Sandy Bendixen, Captain and Ship’s Pilot (June 6th) – Piloting Ships in Puget Sound

Captain Sandy Bendixen first saw a ship come into port when she was four years old and knew then she wanted to be a Captain someday. Captain Bendixen attended Maine Maritime Academy, completing a B.S. in Marine Transportation Operations and earning a United States Coast Guard Third Mate’s Unlimited License. Captain Bendixen sailed approximately 6-10 months per year at sea, advancing her license supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom bringing US Military Cargo from the United States to the Middle East on large cargo ships.

By the time Captain Bendixen had reached the rank of Chief Mate, second in command of the ship, she had sailed around the world multiple times, and transited both the Suez and Panama Canals on several occasions. Several years earlier than most mariners, at the age of 29, Captain Bendixen was given her first command. Captain Bendixen sailed as the Master of the largest heavy lift ship in the U.S. Fleet. As Master, Captain Bendixen delivered cargo to Antarctica and Thule, Greenland; navigating ice fields, fog and docking at floating ice piers. Captain Bendixen was the youngest and first female Captain to command a ship going so far North and South.

Captain Bendixen had one more step to reach the pinnacle of her Maritime Career, she wanted to become a maritime Pilot. In September 2018 at 36 years old, after a rigorous training program and drawing every chart of Puget Sound from memory, Captain Bendixen became the first female Puget Sound Pilot and also in Washington State History. Captain Bendixen is one of approximately 53 pilots in Washington state who are considered experts in ship handling and the waters of Puget Sound. Captain Bendixen spends her days boarding moving ships at sea by climbing a rope ladder to bring the ship into port and maneuver the ship to the dock. There are approximately 1,100 harbor pilots in the United States and less than 3% of the pilots in the United States are female.

In her free time, she enjoys time out on the water with her husband Mike, also a Captain, and 2.5 year-old daughter Sammy.