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If you’re born BEFORE 1988, all you need is a valid Driver’s License.
Anyone born on or after January 1, 1988 who operates a vessel powered by 10 horsepower or more must pass an approved boater safety course and have in his/her possession photographic identification and a boating safety education identification card issued by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Also, as an insurance policy anyone driving the boat has to be 25 or older, regardless of licensing. If you do not have boating experience, you can take a local or online boating safety course. See the FWC approved list (including FREE courses) here: MyFWC.com Boating Safety Courses
Visitors may pay a small fee for a QUICK Temporary Boating Certificate.
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No. Our staff is only at the marina from around 9am to around 10am in the morning to launch the morning and full day rentals. In the afternoons our staff is only at the marina from around 1pm-3pm. We DO NOT have staff at the marina all day. You can not just arrive at any time you like. Our staff reaches out to all reservation guests each morning to coordinate your arrival time so you can communicate your arrival time to them.
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Yes, any dog under 25lbs is allowed at an additional charge. Further, the renter agrees that ANY damage due to the dog is the responsibility of the renter to pay for. We are family owned & operated and we have large dogs of our own. They are not allowed on the boats either. As we do love animals and our dogs, we also know the possibility of damage from dogs so if you are going to bring them please keep them off the seats.
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Unfortunately, we do not allow tubing or towing from our luxury pontoon boats. These boats are setup for casual enjoyment on the water, not for active water sports such as skiing, tubing, etc. Also, towing/tubing greatly increases the chances of someone getting hurt on The Butler Chain and we want everyone to be as safe as possible while renting our pontoons.
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Yes, you are welcome to bring a cooler and snacks on the boat. We do not allow any kind of grills on the pontoons. As for alcohol, on all of the Inland Lakes that we service it is legal for people 21 years and older to drink on the boat. It is not legal however to have open alcohol in Public Parks. The driver of any of our boats is to be sober at ALL TIMES.
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You can pick up your boat from our dock as early as 9am. Most rentals arrive around 8am-9am to pick up their boats. Our staff will reach out to each renter in the morning of your reservation to see what time your group plans to arrive. We do this to try to time our guests arrival so all reservations do not show up at the same time, causing delays. Remember, you have all day to enjoy your boat but they MUST be returned no later than your posted out time in the Confirmation Email. Be safe and be early!
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It is Florida after all, where afternoon showers are so infamous that many locals swear they can set their watch by it. During the summer months, this is an almost daily occurrence around 3pm when the heat of the day has built up and collides with cool ocean air from the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. Often the rain passes as quickly as it comes, but you should seek shelter and secure loose items as a precaution. These afternoon showers differ from a frontal weather system which carry stronger storms. Therefore, if you have had the rental out on the lake more than half the day (5 hours or more) and then it starts raining, we will not reschedule another full day. More times than not, the afternoon showers will last 15-30 mins and then blow over and the sun comes back out.
In the case of a major weather frontal system on the morning of your arrival, we will reschedule your rental date around our availability. We DO NOT reschedule a rental date based on ‘forecasted weather’. EXAMPLE: if it is calling for 50% chance of rain and thunderstorms, you still need to come the day of your rental and then be cleared by us for a reschedule. Weather Forecasting is notoriously difficult in Central Florida, and more often than not the day turns out to be bright and sunny. Think of it like this, if the weather is calling for 60% chance of rain, that is also 40% chance of a bright and sunny beautiful day!
If it is a complete rain out day, we will reschedule your reservation or give you a 100% Gift Card value to use for a booking anytime on our website.
We DO NOT cancel, reschedule or refund a booking due to cloudy weather.
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No. The pontoons boats are always full of gas when you pick up your pontoon rental. Rarely does a full day rental need more than one full tank of gas. However, in that case, the renter will need to visit one of the on-lake gas stations and put enough gas in the pontoon to return back to the dock. Ask our staff if you are concerned. You are not responsible for returning the pontoon full of gas.
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NO! Absolutely no smoking is ever permitted on any of our rental pontoons. These are new luxury pontoons and smoking can easily burn holes in the seats. Further, the fuel tanks on pontoon boats are exposed (unlike the tanks in your car) which makes smoking on any boat extremely dangerous. We are ruthless with damage charges if we find burn marks in the seats from smoking. DO NOT SMOKE ON ANY RENTAL BOAT!
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YES! Orlando, Florida lakes have been renowned for their excellent water quality and good fishing. We do not have a live well on the pontoon boats, so bring your own storage. Be careful of your tackle as a fishing hook stuck into the seat can create a tear in the seat very quickly and will be considered damage to the vessel. Fishing Permits may be obtained HERE.
