Northwest Classic Daysailing operates From Deer Harbor on Orcas Island, in the San Juan Islands of Washington State since 2001.
We caught a break in the weather and had a wonderful sunny afternoon to sail Orcas and surrounding islands. Captain Ward was a great host, teaching us novices how to navigate the waters and giving us local history lessons. Saw lots of seals, a couple of porpoises and countless eagles. Thanks for a great afternoon.!
Ward showed us a great time with beautiful views of the islands from the water. Also got nice sailing lession!! Highly recommend this!
We recently rented a sailboat for a few hours for my friend's birthday. It was awesome! The guy who owned the boat let us all take turns steering, he even dropped us off at the ferry dock for us so we wouldn't have to take a $40 cab ride back! We highly recommend this tour. We saw lots of baby seals and a bald eagle- it was phenomenal!
Our family of 6 went sailing with Ward and loved it! As has been mentioned in other reviews, he involves anyone who would like to help. Our 2 grandchildren had a chance to steer the boat for a while. Ward is great at explaining the workings of his sailboat and telling about the islands/landmarks around the area. We too were thrilled when we got to go past an island where lots of seals were sunning themselves and swimming around. Great fun!
We had a lovely time with Ward!! Absolutely awesome day of sailing out of Orcas Island. Ward was very relaxed, patient, and knowledgeable about the area. He even allowed us to take turns steering the boat and taught us a little about sailing! It was my parents' first trip out to the San Juan's and our day sailing with Ward was definitely the highlight! We brought some snacks, paid for an extra hour, and I think we could have stayed all day. 🙂 we will definitely be back again to sail with Ward!
We've gone out twice with Ward and thoroughly enjoyed our trips. He makes you feel at ease and has you steer the vintage sailboat. He is very casual and experienced. For those looking for a nice tour in a vintage boat, my wife and I highly recommend spending an afternoon with Ward and his sail boat. The location is fairly easy to find, and free parking is near by. If you've never been to Orcas Island, this is a nice ferry ride from Anacortes. Lots of nice things to see, so bring your camera.
We had a great time. Ward was very cool (in both senses of nice and relaxed) and the boat is beautiful. Of course the area is gorgeous and Ward told us some interesting things about it. Definitely recommended if you're interested in a sailing charter in the San Juans.
Ward was very personable and taught us a bit about sailing. He encouraged my daughter to steer the entire way. She was quite timid about going on the sailboat at first and by the time she got off the boat, she wanted one of her own. He engaged my husband and father in law to help with the sails and jib. It was very relaxing and we even got to see some seals and eagles. Though it says for up to 6 people, I think 4 is more than sufficient. It might be quite tight with more than 4 people. Very fun outting. We all loved it.
This was the first time my wife and I had ever been sailing, and what a wonderful experience! Ward was a great captain/host and he was VERY knowledgeable about not only sailing, but also about the history of the San Juan Islands... as we'd sail along, he was always pointing out little details about different islands or houses that we'd see. I also loved how he got us involved in the actual sailing of the boat. Overall fantastic experience. Highly recommend if you've never done it before.