Renting a Boat? For a Good Time, Just Add a Captain

Although you’ve probably heard that you can rent a boat with a captain for the day, you may be a little unclear on how it works. Essentially, you’ll have a licensed boat captain out on the water with you. He (or She) will be there from the time you get to the dock until the end…doing the driving and handling the logistics while you relax on your boat charter.
However, this may still leave you with some questions, like:

• How is a captain certified?
• What does the boat captain do during the boat charter?
• Will having a boat captain on my boat charter actually enhance your trip?

What a Boat Captain License Entails

When you rent a boat with a licensed captain you know that you’re hiring someone who knows what they’re doing. They not only have classroom experience, but they also have spent time on the water behind the wheel of a boat. In addition, the state requires them to be physically fit and drug free. Through their training, they’re certified in first aid by the American Red Cross as well. So, more than anything you can say that having a captain aboard gives you a sense of well-being and peace of mind.

What Your Captain Does for You

Licensed to carry you and your passengers aboard their boat, your captain takes care of everything from safety to paperwork for the boat. Besides saving you time and money here, your captain is also familiar with the waters you’re boating in. As such, they’re able to find you everything from the best fishing spots to the most serene spots to watch sunsets to the best sandbars to party. Your captain ensures that you have the perfect boating excursion.

Why It’s a Good Idea to Hire a Boat with a Captain

Ultimately, the answer to the question, whether a captain can enhance your boating trip and experience is a resounding “yes.” Boats you rent with captains actually make your trip a lot more enjoyable because they’re highly experienced with boating year-round. For them, this is a lot more than a job.  Boating is their life long passion and they take their role as captain seriously. From staying up to date on the latest safety requirements to acting as a tour guide recommending the best off –the-beaten path snorkeling spots, they do it all. They enjoy checking on the engine, cleaning up the boat (both the exterior and the interior) and guiding your expedition for the day.

The biggest benefit of having a captain on board? Whether you can do it all yourself or not…during this boat charter, you can just relax, have a drink if you’d like and enjoy the time fishing, cruising or sightseeing. Your captain’s taking care of everything…

Did we miss any reasons having a captain on a boat charter is optimal? Let us know, we’d love to hear your experience!