Paid to Go Sailing

Sailboat Charter Owners Share Love of Water with Clients

Article and photos by Dyas A. Lawson

If Bellingham were Key West, every harbor around would be packed with charter boats just waiting for the idle stroller to pass by and decide to take an afternoon’s peaceful sail. Maybe it’s the difference between the Northwest and Southeast in the sunshine ratio; maybe the rain; maybe a bit of both. the fact remains that, while a number of scheduled-cruise companies and ferry-related firms exist, not a lot of people have sailing charters.

Those who do, however, find it a rewarding and exciting business. They enjoy the variety of people they meet and work with, the freedom of owning their business and, best of all, the pleasure of doing something they love — sailing.

Dale and Tanya Johnson of Sunset Sailing Charters and Don and Kathy Beattie, owners of Shawmanee Charters, form two of those businesses.

 

Resort connection

The Johnsons sail out of Blaine on their 34-foot Catalina, The Daedalus. Tanya says they’ve been in the chartering business for about five years and will take people out all year, though the busiest season is from early June to the end of September.

The two have been sailing together for 12 years and owned the boat for nine years. They decided to go into business when their two children were in their teens and it’s worked out well for them.

The Johnsons obtain most of their clients through a contract, now in its second year, with Resort Semiahmoo. This “partnership” makes for a good interplay for both businesses.

They don’t serve food aboard The Daedalus, although people are welcome to bring their own soft drinks and eats. “We take them out and bring them back tired, hungry and thirsty,” Tanya jokes. “Semiahmoo loves it.”

Sunset Sailing Charters offers two-hour trips on Semiahmoo Bay, limited to six persons per trip. It chargs $35 per person for the event and offer a range of activities.

“We offer interactive sailing, hands-on experience or a couple of hours to relax and enjoy the serene feeling of the water and the beautiful surroundings,” Tanya says. She recites a litany of wildlife they often see: eagles, pelicans, harbor seals, Orca whales and more. None is predictable, so whenever any appears it’s a fresh surprise and pleasure each time.

Last year, August saw them carrying three charters a day for 28 days running. Since the Johnsons do this as a full-time business, this makes them smile. Tanya says they grossed about $15,000 last year.

“Dale always wanted to be a captain and he obtained his certification in 1996,” Tanya says. “This is a real dream for him and it’s great to be able to make it come true.”

 

Flexible itineraries

“Dream” features a lot in Kathy and Don Beattie’s conversation, too. They mostly live aboard their sailboat, The Shawmanee, and also are in their fifth business season. They can carry up to 46 day passengers. “Two or three dozen is more comfortable, though,” Kathy explains.

Four-hour, half-day sails start out the offerings, which go through eight-hour full days and can include overnight guests — though, for overnighters, they can carry only six passengers. Shawmanee Charters doesn’t provide food, either, but works with clients’ caterers or the clients themselves to make sure things go smoothly.

“It doesn’t work for a caterer to try to bring a big tray on board that won’t fit,” Kathy points out. “They need to understand the size limitations before they bring things on board.”

The Beatties like to shape their trips around their clients, whose preferences and wishes determine what they do and where they go. “They tell us what they want and we try to accommodate them,” Kathy says. “We sometimes have to work around tide times, but other than that, we try to make happen what they want to happen.”

Typically, she says, they have a couple of charters a week, but some weeks they’re busy every day. Some days even have back-to-back charters, which can be a real scramble as the Beatties scurry to clean up and prepare for the next clients.

“We want this to be a top-drawer operation,” Kathy states. That means they clean up after the previous clients and prepare the glassware, dishes, silverware and other amenities to set up for the next ones.

The four-hour tours run $800 and the full-day version $1,100. Multiday sails run $1,300 per day. The Shawmanee also carries scheduled island cruises at $35 per person and church or club day retreats at $40 per person.

Kathy says the business isn’t wildly profitable at the moment. “Right now, it’s a really neat hobby,” she says, laughing.

 

Other alternatives

At the other end of the spectrum are companies that offer skippered charters as a sideline to their main business or feature longer, more luxurious trips.

San Juan Sailing, owned since 1981 by Roger Van Dyken. Employee Danelle Kornelis says this comprises maybe 5 percent of the company’s business; many more people charter a boat they want to sail themselves. Prices range from $745 to $2,750 per day (up to $4,300 for a power vessel), and add in another $175 per day for the captain. San Juan’s boats are chartered only for week-long increments.

Captain Richard Friedman’s Explorer, a 60-foot North Seas trawler, carries up to six guests on week-long ventures to Alaska — these aren’t cruises you take on a whim. A six-guest cruise costs $3,000 each; four or fewer guests pay $4,000. Friedman features gourmet on-board meals, glacier float-plane sightseeing (when feasible), whale watching, fishing, sea kayaking and other activities.

For information, call the Beatties at 734-9849, www.bellinghamsailing.com; the Johnsons at 354-6006, 319-2695 or e-mail sscharter2@aol.com; San Juan Sailing at 671-4300 or www.sanjuansailing.com; or Friedman at www.yachtexplorer.com.