Small-ship cruising, perfected in Southeast Alaska
For over 45 years, The Boat Company has offered an immersive way to explore Southeast Alaska—quietly, respectfully, and at human scale.
Our small ships navigate the hidden waterways of the Tongass National Forest, pairing unparalleled access, exceptional cuisine, and a deeply personal onboard experience with a rare nonprofit model that reinvests directly in protecting the places we travel.
This is Alaska as it was meant to be experienced: unhurried, intimate, and alive with possibility.
A private-yacht experience in one of the world’s wildest places
With just 20–24 guests onboard, our ships feel less like cruise vessels and more like private yachts. There are no crowds, no loud announcements, and no rush—just quiet moments, shared meals, and spontaneous discoveries.
Days unfold naturally. If whales appear, we stop. If a hidden shoreline invites exploration, we linger. Silence and flexibility aren’t amenities here—they’re part of the experience.
Places large ships will never reach
Our small size allows us to explore Southeast Alaska in a way large cruise ships simply cannot. While most vessels are limited to deep-water industrial ports, our ships navigate narrow inlets, secluded coves, and shallow bays throughout the Tongass.
This access changes everything—from how close you get to wildlife, to where you can kayak, hike, and go ashore.
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Much of Southeast Alaska is protected wilderness, including vast areas of the Tongass National Forest. Access is restricted not only by geography, but by permitting and scale.
Because our ships are small and operate under special-use permits, we’re able to enter areas that are off-limits to larger vessels—places with no docks, no infrastructure, and no crowds. This allows for quiet landings, flexible exploration, and a deeper sense of immersion in the landscape.
No rigid schedules. No staged encounters.
There’s no set formula for a day onboard. Wildlife isn’t something you queue up to see—it’s something you encounter naturally, often at eye level from our skiffs and kayaks.
Activities are à la carte and optional. Join when you want. Sit something out when you don’t. The journey responds to the moment, not a timetable.
Exceptional cuisine, shaped by the region
Dining onboard is intentional, relaxed, and woven naturally into the rhythm of each day. Our chefs prepare fresh, thoughtfully crafted meals using high-quality, regionally sourced ingredients from the Pacific Northwest—designed to be nourishing, satisfying, and quietly memorable.
Meals are served by our crew in the enclosed fantail dining room—an elegant, purpose-built space at the aft of the ship, protected from the elements and wrapped in expansive windows that keep the surrounding landscape front and center throughout each meal.
From breakfast and lunch to dinner, snacks, and cocktail hour, dining becomes a natural extension of the day’s experiences rather than a series of scheduled events.
When conditions and regulations allow, our chefs can occasionally prepare the day’s catch—such as salmon, crab, or shrimp—adding a special, place-specific moment to the journey.
All meals are prepared onboard by our culinary team and served by our crew. Menus change throughout the week and are designed to complement each day’s activities and conditions. We thoughtfully accommodate all dietary request and restrictions, which can be noted during registration.
Why The Boat Company Exists
The Boat Company started as, and remains, the world’s only nonprofit cruise line.
Every dollar beyond operating expenses is reinvested into conservation, advocacy, and long-term stewardship of the Tongass National Forest. That structure gives us the freedom to travel slowly, limit guest numbers, and prioritize the health of place over growth or volume.
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Being nonprofit means we aren’t driven by shareholder returns, expansion targets, or maximizing passenger volume. Instead, decisions are made based on what’s best for the ecosystem and the quality of the experience onboard.
It’s why our ships remain intentionally small. Why itineraries stay flexible. Why conservation isn’t a side project—it’s built directly into how the company operates.
Every journey supports the Tongass
Our cruises travel through the Tongass National Forest—the largest national forest in the United States and one of the last intact coastal temperate rainforests on Earth.
For more than four decades, The Boat Company has reinvested millions of dollars into protecting this ecosystem through conservation partnerships, legal advocacy, and on-the-ground support.
Guests don’t just witness the Tongass—they help protect it.
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All proceeds beyond operating expenses are directed toward conservation efforts focused on the Tongass and Southeast Alaska. These include partnerships with environmental organizations, legal advocacy, and community-based initiatives that safeguard fisheries, wildlife habitat, and wilderness access.
A mission carried forward
Founded in 1979 by Michael McIntosh, Sr. through The McIntosh Foundation, The Boat Company was created to protect Southeast Alaska by helping people experience it thoughtfully.
Today, under the leadership of his son Hunter McIntosh, that mission continues—offering an unparalleled small-ship Alaska experience while ensuring the Tongass remains wild for generations to come.
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1979–1980 | The beginning
The Boat Company was founded in 1979 by Michael McIntosh, following a transformative trip through Southeast Alaska. Recognizing both the ecological significance of the region and the power of firsthand experience, he established the company as a nonprofit through The McIntosh Foundation—so that conservation would be built into the business from the very start.Cruises began in 1980 aboard a restored former U.S. Navy minesweeper, marking the beginning of a new approach to exploring the Inside Passage: small ships, small groups, and a deep respect for the landscape.
1980s–1990s | A focused approach takes shape
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, The Boat Company refined its operating philosophy—intentionally limiting guest numbers, prioritizing access over scale, and reinvesting proceeds into conservation efforts tied directly to Southeast Alaska.As the program evolved, the company expanded its fleet with purpose-built and carefully restored vessels designed specifically for navigating the narrow waterways, shallow bays, and remote anchorages of the region.
1990s | Purpose-built for Southeast Alaska
In 1990, The Boat Company introduced M/V Liseron, a 10-stateroom vessel designed to offer comfort without excess and access without impact. In 2000, M/V Mist Cove joined the fleet, expanding capacity modestly while preserving the intimate, small-ship experience at the heart of the company’s mission.Together, these two ships continue to define The Boat Company’s approach: quiet exploration, flexibility, and immersion rather than spectacle.
2000s–2010s | Conservation at scale, not tourism
As industrial pressures on Southeast Alaska increased—particularly threats related to logging, mining, and road development in the Tongass National Forest—The Boat Company deepened its commitment to conservation advocacy.Over the decades, the organization has reinvested more than $30 million into environmental protection, supporting legal defense efforts, conservation organizations, and community-based initiatives focused on safeguarding fisheries, wildlife habitat, and wilderness access.
The ships themselves also became platforms for education and influence, welcoming scientists, conservation leaders, and policymakers aboard to experience the Tongass firsthand.
Leadership continuity | Carrying the mission forward
Following the passing of founder Michael McIntosh, leadership transitioned to his son, Hunter McIntosh, who committed to carrying the mission forward with the same clarity of purpose.Under his leadership, The Boat Company has remained intentionally focused on Southeast Alaska—resisting industry pressure to scale or diversify itineraries, and instead doubling down on what it does best.
Today | Experience, stewardship, and restraint
Today, The Boat Company operates two small ships—M/V Mist Cove and M/V Liseron—offering weeklong journeys through Southeast Alaska that remain rooted in the same principles established more than four decades ago.The structure has not changed. The focus has not shifted. And the mission remains clear: to offer an unparalleled small-ship experience while ensuring the Tongass National Forest remains wild, intact, and protected for generations to come.
More than a cruise
Guests leave with more than photographs.
They leave with a deeper understanding of Southeast Alaska, a personal connection to the Tongass, and the quiet satisfaction of having traveled in a way that truly aligns with the place itself.