Company Description

In 1996, while chartering a boat out of Anacortes, Mike and Jan Close discovered Friday Harbor. It was a beautiful, sunny, early September day. The whales were swimming under their boat. Realtors were buying them lunch.The economy was doing well. Life was good. They went back to Minnesota, packed up everything but the snow shovels, and bought a one way ticket on the ferry. They spent the next few years cruising extensively in the area on their Nauticat 43, including a summer cruise to Alaska. In 2008, with their two daughters, they opened Friday Harbor Yachts and Friday Harbor Marine, with the goal of providing low-cost, family accessible marine activities on the Friday Harbor waterfront.

Mike holds a USCG 50 ton Masters License, has several ABYC certifications, including Marine Electrical Systems and Marine Corrosion and NMEA 2000 networks, is a Past Commodore of the San Juan Islands Yacht Club, Director of the Rotary Club of the San Juan Islands, past Director of the SJI Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Friday Harbor US Power Squadron.