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!

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.

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

Absolutely Horrible. I can't believe this guy is in business. He hates people…read more Our group had the worst time imaginable. Darrel acts like he is totally being put out and has zero patience. Do yourselves a huge favor and avoid him. And another thing. Always check the filtered reviews. A member of our party checked his Yelp reviews and saw none. (didn't know reviews were filtered). So we wasted our rare time together as well as money. Read the filtered reviews. I have NO doubt they are accurate.

This was by far the worst guided fishing trip i have ever been on. When we booked the trip i had…read morespoken with Darrel about my parties interest in going for Halibut and Ling Cod. He had told me we would fish for both. after a ten minute boat ride, we tied off to an anchor for 6 hours and had 1 bite the entire 6 hours. We did not move once. Darrel was polite enough when he wasn't on his cell phone speaking to other guides and learning about where other fish were biting but still we sat in the same place. After not catching anything Darrel didn't even offer an apology for not catching anything. We all felt cheated at the end of the day and will never use Eagle Point Charters again. Nick

What an incredible Greenling fishing trip with Highliner Charters in the San Juan Islands! We had a…read morephenomenal time, with everyone successfully catching a good amount of greenling for a delicious fish taco dinner. The wildlife viewing was spectacular, and we were absolutely charmed by a large pod of baby seals. The staff were outstanding--so friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely focused on making sure our entire family had a wonderful and fun experience!!

I enjoyed going out with Brett and his mate. They were both very knowledgeable on where and how to…read morefish. I will take his lesson that he taught with me whenever I go out for Lingcod again for the rest of my life. Also I went out for my first mother's day which is one I'll never forget thanks to my to my husband booking Highliner charters which in result gave me an opportunity to catch one of the biggest Lingcods I ever hooked. I highly recommend going out with him, I have no complaints. Bring your snacks and drinks, I didn't end up eating due to all the time being used catching fish.

I've seen some of the negative reviews and I think they should be removed because the ownership has…read morechanged since they were posted and Island Express is a 5 star operation. They are convenient and friendly. The boats are meticulously maintained and very comfortable. The crews are always willing to help and as my wife and I have aged it is most needed and appreciated. So if you're looking for transportation in and around the US San Juan Islands to a non publicly ferried island you won't do better.

My husband & I have been using Island Express Charters for years to get to our cabin on Sinclair…read moreIsland. They're amazing. 2 boats ferrying people to various San Juan Islands, usually the ones not serviced by the Ferries. Decatur, Blakey, Center, Sinclair, and many more. The owner is so nice (Scott, he's new). Scott has kept all the things that were working, improved the things that weren't. We Love the Captains!! Everyone is very nice, helpful & skilled. For those of you not familiar, they aren't like a ferry where they have regular published times. You call, tell them when & where, and they will let you know the available times. It's like a personalized ferry. They can often drop you off on your beach if you have a beachfront cabin (not always). Don't forget, the times are very dependent on the tides!! The boats are bow-loaders, with a lot of room inside. Very easy to load & unload stuff & people. They are functional work boats though. So don't expect fancy. They can also move cargo for you. Lumber, small tractors, 4-wheelers, etc. Very dog friendly!!

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.

We had a Wonderful experience and the staff is friendly with great service! Would definitely…read morerecommend them!

Oh my! This ferry is just lovely! There is an adventurer area for kids, a gift shop filled w neat…read moreclothes and high end quality items. The ferry is upscale and very comfortable. Windows are easy to see out of. They have delis and bars, lots to choose from. Time flew as we enjoyed the boat...so sad to get off!

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!