Sail the San Juans

What a trip. Five star boat, five star food, five star scenery and five star dog. Jon and Jette were like old friends. On day two of our trip Jon sailed us to find Orcas that had been spotted by other boats. It was not where he planned to go but he smiled and said let’s do it. We sailed beside two pods for over an hour. as we moved on we stopped in cove for the night and went to a local oyster farm to «get» dinner. While enjoying the evening we watched otters, seals and best of all six eagles in trees along the shore. A perfect day! We would highly recommend this experience.

Think of it as a floating 5-​star restaurant…
We chartered the boat with our two teenagers and another couple we frequently travel with. The ship, a 55 foot custom sailboat, was beautiful and immaculately maintained. We anchored in some wonderful bays, hiked a different island every day, and ate like kings. Jon adjusts the itinerary based on your interests, the weather, and whale sightings (we saw Orcas and a Humpback). Jette is a fabulous scratch cook (making pasta from scratch in a full kitchen on land is a lot of work; imagine doing it in a ship’s galley — but it was terrific). Each meal was better than the previous. Jon and Jette send a food questionnaire prior to sailing and cater to everyone’s likes and dislikes. They even stock your favorite soda.
For a 52-​foot craft, the accommodations are impressive. Four staterooms, each with private toilet/​sink/​shower. Plenty of common space to relax in. A nice sound system where you can play your own music or listen to Jette’s excellent selection. And, my favorite, nice cushions on the foredeck to relax and enjoy the sun and the breeze as you sail along. If you want to help sail, Jon is happy to teach you; if you want to veg out, that’s OK, too.
Not to be missed is placing crab pots to bring in the night’s meal. You’ve never had crab this fresh, and it’s a kick to haul in «your» trap and see what you’ve caught. We also picked blackberries in Friday Harbor and Jette whipped up an amazing blackberry cobbler.
No review of Sail The San Juans would be complete without mentioning the third crew member, TailR, their Portuguese Water Dog. We’re not big dog people but TailR was impossible not to like; incredibly well-​behaved, mellow on the boat and enthusiastic on land. And she doesn’t shed.
It’s not an inexpensive trip, but you definitely get what you paid for. Highly recommended!

We chartered the six day trip with two couples we know. We had a great time. J and J were wonderful people, fun to be with, and always at our service in every way. The food was 5 star for every meal. Jette is a fantastic epicurean cook. The one night we ate onshore was disappointing compared to boat food. The boat is beautiful. They took us on very interesting nature walks on islands. Sailing around those beautiful islands surrounded by blue and green water, and the birds overhead, was a delight. We had the bonus of getting a good view of a pod of orcas doing their thing. A great time was had by all. The only negative was that my friend and I found the quarters in the bed a little cramped. However the other four passengers did not feel that way.

Wow.
Jon and Jette Baker do an amazing job!
I felt as if a couple of friends invited me into their house for the week, and showed me the best that they had. Fun times, amazing food, groovy dog, you get it all!
This trip is as relaxed or as active as you want it to be. I’m more on the active side, and Jon was more than willing to show me a few things about sailing, and even let me take the wheel, though I admit I meandered about more than I made headway. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of the Islands’ history and the flora and fauna of the area. A hike with Jon is truly a treat.
Jette handles most of the Galley duties, though I have to say Jon is an excellent cook in his own right. Jette’s goal seems to be to outdo herself with each succeeding meal, and she does that well. How she does gourmet food from such a small space is beyond me.
Tail’R is like having your own dog around — better actually, as my dog is not that well behaved. We were able to do a hike with just my wife, Tail’R and me, and she was a lot of fun to have along.
Seriously, this is a trip that is not to be missed. This is a labor of love for Jon and Jette, and it shows. The Northwind is a very nice boat, and with private cabins, and each with their own head, the accomodations are as good as any top-​notch hotel, only better.

I highly recommend Jon and Jette Baker at Sail the San Juans. They own a 52 foot cruising vessel with 4 private cabins, each with their own private «head». (By the way, these are the vacuum flush type, not the typical marine toilets, much to my pleasant surprise.) I was a bit wary of spending an entire week on a boat with people I didn’t know (and the toilets?), but I must say — it was the trip of a lifetime. The toilets worked just like at home, so that was great ;-). The boat is first class and impeccably well maintained. Jette’s cooking is truly to die for. You could not get better food in a 5 star restaurant. She sent out an extensive food questionaire prior to the trip and accomodated each person’s unique food requests, to the point where one day she made 4 different soups to please all of us. It was the best clam chowder I have ever tasted! Maybe partly because she bought the clams that morning at a fish market? Plus she did it all with a smile on her face, working from dawn till dusk cooking, cleaning and being Jon’s very capable First Mate. The scenery was incredible. I have never felt so pampered and taken care of in my entire life. It was an unbelievable experience. We didn’t stay on the boat all day, but went to a new island each day where we got out and hiked and/​or kayaked. We saw orcas and gorgeous sunsets and sunrises — all the while eating the best food I have ever had in my life! Highly recommended!