Issue link: https://www.wacmagazine.com/i/1547391
What might people be surprised to learn about you? Noah: When I decided I was going to become a career sailor, I kayaked the Mississippi. I started in Chicago and paddled all the way to New Orleans. It took about two months. I had just le my soware engineering internship and decided that wherever I ran out of money, I'd start my new life. I ran out of money in New Orleans. What's the most common question you get from passengers? Jessica: e classics are, "Will we see whales?" and "Is that Canada?" e answers are "Probably not, but maybe!" and "No, that's Bainbridge Island." Is a Bay Lady sailing a hands-on affair? Noah: Guests can get involved as much or as little as they want. Anyone who wants to can jump in, haul on a halyard, and help set the sails. Guests can also take a turn steering the ship with the captain. Or you can sit back with a glass of wine and let everybody else do the work. We fully support that option, too. — WAC members receive preferred ticket rates to tall ship sailings. See News & Events > Member Perks on the WAC app. Setting sail on the Sound Members Noah Waldman and Jessica McMaster By Sheila Cain Washington Athletic Club member Noah Waldman was adrift back in 2021 when the pandemic put a stop to his job running a boutique sailing cruise line in the Bahamas. Back in Seattle and looking for work, he realized the downtown waterfront didn't have a tall sailing ship. Noah found investors and purchased Bay Lady, a passenger sailing vessel designed to take large groups on the water for a good time. Today, Noah and partner Jessica McMaster run Seattle's Tall Ship. You call Bay Lady a "tall ship." Just how tall is she? Jessica: Funnily enough, tall ships aren't necessarily that tall. Bay Lady's main topmast reaches about 88 feet above the water, which is certainly nothing to scoff at. But "tall ship" is more about heritage than a measurement. e term gained traction as steamships began replacing sailing ships. Have you always been fans of sailing? Noah: I grew up sailing. About the time I learned to ride a bike, I also learned to sail a little 12-foot plywood sailboat my dad and I built together. I remember this incredible feeling of freedom. I would go across the Milwaukee River in Wisconsin, where I grew up, to an uninhabited island and explore. I've pretty much been chasing that feeling ever since. Jessica: My family has always had an affinity for the water and I grew up boating, but I didn't really begin pursuing sailing on my own until the pandemic. My industry had effectively shut down, so I decided to use that unexpected pause as an opportunity for an adventure. At the time, I lived near a marina and walked through it almost every day. I started meeting people, asking questions, and offering to help however I could if it meant learning something in the process. FALL / WINTER 2026 33 club life meet members jessica mcmaster & noah waldman P R O V I D E D BY S E AT T L E ' S TA L L S H I P, Q U I N N T O O M E Y ( 3 )