We had a great time sailing with Captain Ward on his beautiful sailboat, Aura. He was knowledgeable, skilled, fun, and easy to talk to. I went with my partner and our infant son, and felt safe and happy the entire time. It was a great new experience, and the Captain was accommodating and also let us participate and learn as we went!

  Ward showed us a great time with beautiful views of the islands from the water. Also got nice sailing lession!! Highly recommend this!

  Our experience with Northwest Classic Day Sailing was fantastic! Having never sailed before, we received perfect beginner pointers, all while enjoying the sail and the beautiful views. Our captain, Ward, was an incredible host and extremely knowledgeable about all things sailing and all things Orcas island. I cannot recommend this experience enough. Thank you Ward!

  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!

  Wonderful sailing around the San Juan Islands with Captain Ward! He allows you to help in the sailing and patiently answers all questions. A wonderful way to spend the afternoon.

  We had a very pleasant morning sailing with Ward. He was a gracious host and went out of his way to include us (even my young children) in the operation of his boat. We saw some great spots, lots of wildlife, and all around had a very memorable time. Highly recommended!

  Could not have had a better day
Sunny, warm and just the right amount of wind. A true blessing for the first weekend in Oct
Ward was very calm and polite
Let you do as much or as little as you wanted. Ask the question and he shares openly, instructs and gives pointers in recognizing wind, current, other boat traffic
Pointing out landmarks, history flora and fauna
Would sail again with Ward any day

  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.

  This was a terrific day sailing trip on a classic wooden boat.  Captain Ward takes you around the Wasp Islands and the channel between Orcas and San Juan (depending on wind).  He identifies the islands for you and even tells a few stories.  Best of all, he has you help sail the boat, both steering the tiller and hauling rope for sails (if you have delicate hands, bring gloves).   Just a great trip.

  My seven-year-old son and I had a great evening of sailing with Cap't Ward. I told Ward that my son wanted to learn about sailing. Ward taught him more in three hours than he would have learned at a week of sailing camp. Ward let my son start the motor, back the boat out of the marina, use the tiller, and adjust the sails. He was patient and informative. I couldn't have asked for more. My son wanted to participate in sailing the boat. Had we just wanted to hang out and relax, that would have been fine too. We had a lovely evening sailing around the San Juan's. I would recommend booking this trip in a heartbeat. It was really nice and very reasonably priced.

  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!

  My family (of 6) used Ward for a sail when we were on the island for our dads 65th birthday. It was, hands down, the highlight of our trip! Ward was kind and generous and took the time to learn everyone's name and really got those of us who were interested involved in the sailing process. This experience is worth so much more than the price and I HIGHLY recommend.

  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.

  Ward was a great captain. Our group had a wonderful time sailing. I would highly recommend adding this to your vacation to do list.

  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.!

  We had a fantastic adventure with Captain Ward. We were traveling with our two children and the memories he helped make will last a life time.  The journey begins in Deer Harbor and is relatively easy to find. We parked near the post office and made our way down the dock.  There is a place to grab food and bathroom facilities on the dock. Just passed the gift shop on the left was Captain Ward's nostalgic boat.  He had life vest ready for our kiddos which was a blessing. He allowed the kiddos to steer the boat, provided amazing insight to the geographical area, and sailing knowledge. One of our children has special needs and we are truly grateful for Captain Ward's patience and guidance.  He taught us the different parts of the boat, terminology, and allowed us to assist with the sails and different parts of the boat.  We didn't feel rushed. The atmosphere was very peaceful and welcoming. We saw lots of adult and baby seals, birds, a porpoise, and a jellyfish. It was a very relaxing trip. I would highly recommend to anyone wanting to embark on a less touristy experience with a laid back local.

  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!

  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.

  I booked this adventure with my husband and three of our kids (11, 13, 16), and we had an absolute blast!!  I highly recommend Classic Daysailing.  Each of us learned how to steer, hoist up the sails, tack.  Ward was a highly experienced captain, responsive to the group, professional and fun at the same time.  Seeing my kids lighthearted and curious again was the best part.

  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.