parents on Lake Mills in Wisconsin boating and scuba diving in the Caribbean, developing an early love for all things aquatic. College and grad school led to a bachelor’s degree in marine science from the University of Maine and a master’s degree in marine science from Nova Southeastern University. After graduation, Sarah became a scuba instructor so she could share her passion with others who wanted to learn more about marine environments. But that was just the start. Why did she pursue her captain’s license?
“It just made sense to me. I was a marine biologist, a scuba instructor – I was looking to pursue a sustainable lifestyle in this field and realized I really needed to be a captain, she said. “I wanted to continue to be on the water, so I spent the time needed, took the classes, passed the exams and boom, I was a captain. Then I thought ‘Now what do I do?’” Sarah had to start at the bottom and work her way up. She moved to Ft. Lauderdale and started working for local water taxis giving boat tours. And she didn’t get to drive the boat.
“I was only allowed to give the tours, not drive the boat,” she said. “You have to pay your dues, and that job was part of mine. But I was on the water and that’s what mattered.”
Next, she took a job at a dealership, Intermarine, hoping to learn more and inch her way to having more time at the helm.
“Most dealerships in this area have an in-house captain who handles sea trials, boat deliveries and training for customers,” she explained. “My job at the dealership was washing boats, but the captain there said he would take me out with him whenever he took a boat out. So, I washed boats and shadowed him for about a year and a half.”
When the captain at the dealership left to pursue other opportunities, Sarah became the in-house captain – a job she continued for about 4 years, teaching customers to drive boats ranging from 16-to-80 feet.
After her time at Intermarine, Sarah became a private boat captain for two different boats over the span of about four years and struck out on her own as an independent contractor and started her company, Lionfish Yacht Service in Ft. Lauderdale, which she runs with her husband who is a marine electrician. She supports several dealerships, moves boats in and out of boat shows, brings boats in for services and trains new owners. She also has a contract with Yamaha as a Helm Master® EX demo tour captain.
“About four years ago, I was contracted by Four Winns to take a boat to the Yamaha slips and run that boat during the Miami show,” said Sarah. “That was the year I met the Yamaha team and learned more about Helm Master® EX, by the end of the show, I was asked if I was interested in becoming a part of the Helm Master® EX demo team.”
Sarah had already attended dealer training for the original Helm Master system, but her knowledge of the more sophisticated Helm Master® EX was minimal – she had to learn a lot in a short period of time.
“I needed to learn so I could tell everyone what it could do,” she continued. “I thought it was mostly for docking, but I discovered it can do so much more and so many other things that make a big difference on the water.”
When she demos Helm Master® EX at the Miami International Boat Show®, does it in different levels depending on the customer.
“The speed control button is a big hit for everyone. For people who troll, pattern shift is important because the system goes in and out of gear on its own. Folks with kids and friends on the boat like the neutral hold feature,” said Sarah. “Most boaters are familiar with autopilot but really like the deceleration aspect of TrackPoint that keeps them for overshooting fishing or scuba spots.”
Sarah also praises Helm Master® EX for single outboard applications.
“I figured out quickly that single-outboard boats are harder to drive,” she continued. “With Helm Master® EX, single outboard docking is less of a controlled crash, and it eliminates all the wheel working. With one hand on the joystick, boaters can control the boat easily and dock with complete confidence - a lot of folks are impressed when I show this to them.”
What new boating technology advancements excite Sarah?
“Yamaha debuted the new Helm Master® EX wireless controller this year in Miami and it’s really going to make boating a lot easier and Secure for boaters,” said Sarah. “The controller is great for folks who are docking or moving boats by themselves because they can stay on the back of the boat or the front to do all of this. The man overboard bands for multiple passengers are also a great. Most of the time boat owners go out and bring friends and family along with them - most have no clue what to do on the boat. By attaching man overboard sensors to the passengers on the boat, the captain is always aware and can react quickly if necessary.”
What’s Sarah’s secret to continued to success as a female captain?
“Keep learning. I’m on different boats with different people every day, and I love that,” she continued. “As a woman in this industry, I feel like I have to be better. I hold myself to higher standards, and I feel so privileged to have the opportunity to teach other women the ins and outs of their boats. Many times, it’s the wives, daughter and significant others who pay the most attention because they are starting from scratch. They have no preconceived notions about the boat and that’s a great place to start because they can really take in all the details and become incredible boaters.”
When asked her advice for young women who hope to start careers in the boating industry, she says,
“Be open to being a deckhand or a boat washer. Don’t be afraid to go into a dealership and ask what you can do to help,” she said. “Know your limits, observe and ask as many questions as you want. This is a big industry but it’s smaller than you think. You may get a lot of no’s at first, but once your name is out there on a short list, you will start getting calls. You must ask to take the wheel.”
Back to Blue Life