We attended the Seattle Boat Show earlier this week and enjoyed walking the aisles of vendors. (Side note: something I just love about the boat industry is that while attending a boat show, you can find a lavish booth featuring the latest satellite gizmos for watching your favorite reality TV show right next to a small business booth selling the latest "clean everything" snake oil. Just like life, the boating community offers a little bit of everything...)

But back to my point. While chatting with all of the charter companies and brokers from the area, we had a great conversation with a woman (sorry - wish I had caught her name!) from Ship Harbor Yacht Charters based in Anacortes, WA. She was very friendly. We talked about how nice chartering (and boating can be) for kids and family. We also heard how she really enjoyed working for Ship Harbor after previous experiences. To her, it was about personal touch and not spreading the operation so thin that customer service becomes an afterthought.

I've never chartered from this company nor do I have any experience working with them. But, after meeting a member of their team, my first impression is that they foster an environment of good service and concern about the customer. They also have a very informative web site. So, if you're considering a charter in the Pacific Northwest (San Juan Islands, Gulf Islands, Desolution Sound, etc.), you might just want to put them on your short list and at least give them a call or drop them an email.