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Wishing Fair Winds and Following Seas for Harbormaster Tami Allen

Harbormaster Tami Allen was born and raised inland, but got the sailing bug in the 1980s and became a dive instructor and sailor. She cruised the waters of Mexico, Australia, Canada and Cuba, sometimes in traditional wooden boats and often with her father, a retired police chief. 

After Tami finished her MPA in Port Management at the University of Washington in 1998, she staffed the City of Bainbridge Island's Harbor Commission and was subsequently hired as the Island’s first harbormaster in 2000. As the harbormaster, Tami was responsible for addressing problem vessels, marine debris, and navigation hazards. She also managed the Dave Ullin Open Water Marina, the city dock, volunteer dock hosts, organized several annual events, served as an oil spill responder, and was a member of an incident command team that addressed spill response in Puget Sound. Since 2004, Tami also devoted a good amount of time building the Island’s emergency flotilla as part of emergency preparedness. Additionally, Tami holds a 100-ton Merchant Mariner Master and Able-Seafarer license, and is fluent in Spanish and ASL.

Tami and her wife Claudette live on Bainbridge Island. In their spare time, they enjoy playing on the water but also enjoy playing fiddle and accordion respectively in a Cajun/Zydeco band they helped found called Whozyamama and their adult daughter Alexina often joins them on bass.

Those of us who had the pleasure of working with Tami over the years wish her fair winds and following seas as she begins adventures anew. Her last day with the City was August 4.