My daughter went on a HS Spring Break Trip and had an amazing time. She knew nothing about sailing…read morebefore going, and learned a lot. I highly recommend this boat and the folks working here.

This was an excellent way to have a Bellingham Bay dinner cruise, the sailboat experience was…read morewonderful, it was fun giving some assistance in raising and lowering of the sails. The dinner was really delicious, worthy as a top restaurant fare. We had booked our cruise for four people for the wrong date and KEVIN (First Mate) was able to get us on board anyway. Definitely will be repeat customers!

I have been eyeing San Juan Cruises for at least two years and this year my oldest son wanted to…read morecelebrate his birthday exploring by boat. Booking our adventure was extremely easy via the San Juan Cruises website. I greatly appreciate how detailed the reservation information was, and most importantly how courteous the entire team was throughout our time aboard. The team went into great detail about our journey, history on each island we passed, and insights on the protected wildlife we could possibly encounter during our voyage. The vessel was extremely accommodating for all of us on board, ample seating, viewing opportunities, and two restrooms. The team makes an excellent warm lunch was provided; while snacks and beverages were available throughout the entire duration of the voyage (grab a cup of coffee Blue Herron coffee beans based out of Bow, WA makes a great cup!) We managed to encounter eagles, seals, walruses, dolphins, a gray whale, and two different orca pods. Each sighting was absolutely breathtaking and majestic! I could not ever imagine going to a theme park to view these magnificent animals. The voyage takes between 5-6 hours plan, you'll be surprised at how quickly that time goes by. Helpful tip for parents bringing children feel free to pack coloring books, board games, binoculars, and snacks for your littles the San Juan Cruise team welcomes it for the little voyagers. My parents have already had planned to book an excursion during their visit next month, and I highly recommend for anyone who lives in or visiting the area to do so as well!

My boyfriend and I booked the afternoon whale watching cruise at San Juan Cruises not knowing what…read moreto expect and it ended up being the highlight of the weekend. The crew was very friendly and I loved that it was guided by the Captain and Naturalist onboard. I learned a lot about islands in the Salish Sea and we saw several species of animals. There are several great viewing spots on the boat and it's easy to see from inside if it gets too windy. I learned so much about the Biggs orcas, sea lions, and harbor seals. It's not promised, but we saw two different groups of the orcas right at the beginning of the trip and surprisingly at the end in Bellingham bay. It was so nice to learn about them and get an up close view (within safe distance). They served a lunch onboard which was included in the cost, however we packed our own. They also have beverages and snacks for sale throughout the ride. I didn't bring binoculars on board, but I did see people with them. My iPhone was enough to get close up videos and pictures of the animals! I would definitely recommend this to family and friends!

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!

Well it has happened agin. I spent an absolutely idyllic week on the Northwind. This boat is a…read moredream to sail - or just watch the incredible scenery. Especially with the delicious scents of Jettes cooking wafting up- I ate more than I should have but it was too good to pass up! The wind and the water, sunlight or moonlight- its magic irl. Off boat excursions were terrific as well- hiking, kayaking, biking- its all there and so rejuvenating/relaxing. TailEr is her usual canine calming spirit. John and Jette continue to inspire me with their incredible skills: nautical, culinary and interpersonal! I could go on and on. The care and attention to all aspects of this trip is just superb. You should sign up as soon as you can though- they book up fast.

We called interested in signing up for their basic to bareboat cruise and learn class, but had…read moreseveral questions since their website doesn't have very much information. The lady we talked to was rude and her answer to any of our question was did you see our website? It was like pulling teeth getting answers out of her! And yes we did look and read over the website before calling there wasn't enough information on it obviously so that's why we had questions! It seemed that it was a chore for her to answer our questions you would think she would want to be more helpful and persuasive so we would want to pay this company lots of money for their sailing school... needless to say we will be looking elsewhere for a business that seems more happy to take our money.

Nice dealership here in Bellingham…read more They communicated with me in a timely fashion. Overall, I had a good experience and would suggest others to use Bellhaven. Cheers.

My wife and I chartered Diminuendo for two days in July 2026 and had an amazing trip with Captain…read moreScott and First Mate/Chef Todd. They are terrific hosts and extremely able sailors. We so enjoyed our trip and spending the time with them. They are easy to be with, and great storytellers. On top of that, Todd is a first class chef. The boat was very comfortable, and the unexpected bonus was that the entire cockpit is able to be fully enclosed in the case of inclement weather. I've been a boater my whole life, owned numerous boats over the past 53 years, and have over 4,000 hours at the helm of the boats that I've owned. Scott runs an A+ yacht and this is a trip I highly recommend if you are in the area (we traveled all the way from Florida to visit family and made this a priority on our vacation). Seeing seals and porpoises was the icing on the cake.

Under new ownership, captain Scott made me feel like part of the crew. NW sailing is classy. It was…read moregreat learning so much about weather, currents, local history, and exploring the islands. Go for a multi day charter, you do not want to miss Scott's coffee. I am a vegetarian and the food was so healthy and delicious! Scott has a clear love for sailing and sharing the islands with guests. Best vacation ever. If you are going sailing in the San Juan's don't mess with other charter companies.

There are no words to describe this experience. Glacier Bay National Park is a wondrous place but…read morethen add in an antique trawler with the nicest people you'll ever meet. AND THE FOOD! OMG - phenomenal. Our hosts were terrific and just so knowledgeable and friendly. The trip itself was magical. If there was wildlife or whales Jeffrey stopped the boat or maneuvered it so we had a great sighting. AND we got to meet Kim Heacox! Thank you Jeffrey! This is a trip of a lifetime and more folks should do it...on the M/V David B. A shout out to Sarah and Matt too. You both are wonderful.

