Every pontoon will come with a detailed lake make showing the great spots to visit and anchor. However, we HIGHLY recommend and ask that you DOWNLOAD THE NAVIONICS APP BEFORE YOUR RENTAL. It is a valuable tool for navigation and shows the topography of the lake bottom (depth) in relation to where the boat is. It uses GPS so you will know exactly where you are on the lake and what the depth is below the boat! The App is free but you have to create a free trail account (it does not automatically charge your App Store account after trail ends). Once you create your account you’ll be given a small box where you can download a trail size map. Zoom the map box over Lake Wylie so it covers the whole lake and download that portion. Please do this before you arrive.
No. On a rental boat in North Carolina, you are not required to have a boaters license. However, as a company policy we require the driver to have prior boat driving experience. Also, as an insurance policy anyone driving the boat has to be 25 or older. If you do not have boating experience, you can take a local boating safety course or sign up for one of our own driving lessons that are offered daily 9am-10am. You can book a driving lesson in the booking section.
Yes, any dog under 75lbs 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 and operated and we have dogs of our own. 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.
Yes, we do allow tubing or towing from our pontoon boats. When you book online you’ll be given the option to rent a 3-person tube.
*Tubing is inherently dangerous. By renting a tube you accept full responsibility. ** Gas is burned twice as fast tubing. You are responsible for managing your fuel burn. If you run out of gas, the emergency fuel supply delivery fee is an extra charge.
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 Lake Wylie it is legal for people 21 years and older to drink on the boat. However, ONLY beer and wine is allowed on Lake Wylie. NO HARD LIQUOR is allowed on pontoon boats on Lake Wylie. The driver of any boat on Lake Wylie is to be sober at ALL TIMES.
Our staff will reach out to each renter prior to 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 on the dock. Please make sure to check your text messages!
In the case of bad weather on the day of your rental, 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. Too many times the weather is said to be bad and 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 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.
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 or cold weather
No. The pontoons boats are always full of gas when you pick up your pontoon rental. HOWEVER, you are responsible for your fuel burn. If you get low on fuel you need to return to the marina. If you run out of gas (which should not happen under normal boating parameters) you will be charged an additional Fuel Delivery fee.
We rent our pontoons YEAR AROUND at Riverside Marina: 1500 River Dr. Belmont NC 28012 OR Tailrace Marina: 1010 Marina Village Dr Mt Holly NC 28120 (make sure you book the boat from the departure location you want). You will meet one of our staff there at the dock no earlier than 15 mins prior to your reservation. If you arrive too early, our staff might not be there yet.
NO! Absolutely no smoking is ever permitted on any of our rental pontoons. These are luxury new 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!
YES! We do not have a live well on the pontoon boats. Lake Wylie is mainly a catch and release fishing area anyhow. 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.
First off, anyone 13 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 13, 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 or in the water for any reason.
No, unfortunately because of insurance we can not provide you with a driver. You or one of your guests has to have prior boat driving experience or have taken our boat driving lesson to rent. You will be taking responsibility for both the boat and all passengers on board.
NO. All of our pontoons hold a MAX capacity of 1450lbs OR 10 passengers (whichever number comes first). We do not have a vessel suitable for a larger number of guests unless you reserve multiple boats for the same time.
Afternoon thunderstorms are common and just about every day during the high heat of the summer has a coin flip chance of some scattered showers. Knowing what to do and what not to do is important in staying safe.
First, it is highly advisable to ALL our rentals to download the MyRadar app on your phone. It is free. It will give you live data on moving rain/storm clouds.
Second, you need to know that the boat can handle rain and wind. The pontoon will not tip over or sink in heavy rain as the pontoon is made to self bail itself from the rain water. Do not get anxious about the rain.
Third, be aware of where you are located in relation to our marina and how far you are away if there is a chance of an approaching storm. If there is a chance of an approaching storm, its best to hang out near the marina at the suggested swim spots near by.
Lastly, if you see lightning you want to get the boat to any dock or shoreline that isn’t rocky. In the case of lightning you do not want to be in the middle of the lake. Usually, if you are watching the radar on your app, you can get the boat back to the marina before this happens.
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.
Unless you are renting the boat for multiple days consecutively you CAN NOT keep the boat past 7pm (Sunset Cruises are due back NO LATER than 8pm). 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. VRBO rentals that keep our boats at their vacation homes must keep the boat docked between 8pm in the evening to 9am in the morning).
Yes. Riverside Marina has an event space with a grill and seating area in the gazebo. This area is NOT owned by our rental company and if you would like to schedule using this space, you need to call the marina at (704) 813-4594.
NO. We do not have staff at the docks when you return the boat. Our staff will go over the return procedure during the arrival briefing.
No. Our pontoons do not have bathrooms on board. There is a bathroom at the marina you can use before, after, or at any point during your reservation. Also, if you go to the restaurant for lunch, you can use their restrooms.
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 1450 lbs. If you reach 1450 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 1450lbs, 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. This includes children. 10 people TOTAL, no exceptions.
No. We only rent pontoons as we feel they are the safest type of vessel to operate on Lake Wylie. If you are looking for a kayak or paddle board rental, you can check out TailraceMarina.com
YES. All of our pontoons have a bimini top that provides shade for about 50% of the boat’s seating area. You can also lean the bimini top back to have 100% sun across the pontoon if you want. Ask our staff upon arrival on how to operate the bimini top.
Yes, our marina is wheelchair accessible. There is a bit of a gap between the pontoon deck and the dock 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.
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.
When you book online, you have the option to pay a 50% deposit to hold your date, or you can go on and pay the full amount. We do NOT take an additional security deposit. Damage fees are assessed after the return if there is damage noted to the pontoon.
Yes, all our rentals come with a full tank of gas. That is plenty of fuel to last a full day rental.
Yes, once you have gone over the safety briefing with our staff you can come and go as you please. There is generally NO staff at the dock when you return. However, you can return the boat whenever you would like.
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.
Yes. There are brooms and hoses on the dock. You need to hose down the entire boat. 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.
We are the only rental boat operation on the lake that includes fuel in the price of the rental. That is a huge savings and a huge headache off our renters.
However, it is important to pay attention to your fuel consumption.
Our pontoons run 70hp motors that are very fuel efficient IF you use the boat in a manner that is fuel efficient.
Running the boat wide open all day full of people will run the gas out quick. It is best to run the boat at 3/4 throttle when your just going places.
If the boat gets down to only a 1/4 tank left. You need to consider putting a few gallons in at one of the lakeside gas pumps before heading back to our marina.
