My wife and I booked a 3-hour sailing trip with Jess and Karl while on Orcas. It was wonderful!…read moreTheir calm demeanor, friendly attitude, willingness to answer questions and just chat about sailing and life in general was refreshing. It is obvious they both have a deep passion for sailing and respect for our planet. We would HIGHLY recommend booking a sail with them!

WOW! What an unbelievable experience, with an amazing crew!…read more I rented a private charter, more on this later. My girlfriend (American) and I (Canadian) had never been on a sailboat so we were a little unsure what to expect. I did the majority of planning with Jess, she was extremely helpful and very response. I could instantly tell she wanted the experience to be a memorable journey, not just another sail on the water. Tip - they also work with a caterer, which I highly recommend as well. In early August we set out on sunset sail to Boundary Pass (water border of Canada, EH and the United States). It took about 2 hours to get to BP and on the way we saw a pod of orcas. Breathtaking. We reached the water border, it was time. I couldn't think of a better place to ask my beautiful and talented girlfriend to marry me. My hands were shaking, but I didn't drop the ring... and then she said YES! It was quiet, the sun was reflecting off the water, the moment was perfect. Jess captured the moment and sent us several amazing photos. The trip was perfect. Now, you know why I wanted the boat to be private.

Best customer service I've experienced in a long time... best experience with the owners and…read morecaptain Rick! Definitely will be returning

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!!

Fabulous trip!!! 75' wooden boat cruise around Glacier Bay Nat'l Park. Hikes, kayaks, wildlife…read morewatching, all in the company of knowledgeable naturalist Sarah. Anchoring in quiet harbors, watching the bears (black and brown) on shore a few yards away. Sneaking into the spots where the big cruise ships never go. Not to mention sitting up in the bridge watching everything and chatting with Captain Bill while waiting for Traci to ring the 'come-and-get-it' bell for another great gourmet meal. Then head down to have engineer Barry give a tour of the engine room. More advantages of a small boat - you linger when there's wildlife (and you're right on the water to see them)! We stopped to watch an orca pod, went off looking for humpbacks (and even saw them bubblenetting), had a school of Dall porpoises surfing our bow wave just below where we were standing (video: http://youtu.be/Q5lDLvl1e_4 ), sea lions, sea otters, puffins, mountain goats....and many more. If you're a birder, lots of great avian species, too. Great people running a great trip. I can't recommend them enough. Tight quarters in the cabins, but you're not going to spend much time there....you want to be on deck, up on the bridge, under the overhang on the stern lower deck, or in the lounge/dining area reading from their extensive naturalist collection or eating another delicious meal.

Doesn't get any better than this! The views of the mountains and inlets were stunning. We just…read morecame back from a 10-day cruise through Glacier Bay and the surrounding waters. With only 9 other passengers, on a 72 foot vessel, we kayaked and hiked small bays that most people never see. We saw bears, sea otters, wales, puffins, mountain goats... all with knowledgeable input from the ship's naturalist. The food was excellent and the company great, though I can't say who you'll cruise with ;) This adventure cruise is for those who are in moderately good shape. We had some older folks with us, in their 60's and they did ok with getting in and out of kayaks and walking through some uneven trails. But it is not for the couch potato, or the seriously obese. If you want to experience the incredible beauty of Alaska up close, this is your cruise.

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!

Such nice and helpful people…read more.. Last weekend my wife and I rented a boat from them and Chris was super helpful in getting us prepped with everything we needed. What I really liked was that no one at this facility read the riot act as they were walking us thru the process, which is what my experience with a LOT of boat rental places is... everything was done in a very relaxed manner and everything was explained very nicely We really enjoyed the 4 hour boat ride and did a loop around Waldron Island. Our boat died in the water after about three hours. Nate, Chris and Natalie were there within 15 minutes and helped us get back. They are all SUCH KIND and NICE people, they took care of the issue immediately, put us on a new boat and brought us back meanwhile towed the other boat. Despite the minor hiccup, a worthwhile experience...

Wonderful opportunity to rent a boat and explore the area from the water. Well worth doing as part…read moreof a visit to Orcas Island. The people who run it are very nice, and informative. Only negatives are the web site is out of date and they don't actually rent everything that's currently advertised. It's not an especially inexpensive way to spend a day (depending on your personal situation) but is a memorable, scenic experience. Not recommended if you don't have some boating skills, there are some shallow spots, rocks and tidal conditions to be aware of that could turn a fun day sour - but this isn't their fault of course. Overall a very good & fun experience that also felt safe. Seeing the islands from the water and not just from the ferry route is great!

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.

Pros: Beautiful nature, boat ride, fish you get to take home!, nice people, did I mention the…read moreviews!! Cons: none ! We planned a fishing trip with R&R Charters in February, and knowing nothing about fishing Captain Brett taught us so much! He was an awesome captain to have on the boat because he pointed out landmarks, took us north enough to see canada, explained every process on the fishing/gear/how it works, and he helped us catch fish! This was a great hands on experience that helped me understand and learn about fishing. We started kinda early in the morning, but the nice office had FREE COFFEE and a good heater. Then we went out on the boat which was loaded and ready to go (aka i didn't have to do anything ) and went out to multiple fishing spots. Just the boat ride out made me so happy. You could sit inside or outside the heated cabin on our boat which made the ride fun for my boyfriend who wanted to be outside and comfy for me inside. Then Captain Brett set up lines and taught us everything we needed to know! Honestly this was a great addition to our trip to anacortes and The best way to see the San Juan Islands, catch fish, it was educational, and we even got to see seals at the end! This was an awesome date, and would be great for a family trip or with kids. I can't wait to go back and do it again!!

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

You need to check their Alaska expeditions. They have…read moreseveral different types of trips from what I understand there 2 and 3 month trips that voters can take

If you are looking for a unique experience with beautiful scenery every day, and the opportunity to…read moretravel safely and confidently while navigating your own beautiful boat, this company has everything you need. Their boats are clean and very comfortable and they travel to new and gorgeous locations every day. You have a guide, a mechanic and a naturalist, and an all around helper, as well as the company of a small number of other travelers. Beautiful mornings, fun evenings, short travels each day through stunning scenery, wildlife, hikes, fishing, sunsets, this kind of trip has it all. You will make memories and friends that will last a lifetime. Highly recommend!!