San Juan Islands

Itinerary

Itineraries are dependent on weather and tides and may change at the captain’s discretion.

These voyages are 6-days and 5-nights in duration and feature the emerald jewels of the San Juan Archipelago. Consisting of 130 named islands scattered between the shore of mainland Washington state and the southern end of Vancouver Island British Columbia, they create a labyrinth of narrow passages through which we will meander.

A voyage through the San Juan Islands

Our voyages will begin and end in Bellingham, Washington, located 90 miles north of Seattle on the I-5 corridor. Bellingham is served by several airlines, but also allows those who are hesitant to fly to drive directly to the boat in their own vehicle. Trips will sail on Saturday afternoons at 2:00 pm and include all meals until our return to Bellingham late Thursday morning.

All of our trips are focused on natural history, wildlife and photography, and over the years we have introduced thousands of people to both the robust as well as the vulnerable aspects of wildness. We create opportunities for new perspectives on life that few of our species will ever be granted, by sitting quietly in a verdant forest, or drifting along a serrated shoreline in a kayak.

When we combine these moments with good companionship and masterfully prepared, locally sourced and hand gathered foods, we pass the threshold leading to something truly extraordinary.

During the course of our week together we will visit with different fermentation artists and sample the consummation of their talent and commitment. Each morning will begin with a walk or kayak paddle before we raise anchor and get underway. Afternoons will be allocated to visiting with vintners, brewers and distillers. One day we will meet a craftsperson who distills 14 different gins and an award-winning apple brandy. On another we will tour a tiny brewery and sample their products. Later in the trip we will visit with a vintner who will bring the fruits of their labors to the boat for us to taste.

Our palates will be exercised and educated by tasting these artisanal products and meeting some of their creators. Dinners will be multicourse and paired with the beverages we spent the afternoon discovering. After dinner we may retire to the salon for more conversation, a reading or presentation about local wildlife and history, or we may elect to remain on deck, absorbing a spectacular sunset as the sky turns from lavender to royal blue.

We will visit San Juan, Lopez, Orcas, Sucia, Matia, Stuart, Jones and Cypress Islands, hike their trails, kayak their sheltered coves, and explore some of their pebbled beaches. We may see orca, minke and humpback whales, land otters, harbor seals, Stellar sea lions, porpoise, plus many species of migratory and resident birds.