NW Explorations

Call Directions Website

NW Explorations Helping you explore the Pacific Northwest and Inside Passage, one unforgettable voyage at a time.

Charters, flotillas, yacht sales, training, and full-service marine support, all in one trusted team.

What does it actually cost to own a boat in our charter fleet, and what does it bring in?For Qualia, our 2022 Ranger Tug...
10/15/2026

What does it actually cost to own a boat in our charter fleet, and what does it bring in?

For Qualia, our 2022 Ranger Tugs R-43 CB, we’ve put the full answer in one place. In her first two seasons in the NW Explorations bareboat fleet, she chartered 15.1 weeks and earned her owners $91,962.

The new ownership handout lays it all out: charter weeks and revenue by year, moorage, insurance, every service job since she joined in July 2025, and what a buyer should know before making an offer.

Qualia is listed at $849,000 and is scheduled to leave Bellingham on October 20. A buyer who keeps her in our charter program lets her stay, and guests are already asking about 2027.

📄 Download the handout: https://nwexplorations.my.salesforce.com/sfc/p/5f000005uO9b/a/VT000007Ul3t/ljBm0jXBEHinQjhxNt6_qiiV5RWPUyve0ircJXteneE

Questions? Randy Nulle, CPYB · (360) 920-3178

Thinking about owning a boat in the Pacific Northwest? Here's one option worth knowing about.With charter ownership, you...
10/02/2026

Thinking about owning a boat in the Pacific Northwest? Here's one option worth knowing about.

With charter ownership, you buy the boat and we place it in our Bellingham charter fleet. Qualified guests cruise it on charters, and our team handles bookings, guest orientation, and service between trips. You still cruise your own boat; you share the summer season with charter guests.

Our brokerage team has eight yachts for sale right now, and five are already charter-approved. They range from a 2022 Ranger Tugs R-43 to classic Grand Banks trawlers, priced from $99,000 to $849,000.

Have questions about any of them, or about whether charter ownership fits your plans? Send us a message or call 1.800.826.1430

https://www.nwexplorations.com/brokerage/

Next season’s Mother Goose flotillas are planned. Four trips, May through September 2027:Bellingham to Ketchikan via Hai...
09/29/2026

Next season’s Mother Goose flotillas are planned. Four trips, May through September 2027:

Bellingham to Ketchikan via Haida Gwaii · May 17 – June 13 · 28 days

Ketchikan to Bellingham via Haida Gwaii · June 16 – July 13 · 28 days

Vancouver Island 360 Flotilla · July 16 – August 9 · 25 days

Desolation Sound and the Broughtons · September 2 – 20 · 19 days

On each one you skipper your own charter, with an experienced lead crew handling the route planning, the daily briefings, and the reservations.

And for the first time in decades, these flotillas are open to power boats (no sailboats) outside our fleet. We are building out the web pages for each flotilla now, with the full route, what is included, and what each trip asks of you.

If you would like to cruise alongside us in your own vessel, send us a message with your boat details and we will start the conversation.

On Friday, members of the Marine Trawler Owners Association (MTOA) arrived in Bellingham before an afternoon of boat che...
09/29/2026

On Friday, members of the Marine Trawler Owners Association (MTOA) arrived in Bellingham before an afternoon of boat check-outs. Saturday morning, eight boats from our fleet cast off together.

MTOA ran this one as a self-guided club cruise, cruising together without one of our lead boats. Some groups want a lead boat handling the route, the anchorages, and the day-to-day decisions. Others have experienced skippers who would rather make those calls themselves. Either way, our job is the groundwork: matching members with the right boats, planning itinerary options, and making sure every crew leaves the dock knowing their vessel.

We've done this before. MTOA members have cruised with us in past seasons, and we have coordinated flotillas for other clubs such as Ocean Reef Yacht Club and the New York Yacht Club.

If your club has talked about cruising the Pacific Northwest together, we'd be glad to start that conversation. The trip could be a week in the San Juan and Gulf Islands or a longer run north. Reach our charter team at [email protected].

Safe travels, MTOA. We'll see you back in Bellingham.