This was more than a trip...it was an experience and I mean that in the best way. The boat was…read morebeautiful and obviously cared for. It is obvious Christine and Jeffrey take each winter to make everything better on the boat down to the smallest item or storage. From the beginning of scheduling, Sarah happily answered every question promptly. Christine served top notch food from her wood burning stove. Delicious pastries, breads, soups, seafood, salads and appetizers. She helped me slow down, take a breath and see the beautiful world of Misty Fiords National Monument. It was absolutely breathtaking. Jeffrey was so much fun, so knowledgeable about many subjects. He was happy to change course on the boat when the whales were seen. What a pleasant experience to have a trip adapted to the environment. I would highly recommend this trip. I'm already looking at which one I want to do next!

What an incredible experience, from start to finish!…read more My husband and I went on Gato Verde's sunset cruise for our anniversary. The booking process was simple, and Todd quickly responded to questions we had prior to booking. We received a text and email reminder on the day of our cruise, with arrival time and specific directions to the boat. Upon arrival, Todd greeted us and led us to the Gato Verde, where we started off with a safety talk and learned about how the Gato Verde runs sustainably--super cool! Todd was an excellent captain; he was friendly and informative throughout, but he wasn't at all overbearing. We were able to have privacy for the majority of the time, then enjoy pleasant conversation with Todd at the times he moved around the boat. The Gato Verde was clean and well kept, and Todd even had games and an ukulele for playing! We LOVED hanging out on the hammocks on the front of the boat. We highly recommend the Gato Verde for any small group or private cruise--you won't be disappointed!

Came up to Bellingham for our anniversary and was looking for something romantic to do. We booked…read morethe sunset sail, and were very pleased. Todd was great at communicating beforehand, did a great job of telling us about the local landmarks and islands, and the best part was that there were only 6 of us on the boat! Not overly crowded like some charters can get, but enough friendly people to make conversation with. He cares very much about conservation and gave us some great local food and sightseeing tips as well. We'll definitely book again the next time we're in Bellingham!

We hired Wander for full-service planning, design, & management of our 30 person wedding. The cost…read morewas $9,000. We also used their rentals which were complimentary due to issues during the planning process. In short, the negatives outweighed the positives & I would not hire them again. Rentals + Design: The best part of engaging Wander was the design. Wander was exceptional at brainstorming & came up with creative ideas that reflected our love story. For example, Kelsey had the idea to bring in Jeopardy champions to host trivia at our reception. Sarah, likewise, out did herself by incorporating fun gaming elements & paper cranes. On the day of our wedding, I couldn't believe how beautiful and uniquely "us" it was. The dinner table looked like something out of a magazine. At Sarah's suggestion we rented colorful pillows, rugs, an arbor, a card box, easels, a bar cart, candles, & side tables from Wander. Sarah was also able to use Wander's grid panel's in really unique ways to create an origami station & a market flowers stand. Full-Service Planning: Overall, full-service planning was a big disappointment. Very important details were left for the last minute. For example, we didn't receive a floral estimate or contract until 19 days before our wedding. Likewise, there were consistent issues with communication. We had several vendors reach out to us & say that Wander was not providing them timely information. We also experienced this firsthand over email when we had to ask Wander the same questions repeatedly...sometimes going weeks without an answer. About 45 days before our wedding we started to panic over missing contracts, budget overages, & the general lack of communication from Wander. We had a budget of $35k for a 30 person wedding. We thought this was a reasonable number but shortly before the wedding we realized Wander had not been keeping a close eye on the budget & we were going to go over significantly. For just the wedding (including attire, not including rings) we paid $43,424.53 - that's 24% over budget. It's important to note that Wander realized mistakes had been made & tried to make it right. Shortly before our wedding Alissa took over communication, Sarah sat in on meetings, & they gave us almost $2,000 in rentals free of charge. Wedding Day Management: Wedding day management was hands down the most negative part of our experience. On the day of our wedding Wander unilaterally re-arrange the ceremony seating charts. As a result, the bride's family was not seated correctly. My cousin in-laws were given seats of honor front & center on the aisle in the first two rows. My grandmother & other members of my family that were meant to be honored, on the other hand, were given seats on the edge of the ceremony where it was difficult for them to see. Wander also re-arranged the reception floor plan. For example, the video guest book was supposed to have a background in front of a large window with trees. Instead, Wander told the videographer to set up in a poorly lit corner that featured the parking lot & fire alarm. Likewise, our favors (a "market flowers stand" where our guests could take home bouquets) was supposed to be placed near the exit. Instead, Wander placed it in a completely different room & most of our guests did not realize it was there. Unfortunately there were also a lot of little errors that made a big difference to the Wedding Day experience. For example, we had games planned for our reception & each guest was supposed to get a card under their plate charger to tell them their team. Not all guests got a card that identified their team. Wander was supposed to work with the photographer to ensure disability seating. They did not do that, so our elderly & disabled guests had to walk down a hill & then stand outside in the August heat for almost an hour with no place to sit during family photos. Some of the décor was not properly secured. At one point the "Trivia Night" sign fell off the wall & landed on my head.

Wander Events is hands down my favorite rentals company in the PNW! There collection is second to…read morenone; the perfect mix of boho & vintage. Whether you want to create a swoon-worthy lounge area or the perfect dining space they have the pieces you need to make your event look bang on trend! Not only that but Cara & Sara are two of the loveliest and inspiring women, and an absolute pleasure to work with. Book them now, you won't regret it!