ADVENTURE CRUISES

Bill Bailey, Captain, Engineer, Chief Sander, President

At 19 he bought a 32' engineless mahogany sloop and sailed her in the San Diego area for several years. He was in the process of re-building her into an off-shore voyager when love intervened and he married his first (and only!) wife, Shannon. The arrival of their first child ten months later resulted in the conversion of the boat into a washing machine, a dryer, and a car with seat belts.

In the 1980s, Bill and Shannon moved to the Northwest and began a fishing business. For four years Bill was on the water at least 200 days per year, fishing for crab, salmon and dog fish. Their boat was a 1936 Bristol Bay sailboat that had been (crudely) converted to power. Two months after they committed everything they had to this new venture, the boat sank at the dock during a severe storm. Bill raised her himself, got her running, and within a week was back fishing. The next spring he hauled her home and completed a three-month re-build (much to the neighbors' consternation and amazement!).

Bill also worked as a deck hand in Alaska on different commercial fishing boats. He was struck with the wild beauty of Alaska and vowed to someday return with his family.

The Bailey family moved to San Juan Island in 1989, where Bill hoped to return to commercial fishing. Economics and judicial actions spelled the end of fishing as a way of life, and Bill turned to construction as a vocation. During this time the Bailey's owned two classic cruising boats, the first, a 1946, 33' Monk design. The second was a 1947, 42' Bill Garden designed commercial troller. These boats were used to take family and friends on many wonderful voyages.

15 years and 50 homes, barns and offices later it is time to return to the sea to make our living.

Finally!