Frequently Asked Questions

The pricing for our boat charters includes up to 6 guests. If you have more in your group, please contact us directly, so we may give you some other options that are available.

If you feel your Captain and Crew did an amazing job, a gratuity is a wonderful compliment and much appreciated!  Customary tips are usually 15% to 20%.

Any boat charter that you book will be for you and your group only.  We do not offer public ride shares and take pride in keeping our boat charters strictly private.

During peak months (March, April, June & July) and during the holidays (Christmas, Thanksgiving and all holiday weekends), we advise to book as early as possible.  We also recommend that you book your boat charter in the beginning of your vacation so if bad weather is going to be an issue, we have other dates we can work with to reschedule your charter.

If you need to cancel your boat charter due to any reason, we need at least a 48 hour notice in order to receive a refund for your deposit.  If your notice is less than 48 hours, the refund for your deposit will be forfeited.

If you cancel your boat charter in 4 hours or less than your departure time, or if a no-call/no-show scenario happens, we will charge your credit card on file the total price of the boat charter.

Safety is our primary concern and sometimes we have to cancel boat charters due to rain, high winds or extreme cold.  We will try to either reschedule your boat charter to another day or time, or if a rescheduled charter is not possible, we offer a full refund. 

Rain can happen during your boat charter, especially in the summer months (our rainy season).  Our summer rains tend to build up in the afternoons, are generally small rain cells and do not last too long. There are many places along the intracoastal waterways where we can dock to wait out a storm.  If we do have to end the boat charter, due to persistent rain or unsafe conditions, we will have to end the charter and offer a pro-rated refund. If we have to end your boat charter during the last hour, then no refund will be issued. 

The "One Love" Boat is the boat to book if you would like to try the water sports. You will have a choice between paddleboarding or watertubing on your charter, but can not do both (due to storage space). 

* Please Note: The water sports are not available on sightseeing or sunset cruises. 

Please plan to arrive 10-15 minutes early and be ready, with your gear, on the dock.  We may have a charter scheduled after yours, so if you're late it's not a big deal, but we have to be back at the scheduled time.

Please contact the Captain (you will be given their phone number in a boating confirmation email) to let them know that you will not arrive on time. We will try to make up the time difference on the back end of the charter, but it is not always a guarantee.

Yes...both boats have bathrooms on board available for your use.  The One Love bathroom is usable, however, is more of a I really have to go scenario.  The Top Shelf bathroom is much larger obviously due to the size of the boat.

We see Bottlenose Dolphins most of the time on our boat charter.  Though we cannot guarantee we will see the dolphins on your charter (you must remember they are wild mammals), there are over 150 bottlenose dolphins that live in the Sarasota area.

Manatees, otherwise known as Sea Cows, make the Sarasota waters their home in the summer months.  There is a great chance to see manatees on your boat charter from May until November.

Only children 5 and under need to wear a life jacket at all times.  Should you like one for yourself, we of course have them on board, and available.  You will also need to wear one if you choose to go Tubing.

The sun is strong in Florida and we recommend an SPF 15 or higher to protect your skin.  When choosing your sunscreen, please DO NOT BRING spray sunscreen or sunscreen with tanning, glitter/shimmer or bronzing agents.  This will stain our boats and the Captain will ask you not to use it.  Sunscreen is for your skin, not the boat seats so we will also ask that if you are covered in sunscreen, to please place a towel between your skin and the boat seats.  Thank you kindly!

Of course, but nothing that will stain like a red wine.  Also, we ask that if you're drinking out of cups, to please bring cups with lids on the One Love Boat to avoid spilling when the boat goes fast.  The Top Shelf boat provides very nice insulated cups with lids that we'll ask you to use.  Feel free to bring your own as long as they have a lid.

Yes...but keep in mind this is a boat with occasional wind, wakes and waves.  We pride ourselves on a neat and clean boat and ask that you avoid bringing food that will make a mess or stain the interior.  For example, Doritos and Cheetos will stain the seats, thin potato chips and popcorn will make a mess when the bag is spilled and fly around. Cookies crumble, chocolate melts and bubble gum is permanent. 

Foods that work well on the boats:

• Sandwiches
• Fresh fruit & veggies (dips are ok - if the boat is anchored or moving slow).
• Cheese & crackers, nuts, and fruit plates.
• Pretzles, Pita Chips, Veggie Sticks (Basically a harder type of chip - that is not dyed).  

No...we have coolers on the boats filled with ice to keep anything cold that you bring.  An additional larger cooler takes up floor space and will make it harder to move around.   It is ok, though, if you'd like to bring a smaller, soft-sided cooler.

We do provide large noodle rafts for your use. Remember, the more stuff you bring, the less room there is on the boat to relax and move around.  If you’d like to bring a special raft, please just let us know first and we'll let you know if there will be room.

We are considered a pleasure cruise and never offer fishing from either of our boats.

We do most of our boating in the intracoastal waterways and only go out in the Gulf of Mexico in safe conditions and if our charter guests feel comfortable.  The intracoastal is generally calm with minimal choppy waters.  If you tend to get a little woozy on a boat, we recommend taking an over the counter medication before your boat charter.  We do not provide this type of medication on the boats.

We like to say - if you're smoking on our boat, you better be on fire!  No...we do not allow cigar, pipe or cigarette smoking on the boats.  It's just too easy to burn a hole with the wind.