Sailing With Us
Sailing with a maximum of six passengers we adjust to the level at which you’re ready to adventure and heel with the boat. Your confidence will grow as you become accustomed to the dynamics of sailing in the pacific northwest. In a short time you’ll feel connected to the Salish Sea and the abundant wildlife. As we sail we are always looking and listening for eagles, seals and sea lions, a variety of birds, porpoises and whales. We like to hug the coastline admiring the forest and geology. And so relax on the foredeck in our comfy bean bag chairs and enjoy the ride. Every trip is different.
We aim to educate you about the wildlife of the Salish Sea and provide a memory that will last a lifetime. It is a great experience for all ages and a lot of family fun. Let us know if you’re celebrating a special occasion and we’ll bake a cake. Brilliant for photographers who like to capture the experience of wildlife and scenery in ever changing light.
Each day our route is planned based on wind, current direction and where we believe we’ll have the highest likelihood of encountering whales. Orcas travel in the region of 100 miles each day. We receive real time information on whale sightings by communicating with our whale watch association on a private radio frequency. And then plot a course based on our experience of their likely behaviour. A full day sail gives us the best chance of including time with whales in our sail.
As an alternative to whale watching we may plan a shore excursion on another island by anchoring and using our Bullfrog tender for a beach landing. This can include hiking to visit State parks, lighthouses, viewpoints and wildflowers. Our favorites include hiking to the view atop Lovers Leap on Stuart Island on a full day sail and visiting Yellow Island Nature Preserve on a short sail.
Winds change as we move through the islands and so we do use our engine to cover ground and explore a greater range. When current is in our favor we drift sail through wildlife areas. We like to include variety and keep things moving as appropriate.
Pick ups and drop offs from Lopez, Orcas or Shaw Islands can be arranged. This is easiest with groups booking the full boat. We understand ferry times aren’t always convenient so we make allowances to help you as we can. Generally we charge $125 each way for this service.
The Nitty Gritty
Day sails: 6 hours or so, cost $200/person or $1,000 for private boat (plus sales tax). Sailing schedule tends to be 11am-5pm with some adjustments depending on the season. These are our most popular sails and we focus on sailing with whales where we can. We receive ongoing whale reports through the day and can call to schedule an earlier departure if we hear of nearby sightings. Every day is different for where whales are, where they’re going and what they’re up to. When whales are not reported in our area we’ll focus on sailing and drifting through wildlife refuge areas – and we may be the ones finding the whales so we’re always scanning. BBQ salmon sandwich with salad is an option for a late lunch or bring your own food and beverages.
Short sails: 2 1/2 hour, cost $125/person or $600 for private boat (plus sales tax). Note short sails have low odds of whales unless they’re close to Friday Harbor. Our short sails are often scheduled in the evening with the sunset and the option for BBQ salmon dinner. We focus on finding wildlife while using wind and current to immerse in sailing and drifting with the magic of the evening.
Spring months we offer 4 hour sails where we anchor and go ashore to the Nature Conservancy’s Yellow Island Preserve for the Spring wildflower bloom. This is one of our favorite places to visit. Cost 145/person or 700 for private boat (plus sales tax)
Winter months short sails, extended with respect to weather, sea conditions and goals of the day. Sail training and longer adventures may be coming. Some years we take off on our own family sails in winter months.
Sail lengths are approximate, often extended for whales, so let us know if you’re on a schedule.
Our crew consists of myself, Capt David, my wife Capt Barbara and our daughter, Skye, who is getting older at 5 this year. Barbara and Skye have more days off nowadays and I sometimes runs the sail on my own or more often have a stand in wildlife guide of Erin or Carly. We all have a background in whale research. Our crew tends to take the role of wildlife guide while Capt David is at the helm.
Our Captains Blog documents just about every sail we’ve had over the passed 11+ years and is a great place to see what our sails are like. There’s a link to view a summary of the sails by month in the green section at the bottom of the homepage. Our crew take photographs during the sail and we share our favorite photos with you by email. Full resolution photos are available for purchase. When conditions are appropriate we use a hydrophone, an underwater microphone, to listen to whale vocalizations.
Where to meet: We’ll meet at the boat, ‘Peniel’, docked at Spring Street Landing in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. At the bottom of Spring Street in front of Downriggers Restaurant there is a short dock next to where the ferry docks where all the commercial boats are. There is a building at the end of the dock with a clock on it. Take the left ramp down where you’ll find our sail boat. Arriving 5 minutes early is good. It’s about a 2 minute walk from the ferry. Google Maps
Peniel has a galley with kitchenware, bottle openers, water, a fridge and such. Bring your own beverages and snacks. You’re welcome to use our fridge or bring a cooler as you like. This year we are offering to cook again on some sails. Barbecued salmon with veggies as a dinner or baked rolls with barbecued salmon sandwich with salad as a lunch. Inquire if interested.
Folks usually sit on custom made bean bag chairs which are very comfortable. We have blankets, hats, and good binoculars. There is a bathroom onboard.
Wear layers and a hat, particularly if you’re coming from Texas or a southern state – it can get chilly on the water in the Pacific Northwest. Average sea water temperature through the year ranges 45-52’F so long trousers and socks beat shorts and sandals. Long underwear, wool layers and a warm jacket are your friends along with sunscreen and sunglasses.
Seasickness: Our experience with folks taking dramamine is that they fall asleep through the sail – look for the non-drowsy kind and let us know if you’re feeling effects of medication. Seasickness rarely occurs but inform us if you’re prone to it so we can take an alternate route to avoid lumpy seas.
Day visitors: consider leaving your vehicle in Anacortes. It takes quite a bit of extra time to unload vehicles and find parking compared to first off ferry with a 2 minute walk. There is an 8 hour parking lot opposite Wells Fargo Bank on Spring Street and 8 hour spaces at the top of First Street passed the Whale Museum. Warbass Way has 3 day parking. If you need a vehicle on island we rent out our mint 5-7 seater Toyota 4-Runner on Turo.
Payment: Preferred payment is Venmo or old fashioned check (to All Aboard Sailing) paid on the day of the sail is our norm. It is not necessary to provide credit card information for deposit. We trust you will let us know if you need to cancel. Paypal and credit card companies charge us a 4% fee we’d rather avoid. Venmo is great, as is cash and gold. Pre-pay with Venmo or mailing a check is also an option. Add on WA sales tax of 8.65%.
We do require your cell phone number when you place your booking. Please inform us if you are catching a ferry on the same day as our sail. And let us know if there is flexibility in your schedule or dates you’ll be on island – sometimes we can text and let you know if whales are passing Friday Harbor or visible from shore. Sometimes we scoot the departure time earlier or extend the sail if we need more range to see whales.
Cancellation policy – If you have a change of plans be sure to let us know as soon as possible to allow another person this opportunity. Cancellations with less than 48 hours and no shows will be billed at the full price. No charge for cancellations due to weather or illness. We refund or reschedule when the weather is beyond our comfort level.
Our trips are posted on Facebook – check it out, hit like, follow us – we love to stay in touch.
Capt. David Howitt 360 298-1918
S/V ‘PENIEL’ docked at Spring Street Landing, Friday Harbor
Mailing address 1785 Douglas Road Unit 75, Friday Harbor WA 98250