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First off, anyone 6 years or younger MUST have a US Coast Guard Approved Lift Jacket on at ALL times (boat on or off, moving or stopped, anchored or not). For anyone over the age of 6, your Life Jacket and throw cushion should be readily accessible and you should know where the Life Jackets and throw cushion is located on the boat at all times. We require ANYONE, regardless of age or experience, to wear a Life Jacket at any time while swimming in water deeper than their height.
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Depending on the Launch Location you choose, a Captain may be REQUIRED (this is indicated at booking). Otherwise, you are purchasing a ‘bare boat rental‘ which is an arrangement for the chartering or hiring of a ship or boat, whereby no crew or provisions are included as part of the agreement. A Captain can be provided for your Rental based upon availability, at a rate of $25/hr. So if you book a Full Day (8hr) Rental you would prepay the full 8hrs of Capitan Fees. The charge cannot be pro-rated if you use less than your full amount of hours. Call or E-mail after booking to ask about adding the Captain Fee to your Rental.
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NO. Our largest pontoon boat holds up to 10 people max. We do not currently have a vessel suitable for a larger number of guests.
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NO. We feel strongly against renting jet skis. Without proper experience, jet skis can be extremely dangerous. Jet ski accidents are 3 times more common than any other boating related accident.
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Unless you have a residence on the lake (AirBnB/VRBO are welcome) and are renting the boat for multiple days consecutively, you CAN NOT keep the boat past Sunset. Boat dock parking locks at Dusk. Without proper training and experience, operating any boat in any water at night is dangerous. You can not see the debris in the water, No Wake and Shallow Water Bouys.
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Depending on the Launch Location you’ve chosen, Grills may be available at the Public Park. Grills ARE NOT allowed onboard the boat. Lake Fairview has a Public Restaurant with Boat Parking, and we would advise picking this Launch Location if that is a large part of your criteria for renting. HOWEVER, there is a Food Pontoon (Waterside Eats) that grills out on the water ever weekend! Look up their Facebook Page for locations.
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Yes. This is why getting a head start so you can be on-time for your Return is critical. Our staff will meet you at the Ramp to park the boat when you return. Our staff will go over the return procedure during the arrival briefing.
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No. Our pontoons do not have restrooms on board. There are portable restrooms at most boat ramps however. You may use them before, after, or at any point during your reservation. Feel free to ask our staff for specifics to the Launch Location you’ve chosen when you get to the dock.
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NO! Each boat is Coast Guard rated for a certain amount of people AND a certain weight capacity. Neither can go over. For instance, our 10 passenger pontoons have a max weight capacity of 1370 lbs. If you reach 1370 lbs with only 8 of your guests, then the max capacity you can have is 8. If you have 10 people already on board and you are still not at 1370lbs, that does not mean you can have 11. The max is EITHER the max number of people or the max weight, whichever comes first. Please call us if you have concerns about this question as overloading the boat with weight can create a dangerous situation.
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No. We only rent pontoons as we feel they are the safest type of vessel to operate on the Freshwater Lakes of Orlando and Central Florida.
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YES. All of our pontoons have a standard Electric Bimini Top providing shade for the Driver and back seats. It can be reclined at the push of a button for bridge clearance during the rainy season. Our staff will show you how to operate the Bimini Top upon arrival.
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Yes, State Operated boat ramps are wheelchair accessible. There is a safety lip and bit of a gap between the dock and the pontoon deck. However, the pontoon deck sits level in the water with the dock. So its just a matter of getting the chair over the gap and onto the boat.
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No. When you book online, the full rental price will be charged when you book. We do not hold a deposit. However, we do hold the credit card information in case of damages to the boat.
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When you book online, the total booking fee is charged right then.
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Yes, all our rentals come with a full tank of gas. That is plenty of fuel to last a full day rental.
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Once you book your rental date, you can cancel and get a full refund or request an alternate date anytime prior to 7 days before the rental date. Within 6-2 days prior to reservation you can cancel for a 75% refund. No-shows or canceling the day of will be charged the full rental rate. We can refund bookings to a gift card to use for a future booking if you so choose. Rescheduling to available day is FREE!
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Yes. There is a broom and rags/cleaner on each boat. Please clean and prepare all trash to discard before return to the Boat Ramp. If you leave food, crumbs, etc on the boat the birds will destroy the boat over night. Also, if you leave the boat dirty, you will be charged a cleaning fee. Our dock assistants will be ready to receive and park a clean boat.