Sucia Island, in the northern San Juans, is a state marine park shaped roughly like a horseshoe. Wind and tide have carv...
09/24/2026

Sucia Island, in the northern San Juans, is a state marine park shaped roughly like a horseshoe. Wind and tide have carved its sandstone into honeycomb ledges and curving walls, and trails follow the shore between quiet coves. It’s a natural first stop on a San Juans charter from Bellingham.

Thinking about a first charter in 2027? Our charter team is glad to help you plan it.
https://www.nwexplorations.com/contact/

Tin Hau, a Fleming 55, joins our bareboat charter fleet for 2027. She's named for the goddess of the sea revered by fish...
09/17/2026

Tin Hau, a Fleming 55, joins our bareboat charter fleet for 2027. She's named for the goddess of the sea revered by fishermen in southern China — fitting, since Tony Fleming began building boats at Junk Bay, Hong Kong, where an ancient Tin Hau temple still stands.Three staterooms sleep six, stabilizers were installed in 2020, and a 12′ tender and two Hobie kayaks come aboard for exploring the San Juans, Gulf Islands, Desolation Sound and beyond.

Now available for bareboat charter reservations in 2027.

Contact us to learn more about booking Tin Hau for your next adventure.

1-800-826-1430
[email protected]



Image credits: Joel Highet, Bright Pix Media

Most winter damage on a boat comes down to one thing: water expanding as it freezes. The tricky part is where it happens...
09/16/2026

Most winter damage on a boat comes down to one thing: water expanding as it freezes. The tricky part is where it happens. Shore-water inlets, filter housings tucked in a lazarette, and strainer bowls are common freeze points, and they’re rarely the spots you’d think to check. Freshwater freezes at 32°F, saltwater around 28°F. A short cold snap is all it takes. If your boat stays in the water this winter, know where to look; or let us keep watch for you.

Talk with us about getting your boat monitored:
(360) 676-1248
[email protected]

Golden Hour is our newest charter vessel. A Sabreline 47 built for unhurried PNW cruising. Two staterooms sleep four, a ...
09/05/2026

Golden Hour is our newest charter vessel. A Sabreline 47 built for unhurried PNW cruising. Two staterooms sleep four, a lower helm and a flybridge give you a choice of views as your cruise the San Juans, Gulf Islands, or Desolation Sound and beyond.

Now available for bareboat charter reservations in 2027.

Contact us to learn more about booking Golden Hour for your next adventure.

1-800-826-1430
[email protected]

Winter Watch is open for the season. Whether you’re still cruising or tucking your boat in until spring, a vessel left i...
09/04/2026

Winter Watch is open for the season. Whether you’re still cruising or tucking your boat in until spring, a vessel left in the water through a Northwest winter needs regular, knowledgeable attention. Our Service team checks on your boat on a set schedule; bilges and pumps, shore power, lines and fenders, engine and battery systems, so you have a trained set of eyes on it even when you can’t be there.

Talk with us about getting your boat monitored:
(360) 676-1248
[email protected]

Some of the best cruising in the Pacific Northwest is the quiet kind. In from the water, a good anchorage to yourself, a...
08/10/2026

Some of the best cruising in the Pacific Northwest is the quiet kind. In from the water, a good anchorage to yourself, and a comfortable place to settle in for the evening. Starweather is built for exactly that, and she has open weeks for the rest of this season.

Step into her salon and she feels more like a home on the water than a boat: warm wood, easy seating, and windows that keep the view close. She's a Nordhavn 57 with three staterooms sleeping six, a full galley, washer and dryer, air conditioning, and Starlink aboard, so a week or more settles into an easy rhythm. And for a boat her size, she's approachable to run, with stabilizers and bow-and-stern thrusters doing much of the work.

Open weeks run from mid-August through late September, and again through October. If you've been thinking about a fall cruise, we’re here to help make it happen.

View more details about Starweather - 57’ Nordhavn: https://www.nwexplorations.com/charter-boats/57-nordhavn/

Call us at 1.800.826.1430
or email [email protected]

Address

2623 S. Harbor Loop
Bellingham, WA
98225

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm
Friday 8am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+18008261430

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when NW Explorations posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category