We went on the Orcas Only tour in the 3 oclock time slot. The process to check in was smooth and…read moreeasy. A thing to note: parking right by their building is about $13. I believe there was street parking farther away, but we didn't look. TJ and Sophia were great hosts to us. Sophia was very knowledgeable and so willing to answer any questions we had. On the tour, we saw a grey whale from a ways a way. Orcas were being scarce today but we traveled near Seattle and pungent sound. They really went the extra mile to make sure we were able to see orcas as this was not close by. The pod had a NEW BABY! Such an exciting experience. Not only that, they were also having fun socializing and slapping their tails. Then we saw some glorious breaching. It was honestly such a great experience. We were in awe!

I've only experienced them through assistance through the booking process. Called and spoke with…read moreEthan twice cause I needed help. He was so hospitable! Can't thank him enough! If the rest of my experience is compared to how Ethan took care of us, I know we're going to have the best time!

Our group of friends set out to go on a charter to celebrate a few birthdays. After researching…read moreand calling dozens of charters, I came across Chris of the Jolly Mon. His service checked all the boxes: private boat for a smaller group, the flexibility of what the fishing plan for the day, the right price, great reviews. It was a colder morning so we were stoked when we got there and found out his boat had a full enclosure for the steam out to the fishing grounds. It made for an extremely comfortable ride both in and out in any condition. Chris was knowledgeable, fun, and knew when to step in and help us out and engage and when to sit back and let our group do our thing. Most importantly though? He put us on the fish. Although none of us had fished these waters before, he coached us on proper technique and what to do before we got there. Once we arrived at the fishing spots? The rods were constantly bent, reeling in Sculpin, Rockfish & Ling Cod. We had an absolute blast out on the water with Chris. We are already planning on future trips with Jolly Mon Charters. If you're losing your mind trying to find the right charter, just stop and call Chris. You'll be glad you did.

Chris took our family of four out for a day of salmon fishing. The whole process was great…read more Reserving was easy and Chris was responsive and efficient. The boat was in good condition and Chris was very friendly and professional. He answered all our questions and made us very comfortable. He took us to a few spots and we caught a beautiful 15lb king salmon.

My group of 3 chartered a sailboat from Here for a five day,…read morefour night trip and bundled it with the ASA training courses to make you a certified sailor and it was AWESOME! We had Mitchell as our skipper who taught us everything we needed to know and was great with recommendations, general knowledge, and fun to hangout with. The boat was great and the trip couldn't have gone better. Already looking to book here again soon.

We had an outstanding experience with AYC. Esther is an excellent communicator and we knew exactly…read morewhat expect and how much it would cost. We arrived on the morning of the full eclipse, and AYC offered us special glasses so we could view the eclipse safely. After our safety briefing, we met the moorage captain for a brief (well, rushed) training on the boat. It didn't matter that the trainer was cursory because we were on a learn and curse, and our training captain had our backs. We learned so much on our weeklong cruise. Captain Larry is an outstanding teacher and coach. I know at least 5 new hitches and feel more confident on a boat, both as crew and as captain. We also learned to crab and cook crab. We hiked throughout the week and learned how to deploy the dinghy. What a blast! We will certainly be back for more, especially in the "off" season of October. The weather was still beautiful and the wildlife was abundant.

Stormy day with a small craft advisory and suddenly you can't get to Blakely Island in your…read morefriend's boat? No problem, just book yourself a spot on the ol' Paraclete! This is exactly the predicament I found myself in on a recent Friday, and although the seas were a bit choppy I was excited to finally get to ride on the legendary Paraclete. The Paraclete provides charter/passenger service to islands not served by the Washington State Ferry system. This includes Blakely and several others. They operate on a daily schedule (available on their website) or you can also book a charter. Without services like the Paraclete, it would be much more difficult to get around the islands. I arrived about 20 minutes before my scheduled departure, and soon me and about 10 other passengers were aboard. Our skilled captain guided us through the stormy seas with great skill. While the ride was bumpy it was never scary or felt unsafe. Soon we arrived at the dock at Blakely's marina, where many passengers (and a large, unaccompanied propane grill) were quickly unloaded. The price for this one-way trip was just $40 (woulda been $38 if I had cash - something to keep in mind for next time). The captain and his mate were friendly and professional, and masks were required to be worn by all passengers during this time of covid. Thanks, Paraclete, for delivering me safely to my weekend getaway!

I am now a customer for life. I am very impressed with the newer management for the Paraclete! They…read morehave always been a good company, and now I am beyond impressed. They are extremely organized, timely, clean, and kind/professional. Our entire family has always had a WONDERFUL experience on the Paraclete. Highly recommend

Captain Tom Griffin is extremely educated in boating. We wanted to do a refresher class with him as…read morehe was highly recommended as well as credentials and years of experience. Tom was very informative and helpful in every aspect from safety to etiquette. His teaching skills are extremely easy to understand and straight forward. Captain Tom is a very kind man who has patience and compassion for others and he demonstrates this every day. From the moment we spoke with him on the phone, we knew he was definitely the Captain we wanted to learn from. Very reasonably priced and well worth every penny and then some!

