Jan Miles, Senior Captain
Pasadena, Maryland
Captain Miles, an Annapolis High School graduate, has been with Pride of Baltimore, Inc. since 1981, when he joined as one of three rotating captains on the original Pride of Baltimore. He was the first to sail the original Pride across the North Atlantic to Europe and was at the helm for Pride of Baltimore II‘s maiden voyage in 1988. He is a tall ship master with more than 50 years of experience as a professional sailor. His voyages have included six Atlantic Ocean crossings, as well as three Pacific voyages of 5,000 miles, each taking about 25 days. He has traversed the Saint Lawrence Seaway more than a dozen times. He holds a USCG 500 Ocean Master License for Power and Sail, as well as numerous other certifications. Captain Miles has served as master or mate aboard many other vessels, including Lady Maryland, Californian, Bill of Rights, New Way, Alexandria, Brilliant, Clearwater, Elissa, Oliver Hazard Perry, and Tiare Toporo. Along the way, he also helped develop model sailing programs for youth at risk.
His accomplishments and contributions have been recognized both within and outside of the maritime community. In February 2013, Captain Miles was recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award by Tall Ships America. In September 2005, he was the master aboard when Pride of Baltimore II suffered a catastrophic dismasting. As a result of the crew and trainees’ conduct during that event, Sail Training International awarded the ship the Special Seamanship Award. Capt. Miles was named Sail Trainer of the Year by the American Sail Training Association in 2004. He has also been recognized for his efforts to shine a positive light on Maryland, having been named Marylander of the Year by the Maryland Colonial Society in 2001.
Jeffrey Crosby, Captain
Duluth, Minnesota
Jeff first joined our crew as a deckhand in 2008 & returned to Pride as chief mate in 2017 and was promoted to captain in 2022. Jeff grew up sailing on Lake Superior on one-design boats and shifted into the traditional sailing world after graduating from the Landing School with a degree in boat building in 2005. He holds a U.S. Coast Guard 200-ton near coastal master’s license.
Shevawn Innes, Senior Mate
Owosso, Michigan
Shevawn joins PRIDE II as senior mate, bringing a wealth of experience from her time aboard a variety of traditional schooners, including MARY E, APPLEDORE II, HINDU, PIONEER, SPIRIT OF MASSACHUSETTS, HARVEY GAMAGE, and WESTWARD. With a strong background in traditional seamanship, she is excited to be part of PRIDE’s ongoing mission. When ashore, Shevawn enjoys exploring local farmers’ markets and getting to know the communities the ship visits.
Remy Perron, Second Mate
Andover, Massachusetts
Remy brings with him experience sailing aboard Matthew Turner on San Francisco Bay. He also has experience as crew aboard When and If, True Love, and Adventure. For a reason that is still unknown to our staff, Remy is proud to share that he spent Spring Break 2013 driving to Kansas. Remy is an award-winning bartender & loves a good game of rugby. Remy is still seeking a sponsorship from any apparel company that will take him.
Tanith Anhaiser, Bosun
Roseville, California
Back for another season, Tanith comes to Pride II after sailing as crew aboard Matthew Turner, Lady Washington, Atyla, and Zodiac. When not on Pride, Tanith enjoys finding any way to be near the water. Tanith recently attended nautical college in the Netherlands and worked in a historic shipyard in Sweden. When not working on ships, Tanith works as a rigger and consultant in Hollywood and has worked on shows like “Our Flag Means Death” and “Washington Black”.
Mary Walker, Engineer
Kapa’a, Hawaii
We are excited to have Mary rejoin our ranks for another season. In addition to Pride II, Mary brings with her experience sailing aboard Clearwater, Lady Maryland, Gazela, and Argia. Mary is a champion axe thrower. Mary wants you to know that her favorite dinosaur is a Stegosaurus.
Suzy Zahradka, Cook
St. Paul, Minnesota
Back for her second season, Suzy is a small boat sailor from the Great Lakes, Suzy joined the ship for the final months of our 2024 sailing season. Suzy’s regular job is as an artist who specializes in crafting knives and swords. She would like you to know that she is shorter than average. Her favorite food is anything cooked for her by someone who loves her. Suzy is a USDA-certified Food Protection Manager and a Wilderness First Responder.
David Harrison, Deckhand
Quitman, Texas
David is back! Texas Dave brings with him experience sailing aboard Nao Trinidad as a deckhand. Texas Dave is a Marine veteran, has trained as a gunsmith, & holds an associate degree in applied science. Contrary to the typical Texas archetype, David does not have strong opinions about the presence of beans in chili.
Kamma-Kristine von Lillienskjold
Frederikshavn, Denmark
Joining us for her first season, Kamma has sailed as a trainee on the training ship Danmark. As you would expect from a Dane, her favorite food is Tex-Mex.
In her free time, Kamma can be found with a book (at least one).
Benjamin Heyer, Deckhand
Dunkirk, Maryland
New to our crew, Ben left most of his bio form blank, but he wants you to know he drives a Toyota Tacoma. He has previously sailed aboard Kalmar Nyckel and has worked as crew on a cruise ship. Ben can play the bagpipes and enjoys making sausage.
Sam Springer, Deckhand
Scituate, Massachusetts
Sam was the only member of our crew to take his crew bio form seriously, leaving our staff very little room to make things up about him. Sam grew up sailing dinghies in his home waters of Massachusetts. He was a member of the sailing club at Virginia Tech. Sam is a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary and was an intern at USCG Small Boat Station Cape Cod Canal, where he participated in helicopter training. When with a unit in Virginia, Sam took part in Hurricane Helene relief efforts in southwest Virginia. Sam holds his USCG boat crew certification and is a USCG Auxiliary Operational Auxiliarist. When not sailing, Sam enjoys skiing and mountain biking. His goal is to commission as an officer in the Coast Guard. His favorite sandwich is the tuna melt, and he contends that his girlfriend is real; she just goes to a different school.
Katie Moore, Deckhand
Chelsea, Michigan
Katie is back! Katie was an intern with Tall Ships America during the 2022 Tall Ships Challenge Great Lakes. That summer, she also had the opportunity to sail aboard the St. Lawrence II and Nao Trinidad before joining our crew full time. Katie is a graduate of the University of Michigan. She has a twin brother, and it is her lifelong goal to pet every cat in the world.