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.

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

I called with a question and the fellow that answered the phone was apparently having a rough day…read more He quoted me a cost for something that sort of surprised me and before I could respond he grumbled "we have to pay the bills around here". Well, now I'll figure out some way to do the job myself because he was so rude, I refuse to give any money to the company. I'm even willing to drive to Bellingham or Everett. Customer Service goes a long way in a small town.

Excellent service and timeliness while hauling out my sailboat. Kent was prompt, professional and…read morevery hardworking. He took the time to inspect our mast and rigging, and made excellent suggestions for maintenance and repair. Highly recommended.

We did the 5 day trip. It was amazing in every way. The tour guides were exceptional:…read moreprofessional, knowledgeable, and great cooks! This was a challenging trip for us, but I really appreciate the guides careful attention to safety and changing conditions. It was epic and memorable!

We had a great half day morning trip with Ryan as our guide. Even though it was foggy, we learned a…read morelot from Ryan and even heard a whale as well as seeing sea lions and various birds.

Amazing county park with just 10 sites on the bluff at Indian Cove on Shaw Island. Lovely sandy…read morebeach with shallow cove means the water actually gets fairly warm. Plentiful driftwood (though not so much as Spencer Spit on Lopez). Lovely campsites, no RVs, so no generator noise. We were able to park our 1977 VW camper van in site 7 - not all sites could even fit a camper van, and some are just walk/bike. It's only about 2.5 miles from the ferry landing. Pristine location, and really off the beaten path, but well worth trying to snag a reservation - 90 days out.

Such an incredible experience. My partner and I sailed on Hopscotch this past summer and it was…read morejust a perfect week. The San Juans are a unique corner of America that few, even locals, get to see. While you can take a ferry to a few of the major islands, most of them are accessible only by private boat. Sailing through the San Juans feels like something out of a by-gone era - remote islands, lovely old resorts, quaint towns, and (thanks to Skipper Brendan's local knowledge) hidden bays and lots sunsets all to yourself! It's an amazing way to see these islands. Brendan is not only a fantastic skipper, but a really wonderful person who makes sure everyone aboard is comfortable, happy and having a great time. He grew up in Washington and knows so many fun facts about the islands, local spots and was obviously stoked to be able to share a place he loves with us. The boat is lovely. The staterooms are very comfortable and each has its own head (bathroom!) so there is a surprising amount of personal space. Chef Jess cooked up amazing food all week long. There is also lots of deck space so you can spread out and take advantage of the sun, nap on deck, or just sit and watch the scenery with a glass of wine! I really can't say enough good things about the whole experience. Thanks for making this trip all-time! We will be recommending it to friends and family, Cheers!

We just finished a San Juan cruise and it was a spectacular time for all of us. Excellent food,…read moregreat accommodations and a wonderful crew. Brendan our Captain was incredibly knowledgeable about the islands and kept us informed each day as to what our options were. Bri our Chef and the person that really ran the boat turned out the most delicious and unique meals every day in addition to attending to her other duties. Brendan and Bri are truly the nicest and most accommodating people I have ever met! I highly recommend this charter to everyone!

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!

We really enjoyed our kayaking trip. We thought our guide Brandon was rather unprofessional…read morecomplaining about trips and not being helpful assisting others who had reservation errors. He also would not allow the single experienced kayaker in our group to take a solo kayak for the trip even after that had been arranged with Amy on the phone that morning. We had a groupon deal and they insisted on charging us tax on top of our prepaid groupon. This was not mentioned anywhere in the fine print on our groupon.