National Heritage Areas are based on partnerships: bringing together a range of Tribes, organizations, businesses, and governments around heritage resources and stories. One of our partners is Sail Port Townsend. If you are interested in becoming a partner, learn more on our Become a Partner page.
Savoring Seawater
There are many port cities in Washington, but according to Amber Heasley, owner of Sail Port Townsend, few are as special as hers. A city on the northeastern tip of the Olympic Peninsula, Port Townsend is uniquely positioned within about four hours of every major metropolitan area in Washington. Its unparalleled water access has established the area as a hub for those traveling by water since time immemorial. Today, Port Townsend is known worldwide as a center of traditional wooden boatbuilding and maritime culture. Sail Port Townsend operates from Port Townsend Bay because of its safety, access, and accessibility—especially for new sailors.
With her business, Amber is trying to create those new sailors. Sail Port Townsend is a small-scale sailing charter business and sailing school that connects people with the water and Washington’s maritime heritage. With each trip, Amber tries to give people a moment of magic. She believes that by making it fun and easy for people to try out sailing, she can encourage the exploration of sailing culture. “When the sails come up, the engine is off, and the boat comes alive with the wind…it’s so fun to blow people’s minds,” said Amber.
It isn’t all about the wind, however. “When we’re out sailing, there’s so much cool geology, geography, and then also cool marine wildlife,” Amber explained. “We’ll see porpoises, seals, sea lions. On special days, we get to see orca whales, humpback whales, gray whales, or minke whales.”
With sights like those, Amber’s business works to create incredible educational and water-based experiences for everyone who boards her boats. She believes in creating those once-in-a-lifetime experiences so much that she named one of her two sailboats the “Best Day Ever.” Simply put, she wants to “get people out on the water in an easy, fun, and safe way and make sailing more inclusive.”
Environmental Exploration
Amber’s drive to share the wonder of sailing comes from her background in environmental education and tourism. Growing up in Kansas, Amber was fascinated by the mountains, oceans, and life science opportunities of the West Coast. After studying biology in college, she found a role at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center. There, she taught visitors about marine science and had the opportunity to sail with the Northwest Maritime Center, also based in Port Townsend. “I met boats; I was hooked,” said Amber.
Soon, she started taking sailing classes. After that, she started teaching sailing classes. Eventually, she found her way to the charter tourism industry in the U.S. Virgin Islands. It was “just like I was back in the aquarium, except it was like the largest aquarium in the world,” said Amber. During the pandemic, the demand for tourism in St. Thomas dropped drastically, and Amber found herself with the gift of time. It was her “now or never” moment, she said.
Amber moved back to Washington, bought two 26-foot Thunderbird sailboats, and officially launched Sail Port Townsend.
Engaging Experiences
Part of the magic of Port Townsend, according to Amber, is its sailing culture. In many places, sailing feels like a leisure activity restricted to the upper class. In contrast, Port Townsend’s “working boatyard vibe” makes it feel more accessible to her clients.
“It’s not champagne and charcuterie out here on the Thunderbird. It’s the activity, the experience, and the learning of nautical skills,” said Amber.
In addition to charter cruises, Amber also hosts sailing lessons for those who might have gotten hooked on sailing. Amber explains that learning to sail on a Thunderbird in Port Townsend Bay—where there are dozens of other Thunderbird sailors around—is one of the best ways to learn.
Amber’s clientele is evenly split between Olympic Peninsula locals, regional tourists, and what she affectionately describes as “bucket listers,” looking for the experience of a lifetime. All are looking for a safe, fun, and informative way to explore sailing, regardless of their experience level.
“Our goal is to get people involved as much as possible,” said Amber. “We think sailing is an activity and an experience, so we try to get people pulling on some lines, taking the helm, and doing a couple tacks—but we often also get people that just want to sit back, relax, and take in the scenery, and that’s fine, too.”
A Coalition of Sailors
Amber’s goals for her business go beyond taking people onto the water, teaching new sailors, and encouraging the water-based culture of Port Townsend. She also wants to find others like herself and establish a coalition of tourism-oriented sailors.
“My vision is to create a small Washington sailing charter operator association, a group of people like me, running businesses like mine in various places around Washington, [to] be very much involved with Maritime Washington and help people learn about all these places in this very personal way,” she said.
Sail Port Townsend is a unique business with an important goal: encouraging people to engage with water-based experiences and the maritime heritage of Port Townsend and Washington State. Quoting Jacques Cousteau, Amber said, “People protect what they love. So that’s what I’ve been doing. All this is just teaching people to love the water, love all the marine life, love the ocean, and love boats.”
Sail Port Townsend is a sailing charter and sailing school that works to make the water more accessible to everyone. Operating May through September, they offer cruises, lessons, fleet days, and a “good day guarantee” that your Sail Port Townsend experience will include favorable weather. Gather two to four friends and join Amber for an unforgettable experience.