There are two standard options to get to Friday Harbor – by air or by ferry. Unless you have plans to use a car on San Juan Island, there is really no reason to bring a vehicle to the island (nowhere to park and little to see that is not accessible by boat), As such, rather than renting a car and driving to Anacortes and paying to park a rental for a week, most people simply transit directly from Seattle (or Victoria/Sidney B.C.) to Friday Harbor via either:
– By Air: Kenmore Air offers several flights each day from both Seattle/Tacoma Airport (SEA) and downtown Seattle (Lake Union) depending on your needs: http://www.kenmoreair.com/
– By High-Speed Ferry: The Victoria Clipper is a high-speed passenger ferry from downtown Seattle (or Victoria) to Friday Harbor (and Victoria, B.C.): http://www.clippervacations.com/
– Via Washington State Ferry from Anacortes, WA – or – Sidney B.C.:
The Washington State Ferry system has a number of options for connecting to San Juan Island from either Anacortes or Sidney. (Please note that schedules change seasonally.)
http://www.wsdot.com/ferries/
– Ground Transportation between Seattle, WA and Anacortes, WA
Another option is to take a ground shuttle between SEATAC (or downtown Seattle) and Anacortes (connecting to Friday Harbor via the Washington State Ferry, above). The Airporter is our favorite option for schedhule and price: http://www.airporter.com/
FLEXIBILITY / CONTINGENCIES: We tend to plan custom itineraries on the morning of initial departure (or as close to it as possible – based on weather and guest preferences). As such, we are able to accommodate most requests within timeframe of the start and end in Friday Harbor (we do a great deal of cleaning, food prep, and maintenance between weekly charters at our home port). That said, if a guest needs to arrive a day early or stay an extra day in order to connect with other transportation scheduled, we are happy to accommodate at a minimal “day at dock” fee, with the guests acknowledgment that we might be busily working away the hours…
Additionally, we are open to beginning/ending charter tours at other locations, provided the boat/captain are still able to be based in Friday Harbor from noon on Fridays to 3pm on Sundays. (In other words – don’t be afraid to ask, we’re happy to accommodate – as long as we have time to prepare (and rest) between charters). Don’t be afraid to ask!