Charting a Course for Traverse City: This 60-year-old Yacht Is Making Waves on the Bay

Compass Rose Sailing is all about true north

By Brighid Driscoll | Aug. 19, 2023

“The saying goes, ‘You can put a boat on a ship, but you can’t put a ship on a boat,’” Captain Brett Derr says as he climbs aboard his 60-year-old boat, Althea.

Clear skies and a warm but steady breeze all but beg for a sail, and Captain Brett skillfully pilots Althea from the dock into West Grand Traverse Bay alongside a team of two mates. Once Althea passes the marina, the crew begins to lower the sails. Like a choreographed ballet, they move gracefully through the boat as they loosen some ropes and tighten others, communicating in no more than three-word commands or confirmations. With a large gust of wind, the sails swell, and Althea is off.

Captain Brett and co-owner (and spouse) Heather Derr offer private charters on Althea through Compass Rose Sailing. If you’ve driven past Discovery Pier in Traverse City this summer, you may have noticed a soaring mast and tightly furled sails in the harbor. Althea weighs in at 33,000 pounds and is 46 feet long. A past life as a racing yacht is responsible for her elegant look—black, white, and trimmed in glossy teak wood, she’s as beautiful to look at as she is to sail. And though Althea is retired from racing, she’s just begun a new life, giving folks a chance to tour Michigan's waters in style.

Sailing into a New Chapter

Before retirement, Althea had an accomplished racing career. Amid the swinging sixties, she was designed by Captain Frederick “Ted” E. Hood and brought to life in the shipyards of Breskens, Netherlands, under the skilled hands of Frans Maas in 1963. “Originally, her name was Robin,” Derr says.

Robin was not meant to be merely a beautiful vessel; she was built to race. It was the daring Captain Hood himself who helmed her through the perilous challenges of the Newport to Bermuda race, the Marblehead to Halifax venture, and the electrifying Southern Ocean Racing Conference (SORC) races that ignited the early ’60s with a fierce spirit of competition.

As the tides of time carried forth, fate led her to the majestic Great Lakes in the late ’60s and early ’70s. On the shimmering waters of Lake Huron, she became a racing legend of the Mackinac. Yet, like all legends, her tale took a twist. She slipped from the spotlight, sailing into a period of private ownership along the coasts of New York and New England.

Then, in the year 2021, her story changed again. She embarked on a new odyssey, finding herself on the shores of Traverse City. There, against a backdrop of azure skies and endless possibilities, she began her life as Althea.

“The deal is once you buy it, you can’t change the name,” Derr explained. “She had already gone through a few name changes, so the original name was out the window. One night ‘Althea’ [by the Grateful Dead] came on the radio, and Heather asked, ‘What about Althea?’” Derr adds that the name felt right, with a history rooted in Greek mythology as a healer connected to Poseidon.

Sailing in the Blood

Like the god of the sea, Derr doesn’t know life without sailing. The Wyoming native has spent summers living on a boat in upstate New York since infancy.

“It’s absolutely something that gets in your blood,” he says. “For as long as people have existed, they’ve been drawn to water. I’ve been in the sailing industry for about 20 years. It’s old school. Before there were airplanes and trucks, there were horses and sailing. The first locomotive that came to Traverse City was brought here by a schooner.”

Derr previously spent time as captain of the Manitou before starting Compass Rose Sailing. He found two loves during this time: his wife Heather and a passion for teaching. Captaining a ship requires expertise in all operations, and he found he enjoyed teaching his crew about the intricacies of sailing.

To our eyes, Derr seems unshakeable on the water, even in the face of snags. He’s never gruff or scornful to his crew, and it’s obvious he’s garnered their respect and fondness. (That teaching and connecting skill transformed into taking on substitute teaching and eventually led to becoming a full-time biology and art teacher at Traverse City Central High School.)

And hey, if you find yourself yearning for a taste of the sailor’s life, you can join the crew in hoisting the sails. Or simply sit back, relax, and let Althea show you to new horizons.

A Three-Hour Tour

While Derr manages the sailing, Heather manages the experience. Althea is stocked with everything we could imagine for a relaxing time out on the water: dishware, linens, ice, blankets, sunscreen, even hair ties—Heather has thought of it.

Althea accommodates up to six people, with little ones allowed. You can spread out on the sun-soaked deck with your favorite snacks and beverages, or venture below to the cozy cabin, a haven of comfort decorated impeccably by Heather. Craving a culinary experience to pair with your sail? Ask about custom catering for a maritime feast.

Excursions aboard Althea are typically two or three hours, with rates ranging from $390 to $580. Sails unfurl at 1:30pm and 5:30pm and will be available for booking throughout the end of September, and possibly a bit longer depending on weather.

“It’s a more intimate vibe,” Derr says of spending an afternoon on the boat. “People on a sail with us just have a great, relaxed time. They talk with each other and enjoy each other’s company. They’re not in another world on their phones—they’re here with each other on the water.”

As Captain Derr steers the ship back to Discovery Pier, a departing captain calls from what looks to be another vintage yacht, “Pardon me, would you have any Grey Poupon?” Derr grins and waves to him, “It’s a sailing joke,” he explains. (Meanwhile, we’re having 1980’s commercial flashbacks. Does this mean we’re on the Rolls Royce of seafaring vessels?)

To learn more and book a cruise, head to sailtraversecity.com.