I've been whale watching off the California coast before, so I'm going to compare this experience…read moreto that. This ended up more of a pleasant boat ride than whale watching as we didn't get to see any orcas (such a bummer!) and only got to see one single, elusive Humpback whale name Victory. I can't fault the tour for that, but it definitely impacts the experience. It was still a nice boat ride, with friendly staff onboard and the fortunate luck of sitting at the back of the boat next to a conservationist-led tour group with a lot of knowledge shared. On the brighter side, the weather was beautiful and we got to see two kinds of puffin and some sea lions as well. Just wish we got to see whales, instead of just one.

I acknowledge we got so lucky for our day trip! We arrived at 9:30 for an easy check in. Lots of…read moreparking. We were a huge group. They moved us along quick and easily. We started our day going through deception pass, down and around to south Whidbey Island where we were graced by the presence of T99 pod. Seasonal visitors who hunt seals. And they were actively hunting! They started in the deeps and quickly moved towards shore. Our crew had marine biologists on board who dictated the orca behavior to advice they are hunting a seal. The largest Barakat was easy to spy as he breached the water to body slam the seal. Ultimately they succeeded as a team. Epic trip. The crew was very knowledgeable. Captain had jokes, hating on our Seahawks..anyway. Overall , great boat, day trip, had a wonderful day.

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 a wonderful experience chartering a Catamaran for four days, three nights. Our group of four…read morewomen on a writing retreat had just an amazing time with Captain Mitchell sailing the San Juan islands. He put us right at ease with his knowledge, experience, and love for sailing and boats. He handled everything, including a spat of windy weather that he navigated like a pro. I would return to AYC for any chartering needs I may be lucky enough to have in the future, and I will ask for Mitchell by name. Thank you AYC!

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!

We just returned from a magnificent yacht chartering experience thanks to Mr. Larry Dent of Crown…read moreYacht Charters in Anacortes. From the initial phone call, through the personalized boat handling training I asked for to the actual charter itself it was all perfectly executed by Mr. Dent and his crew at Crown Yacht Charters. I was favorable impressed with the mechanical condition and cosmetic appearance of the two boats I was exposed to. They care about their equipment and it shows! We spent four absolutely perfect days on their 36' Selene and had a most excellent time. The boat was immaculate and the weather was beautiful (the first one they control, the second they can't). At every opportunity Crown Yacht Charters met or exceeded our expectations; especially when a minor technical glitch came up early in process (through no fault/emission or error on their part). Crown Yacht Charters stepped up and took care of us. If you are in the market to charter out of Anacortes and are looking for an experienced, friendly, knowledgeable, responsible, and courteous charter company with great boats to offer then give Crown Yacht Charters a call. I plan on chartering again and I look forward to using their professional services. Tom D. -September 2015 5 stars because I can't give them 6 or 10

Crown Yacht Charters is the worst company we have ever chartered from. The four of us are…read moreexperienced sailors having cumulatively chartered nearly 30 times all over the world and owned our own boats. Often there is a problem on a charter, always repaired promptly, but not at Crown. We have never given a charter company a bad review even though we have chartered from first- second- and third-echelon companies. Crown is simply not prepared to adequately maintain and promptly repair problems with their boats. All systems in this boat required electricity, right down to the toilet flush. The house battery bank failed on day three despite extra charging time. We discovered that Crown had no chase boat, no interest in diagnosing the problem, and had to order new batteries. On day eight, we were required to return to the base's island for battery replacement--five hours out of the way--and after a week on a crippled boat. For most of our trip, we were never sure we could raise the anchor or flush a toilet. For our trouble, we received two days reimbursement of our 10-day trip and that only after pressing the owner who wanted to 'think about it.'

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!!

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