Bear Paw

For those who have never charted a yacht, Bear Paw is a great place to start. After you’ve cruised with Bear Paw, you’ll likely want to charter them again. I chartered Bear Paw for a three-night, four-day cruise of the San Juan Islands. Most people who visit the San Juans see only the islands accessible by the Washington State Ferry system—Orcas, San Juan, Lopez, and Shaw. Yet, there are more than 172 named islands and reefs and, in low tide, the number rises to 450 if you include exposed rocks and small islands. Many of the islands not accessible by public ferry have public parks that can be reached by private boat, such as Stuart, Jones, Lucia, Clark, Patos, and Matia. Having been to the San Juans by public ferry many times, I wanted to experience more of the San Juans.

Bear Paw can get to these places but it also offers an amazing on-board experience. Bill and Chrystal are both seasoned Captains. Between them you’ll hear true stories of life on the sea. Bill has worked in many capacities at sea, including many years rescuing mariners who ran their vessels onto rocks. With him at the helm, there is no need to worry as he knows all rocks in the Salish Sea! Chrystal serves are First Mate, Chief Hospitality Officer, and Head Cook. (She too has Captain credentials and crewed her own boat for many years.) Chrystal strives to ensure guests never go hungry. The meals are creative, colorfully plated, and plentiful. Our group loves seafood, and seafood we had! Fresh crab, spotted prawns, black cod, salmon smoked by Chrystal, and halibut were some of the delectables we were served.

The yacht is very comfortable, with only 3 guest cabins. For a 90 foot yacht, having so few guest cabins means lots of space. Each cabin has an ensuite bathroom with a marine-size shower, conventional flush toilet, and small sink. There was plenty of closet and drawer space for two of us. The king-size bed was super comfortable. Each guest cabin has a king-size bed, so the yacht is ideally suited for couples or friends who don’t mind sharing a bed.

Bill and Chrystal anchor the yacht every night. This ensures a quiet sleep. Commercial small boat cruises often cruise during the night or start out at sunrise, which means engine noise. Bear Paw favors the slower paced cruise life over cranking out the miles.

Most of the main deck is devoted to the dining and living space. If the weather is cool, this is a great place to sit, sip on coffee, and gaze out the many windows. The upper deck has a seating area with an outdoor fire pit. At night, I enjoyed sipping on wine and gazing at the full moon and its reflection on the water.

I consulted with Chrystal to put together the itinerary. One of my party had never been to the San Juans. Another only once, and the rest of us had been there numerous times. We decided to include a standard stop, a new stop, and a unique experience. In between, we cruised past islands looking for wildlife and whales.

On our first evening, we tendered ashore at Roche Harbor to view the Colors Ceremony, a tradition since 1957. The next morning we tendered back to Roche to hike to Afterglow Vista and then on to the outdoor sculpture garden. In the afternoon we stopped at Stuart Island for a rigorous hike to the old schoolhouse and then on to the lighthouse. The last full day Bill ran us out to the Smith and Minor Island Aquatic Reserve in the “rib” (a fast, inflatable, double-hulled boat with GPS instruments). Few people ever get to these exposed islands. With a flat sea that day, we were able to visit. It was a truly special experience! We saw seals, cormorants, eagles, gulls, and guillemots. (Other times of the year puffins and rhinoceros auklets nest there.) On the return, we went through Deception Pass and then on to our night moorage off Lopez Island. On our fourth day it was drizzling, so we opted for a leisurely cruise back to Friday Harbor. On the way we looked for whales, seals, and eagles.

We were sad to disembark! The next stop for Bear Paw was Alaska. One day I hope to travel with Bill and Chrystal to see bears and experience the beauty of Alaska. They both know Southeast Alaska quite well, having worked in many capacities (including the fishery) prior to starting their charter business. I can’t imagine any better people to travel to Alaska with.