I found Captain Tom Griffin at the Seattle boat show, where I spoke with several other captains and…read moreboat schools. I had a dream of buying a boat and living on it, though I'd had next to no large boat experience. Tom helped make that dream come true. He is very knowledgeable, and was very flexible as we had to change dates a couple of times. Not only did he help me get my boat from Port Townsend to Brinnon, he taught me all kinds of things on the way and when we got there - using charts, navigation, rules of the road, proper dock tying, etc. And all in one day. Decent rates too!

Son and I Fished with R and R charters May 28th, 2020. Made the reservation with Patty. During…read morethese strange times she was very pleasant and professional, continually kept in contact informing us with state fishing updates. Rick our Captain was very upbeat, confident and knowledgeable. With his great demeanor it was like he was a long time friend. He made our experience for great memories. Highly recommend R and R charters for your next great fishing experience.

Brett took 4 of us out on 9/10/24 and was amazing. 2 of us were very experienced and 2 were…read moremoderately experienced. Boat and gear were in great shape. We felt he structured the trip to our skills. We limited out. Definitely do it again.

I'm quite familiar with this company. I do not recommend you do business there…read more After the original managing partner left the company the remaining owners seemed to have set aside their commitment to quality service and customer safety. Granted, this is only my observation.

Chartered a 45 footer sail boat. Loved it. I had not checked reviews on Yelp prior to renting there…read more(luckily!): I found the staff and the owner to be great. They went the extra mile for us. The boat was in good shape. We had a fantastic time. I'd highly recommend this place and would come back in a heartbeat.

How do we keep adding stars! From the time we met Jette and Jon, we felt right at home and spoiled…read more Sailing the San Juans was a dream come true, but little did we know how wonderful every single day would be. Attention to every detail from warm coffee mugs to fill our fresh coffee at 7am to gourmet lunches and dinners, and of course desserts. We had a wonderful time. Jon and Jette are the most gracious hosts, who now we consider friends. Jon keeping us safe and informed of the wildlife and sealife, but also taking us on hikes on islands only accessible by boat. Jette with her great sense of humor surprising us at every turn with a new talent from gourmet cooking, writing songs, playing her guitar and sharing her doodles are a few of the many talents she revealed to us. And then there is Geni, sweet Geni, their portugese water "boat" dog. We instantly fell in love and could not get enough of her. I don't now the last time I felt so relaxed and pampered. Thank you Jette and Jon for the wonderul memories! We are looking forward to returning next year! To anyone considering Sailing the San Juans - this is your charter! You will have the time of your life!

From the moment you step onto the Northwind, take in every single second you can!! Every…read moresecond--every peaceful moment, every sweet and savory bite Captain Jette serves, every bit of island trivia Captain Jon offers--as you sail calmly past thick green forests dotted with specks of white the resident bald eagles offer in the form of head and tail. This is truly an adventure awaiting! If you have ever wanted to sail but don't know how, just leave the sailing, cooking, and swabbing of the decks to Jette and Jon. They love to help make wonderful memories for all of us, and do so graciously and kindly. So stop wondering and take the leap (sail). You will have a blast

This review is about the 40' Jeanneau 'Kama Hele'…read more Sadly, the boat needs maintenance. The owner told us the boat was in charter service for a while in the Caribbean before he bought it, changed the name to Kama Hele, and brought it up to Anacortes to charter it out. Older boats are fine, but needed maintenance should not be deferred. The boat needs a thorough cleaning. The upholstery in the cabin is tired, but serviceable. There are adequate utensils, plates, and so forth to cook onboard. The overall condition inside is worn and needing some attention. The toilet for defecating is in the forward cabin, so this is awkward. The berth on the starboard side is very small, I was unable to draw up my knees to get out of the bed because of low height in this area. But, that's sailing. There is significant mildew evident between the hull and the interior lining in the bulkhead area of the master cabin and it made one of our party ill. This is right above your head when sleeping. Mildew contamination can be addressed on an older boat, but it does take some time and effort. The steel bracket where the mainsheet pulley mounts to the boom had torn off and was temporarily re-attached with cord. We felt this repair is ok to limp home, but did not feel it would be wise to actually sail with the main up and hope it would not come loose as this could be a dangerous condition. There is significant fouling on the bottom, slowing down the boat. We attempted to clear what we could reach with a broom and hose, but of course this was insufficient. There is even fouling of the dingy's bottom. The diesel is almost new, works fine, and barely used any fuel. One afternoon we raised the jib and it was wonderful to escape the noise and exhaust smell. Overall, I feel more could be provided for the price.

Very disappointing sailboat charter. The boat, Kame Hele is an older boat with expected wear and…read moretear. What was not expected or acceptable was the amount of mildew and mold. The liner of the cabin in the forward bunk was peeled back revealing lots of mold very close to the forward bunk. Mold was also on curtains and shades especially in forward bunk. The boat was also not well cleaned and had a lot of bottom growth which we needed to clean before disembarking. When we got enough wind to sail we noticed that the blocks on the boom were broken and jury rigged. We therefore did not feel comfortable sailing with the main and could only sail with the jib. We initially chartered for 2 weeks and had friends planning to join us for the 2nd week and were splitting the cost. Once we told them about the condition of the boat, they were no longer wanting to come. We also did not want to spend a second week on the boat and felt that the mold was a potential health hazard. Unfortunately, the owner refused to refund our money for the second week My advice is pay a little more and go with a reputable, trusted company