FEATURED JOB OPENING: Caretakers Needed in the San Juan Islands - Decatur Island, WA

Caretakers

Decatur Head Beach Association | Decatur Island, Washington

A Unique Opportunity to Live, Work, and Steward a Special Place

Imagine beginning your day with the sound of waves along a quiet shoreline, bald eagles soaring overhead, and sweeping views across Rosario Strait. Imagine living in a place where your work helps preserve a beautiful island community that has been cherished by generations of families for well over a century.

Decatur Head Beach Association (DHBA) is seeking a caretaker couple to live year-round on beautiful Decatur Island in Washington's San Juan Islands. As caretakers, you'll do far more than maintain property. You'll become an important part of a close-knit community, caring for one of the Pacific Northwest's most unique private waterfront properties while helping preserve a special place enjoyed by generations of families.

Position Overview

The ideal caretakers are a couple who enjoy working together, take pride in maintaining beautiful places, and appreciate building lasting relationships with the people they serve. Successful caretakers are organized, dependable, self-motivated, and comfortable balancing hands-on maintenance with administration, bookkeeping, and financial recordkeeping.

This position is ideally suited for a couple. Responsibilities may be shared based on each individual's strengths and experience.

Key Responsibilities

Manage and coordinate cabin reservations throughout the year.

Prepare cabins for arriving members and ensure they are clean, welcoming, and ready for occupancy. Members are responsible for cleaning cabins upon departure, and routine cleaning is not a required caretaker duty. Caretakers who wish to do so may offer optional cabin cleaning services directly to members as an opportunity for supplemental income. Please note that members provide their own towels and linens; caretakers do not have laundering responsibilities.

Perform bookkeeping, financial recordkeeping, deposits, reporting, and administrative duties using QuickBooks.

Manage website, records, communications, and membership information.

Oversee the care and upkeep of grounds, docks, buoys, buildings, equipment, and common facilities.

Coordinate larger repair or construction projects when necessary.

Assist with scheduling, coordinating, and overseeing outside contractors and vendors.

Perform routine maintenance and repairs as needed throughout the year

Complete larger repairs, renovations, and improvement projects during the off-season (winter)

Serve as the Association's on-site representative and primary point of contact.

Build positive relationships with members, guests, and the Decatur Island community.

Help preserve DHBA's traditions of stewardship, hospitality, and environmental responsibility.

Compensation, Housing & Benefits

$5,900 per month (for the couple). Additional income opportunities available.

Fully furnished waterfront caretaker residence

Utilities included

Transportation to and from the mainland (Anacortes, WA) provided

40-hour work week

Regular days off: Tuesday and Wednesday

Preferred start date: May 1, 2027

Your Home

As part of the caretaker position, the Association provides a comfortable waterfront residence located on the property. The private home features:

Two bedrooms

Full kitchen

Washer and dryer

High-speed internet

Cozy wood-burning stove, in addition to conventional heat

Living on-site allows you to fully embrace the unique lifestyle that Decatur Island offers. Whether enjoying your morning coffee overlooking the water, watching wildlife from your deck, or ending the day beside a warm fire, the caretaker residence is more than housing. It is an opportunity to call one of the Pacific Northwest's most beautiful island settings home.

Preferred Qualifications

Property maintenance, caretaker, ranch, resort, lodge, or facilities management experience

General carpentry, plumbing, mechanical, and troubleshooting skills

Bookkeeping, accounting, or office management experience

Experience with QuickBooks or similar accounting software

Strong organizational skills and attention to detail

Excellent communication and customer service abilities

Ability to work independently and manage competing priorities

Comfort living and working in a remote island environment year-round

Appreciation for environmental stewardship and community-oriented living

About Decatur Head Beach Association

Decatur Head Beach Association is a private cooperative owned by forty-member families who collectively steward approximately 45 acres of waterfront property on the eastern tip of Decatur Island. Members share ownership of the land, facilities, and cabins and work together to preserve the character and traditions of this remarkable place. Many families have maintained their connection to Decatur Head for decades, with some now welcoming third- and fourth-generation family members to the island.

The property includes:

Eight fully furnished cabins

Two docks

Eight mooring buoys

Maintenance and workshop buildings

Common beach and recreation areas

Member storage facilities

Laundry facilities

More than a mile and a half of shoreline

Forest trails and recreation areas

Life on Decatur Island

Home to approximately 100 year-round residents, Decatur Island offers a peaceful lifestyle where neighbors know one another and community remains an important part of everyday life. Residents enjoy hiking, boating, kayaking, fishing, crabbing, bird watching, and exploring the island's natural beauty. The island also features a historic one-room schoolhouse, a nine-hole golf course, and a seasonal farmers market.

For those who value meaningful work, natural beauty, and a slower pace of life, Decatur Island offers an extraordinary place to call home.

Who Thrives Here?

This opportunity is well suited for a couple seeking a long-term lifestyle position rather than a seasonal job. Successful caretakers enjoy working together, taking ownership of their responsibilities, living in a small community, maintaining beautiful properties, and building meaningful relationships with the families they serve. A combination of practical maintenance skills, administrative abilities, and a warm, service-oriented approach will contribute to success in this role.

Caretakers who thrive at Decatur Head are self-motivated, organized, resourceful, and comfortable balancing hands-on property maintenance with administrative responsibilities. They appreciate the rewards and responsibilities of island living, enjoy being environmental stewards, and take pride in preserving a special place for future generations.

The Opportunity

Perhaps the most important thing to understand about Decatur Head Beach Association is that it is far more than a collection of cabins and facilities. It is a place where generations of families have celebrated milestones, built traditions, and created lifelong memories.

As the caretakers, you'll become part of that tradition. Your work helps preserve not only the buildings and grounds, but also the hospitality, stewardship, and sense of community that have made Decatur Head a cherished retreat for generations. It is a position of trust, responsibility, and genuine purpose that offers the opportunity to make a lasting contribution while calling one of the Pacific Northwest's most beautiful island settings home.