About Canderé Cruising

A talented bartender and skilled boat handler, Captain Dylan will introduce you to Seattle via a most enjoyable boat tour. Starting in South Lake Union where all of Seattle’s major industries have flourished, you will cruise by boats and floating homes of all sizes, shapes and ages, including the oldest floating home (built in 1907). Cocktail in hand (or “mocktail” for those not enthusiastic about alcohol or too young to imbibe), you will get a great look at UW stadium, and on a clear day, Mt. Rainier will loom beautifully to the south of Lake Washington. Returning to Lake Union, you are likely to see draw bridges that are nearly 100 years old open up for sailboats and large yachts, Seaplanes taking off and landing, locals enjoying the sunshine from kayaks and stand up paddleboards. After your journey aboard Candere, you will want to stay all day.

Captain Dylan is a young man that has pursued many avenues and aspired to be many things. He spent time in the commercial diving industry, traveling to Alaska and Louisiana. He spent time in the cruise industry working for Holland America in the Yukon Territory and Alaska. He then decided to return to Seattle with the intention of rejoining the restaurant industry to become a bartender, go to college, and live on a boat. Dylan had no idea how he would fall in love with the Puget Sound live aboard lifestyle, and his first boat. “Candére” is a 28’ long Thomley cabin cruiser. She was built in Auburn, Washington in 1972. When Dylan purchased her in 2011, she was fully functional, but old and tired. After many breakdowns and misadventures he decided that he needed a new boat, or needed to restore Candére to better than new condition. With a rudimentary base of knowledge in woodworking, mechanics, and electrical, as well as an uncanny drive and work ethic, Dylan embarked on a journey that would utilize and enhance these skills and instincts that have come to define him in a mere 26 years. Now a skilled craftsman, artist, mixologist, and Coast Guard licensed Captain, Dylan, his father, and a few of his closest friends are excited to share the beauty and joy that is Seattle and the Pacific Northwest.

Captain Russ hails from Denver, Colorado. He moved to Seattle in 2013 to join his son, Captain Dylan, who had been in the PNW for a number of years already. Russ was a sailing enthusiast from a young age, even in Colorado! He started with a “Sunfish” sailing dinghy, and bought himself a 16ft Solcat catamaran in his early 20s. Yes, sailing opportunities in Denver were limited, but Russ and Dylan spent weeks at a time camping and boating in Glendo, Wyoming, a tradition that Russ started with friends as a child. Sailing, waterskiing, tubing, throwing horseshoes, playing football and having supersoaker wars on the beaches of, yes, Wyoming!

In the Spring of 2013, after many visits, lots of boat shopping (and arm twisting from his son), Russ bought Kingsley, the Hunter 320 that became his home and loyal companion. Captain Russ has since spent his summers sharing his love of sailing, his wonderful story telling, and his beautiful backyard called the Puget Sound with locals looking to spend a day on the water, travelers from around the world, and anyone in between. Russ takes great pride and enjoyment in his work of connecting people with the wind, the waves, and with one another.