LEGEND CHARTERS CAPTAINS

Legend Charters prides itself on its knowledgeable and experienced personnel. Our Captains have combined experience of over 75 years. The majority of their experience has been on the waters of Southeastern Alaska. They are willing to share this experience with you through period charters, or through our Nordic Tug Operation-Experience Program. Our Skippers have been to the Nordic Tug Factory in Burlington, Washington and know all sizes of “Nordics” in detail from the molding through commissioning. Both skippers have transited the Inside Passage from Seattle to Alaska numerous times with a variety of power and sail boats.

Captain David Carnes was born in Marfa, Texas and raised in Alabama before coming to Alaska. For the past 37 years Captain Carnes has been involved with water activities in Southeastern Alaska, mainly by sailing and by operating a commercial salmon gillnet fishing boat. In 1979 he received his U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Merchant Marine Officer license to operate charter vessels. Today, he holds an Inland Waters U.S. Merchant Marine Officer license for vessels of 50 Gross Tons. During 1994-1997 Captain Carnes was an integral part of the Southeast Alaska Oil Response Team. In addition to using his commercial fishing vessel as a boom tow boat he served as alternate skipper on the main oil recovery boat. Captain Carnes retired in 1996 from the U.S. Bureau of Mines and has been involved since then full-time with boating activities through skippering Nordic Tugs and sailing on various sailboats to include a yearly 200-mile Spirit of Adventure Race around Admiralty Island. In addition to his USCG license Captain Carnes is a licensed Keel Boat Operator. Captain Carnes’ major goal is to share the wonders of Southeastern Alaska with visitors through boating and to provide positive training experiences on Nordic Tugs. Captain Carnes and his wife are the owners of the M/V Legend and live in Juneau. Captain Carnes is also a registered professional mining engineer in the State of Alaska.

Captain Wade Loofbourrow is a long-time professional mariner with decades of experience. He possesses a U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Marine Officer license for vessels up to 3000 tons. He is a graduate of Humboldt State University with a degree in Zoology with marine biology and fisheries options. He has worked as a commercial diver and has fished as a commercial fisherman from Mexico to Alaska. Between 1988 and 2006 Captain Loofbourrow was Master of the State of Alaska main research vessel R/V Media. In this position he traveled extensively throughout the waters of Southeast Alaska. His participation with projects sponsored by the University of Alaska make him an expert on various species of crab and salmon. Other work included research on ground fish species, marine mammals including whales, Steller sea lions, harbor seals, and sea otters. In the summer of 2006 Captain Loofbourrow retired from the State of Alaska and is occupied full-time with piloting charter boats and teaching natural history, navigation, and seamanship. Captain Loofbourrow is married and has two sons. He and his wife reside in Juneau.