For Immediate Release

On a Mission: Alaska's Non-Profit The Boat Company Features Seven-Day Luxury Cruises Between Juneau and Sitka With a Goal to Protect the Tongass National Forest and Beyond

PONTE VEDRA, Fla., Sept. 2, 2025 – Marking its 45th anniversary this year, The Boat Company offers intimate, adventure-focused cruises between Juneau and Sitka, Alaska while helping to fund a broad range of conservation efforts. The Boat Company is the only non-profit cruise company in the world, and it has provided monetary support for every major lawsuit to protect the Tongass National Forest for the last 40 years. The Tongass is one of the Earth's last substantially intact, temperate rainforests.  In all, the company has invested more than $30 million in Alaska conservation. 

History

The Boat Company was founded in 1979 by Michael McIntosh, Sr. after he and a group of friends chartered a boat from Vancouver, B.C. for a two-week journey in Alaska. The trip inspired the group with its natural beauty and prompted McIntosh to found The Boat Company and embark on a quest to support conservation of the Alaskan wilderness. 

McIntosh purchased a decommissioned U.S. Navy minesweeper, converted it to a tour boat and began offering week-long cruises. He set up the company as a non-profit organization so funds could be funneled to variety of conservation efforts. 

“Protecting the Tongass was my father's long-time mission, and I am honored to continue his efforts,” 

said Hunter McIntosh, Michael's son and the president and executive director of The Boat Company. “In addition to our conservation initiatives, we are proud to actively support the local economies of Sitka and Juneau by purchasing local produce, hiring residents and working with local businesses whenever possible.”

McIntosh noted that Alaska's tourism industry generates billions of dollars and supports thousands of jobs. 

The Boats

The Boat Company operates two vessels. The M/V Liseron was built in 1952 and acquired in 1988. This 145-foot-long boat accommodates 20 passengers in 10 cabins and is serviced by a crew of 12. 

The M/V Mist Cove was designed from scratch and patterned after the M/V Liseron. The boat is 157 feet long and features 12 staterooms accommodating 24 passengers. A crew of 13 serves the boat's guests. 

Both vessels feature comfortable main salons, entertainment centers, libraries, dining areas and observation lounges. Staterooms have queen beds with an upper bunk, and the M/V Mist Cove also has two staterooms with two twin beds. All cabins have temperature controls, built-in wardrobes, dressers, picture frame windows and private baths with sink, mirror, toilet and shower stall.

The Cruises

Cruises are scheduled from mid-May through mid-September and feature seven-day itineraries between Juneau and Sitka. The two boats make the roughly 300 nautical mile journeys – either north to south or vice versa – beginning each Sunday and ending Saturday before they turn around and head in the opposite direction. As far as the raven flies the two towns are only 90 miles apart and a 45-minute plane ride, but by boat, it takes just a little longer.

Every day's itinerary offers an array of adventures including fresh water fishing (both fly and traditional spin casting) for multiple species of trout and char, and trolling from 20-foot skiffs in salt water targeting king and coho salmon, halibut and a variety of pelagic and non-pelagic species. Other activities include guided hikes, beach combing, wildlife viewing (there are binoculars in every room) and kayaking. There are also entertaining and educational presentations by the crew's trained naturalist guides.

A guest coordinator helps each passenger craft a customized daily adventure. 

The evenings feature daily hors d'oeuvres during cocktail hour in the salon and a nightly gourmet meal. 

The Food 

Both vessels have head chefs preparing meals every day using high-quality ingredients and locally sourced food. All seafood such as salmon, halibut, lingcod and black cod comes from Seafood Producers Cooperative (SPC), a Sitka-based, angler-owned organization that prioritizes ethical fishing, employing hook-and-line trolling to catch fish one at a time and purchasing from community-based small-boat fisheries to avoid seafloor damage.

Chefs also prepare organic greens grown by Outpost Agriculture in Ketchikan using hydroponics that conserve water and eliminate pesticides. During the journeys, hikers are encouraged to forage for berries, herbs and other foods while anglers often share their daily catches. 

Dietary restrictions and preferences are easily accommodated by the chefs with plenty of options for vegetarians, vegans, pescatarians and gluten-free and picky eaters.

Examples of menu items include April's Deviled Eggs featuring local “Deer Heart” leaves harvested during hikes, salmon Caesar salad, chimichurri salmon, gluten-free orange cake, filet mignon, macadamia nut crusted halibut and more.

The Mission

The Boat Company pursues its mission to protect the Tongass National Forest and Southeast Alaska in a variety of ways including funding lawsuits, supporting conservation efforts and promoting stewardship among cruise guests. 

The Tongass National Forest is the largest national forest in the United States and covers most of Southeast Alaska. Many people have seen it from the deck of cruise ships making their way through the famed “Inside Passage.” The forest provides habitat for a wide range of wildlife and plant life, and its many glaciers are attractions on their own.

Because of its vast natural resources, the Tongass has been under siege by special interests, primarily logging companies that want to roll back protections and extract its abundant trees such as Sitka spruce (the state tree of Alaska), Western hemlock, Western red cedar and Alaska cedar. The forest and coastal waters are home to a vast array of fish and mammals, including all five species of Pacific salmon, brown and black bears, wolves, moose, fox, porcupines, Sitka black-tailed deer, otters, harbor seals, bald eagles and other birds. 

Reservations for cruises and more information are available by visiting The Boat Company's website or calling 1-360-697-4242.

About The Boat Company
Founded in 1979, The Boat Company is a non-profit, conservation-focused luxury cruise operator specializing in sustainable tourism in Southeast Alaska. Through unique itineraries and a commitment to environmental stewardship, The Boat Company offers transformative travel experiences while advocating for the preservation of the Tongass National Forest.

Media contact:

Mesereau Travel Public Relations

720-284-1512

mona@mesereaupr.com

tom@mesereaupr.com