Boat Rental Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, there is a $150.00 deposit required at the time of the booking that is applied to your rental upon check-in.

We do not offer a formal instruction course with certification. We do conduct a Captains Meeting prior to leaving the dock.

While Florida does not have a boating license, anyone born on or after January 1, 1988 is required to either have successfully completed a National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) approved boating education course or have passed an equivalent course or temporary certificate examination. Additionally, they must have in their possession a boating education ID card and a photo identification card before operating a vessel with a motor of ten horsepower or more in Florida.

Florida visitors must comply with the boating safety education requirements.  If a non-resident can show proof of having successfully completed a boater safety course or equivalent exam that meets or exceeds Florida’s requirements (usually in the form of a certificate or card), a Florida Boating Safety Education Identification Card is not required.

Visitors wanting to rent a vessel while in Florida may obtain a temporary certificate. These certificates are issued by vendors around the state. Visit myfwc.com for a list of approved vendors. The temporary certificate is valid for 90 days and is not intended to be a permanent replacement for the Boating Safety Education Identification Card.

If you plan on fishing from the boat, you will be required to obtain a Florida fishing license. You can obtain this license online at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: https://myfwc.com/license/.

Any person operating a moving vessel on the waterways while consuming alcohol is subject to the same laws and fines as driving your vehicle on the roads. If you want to consume any alcoholic beverages we recommend that you arrange for a designated driver/operator and that they are listed as an additional operator on the rental contract. This additional designated operator will also be subject to all of the same requirements as the main person listed on the rental contract.

It is a short distance, under 10 minutes to the river and open water. Please be aware of the channel markers when leaving from and returning to our dock. Be aware that the water is shallow in the river. There is a risk of hitting a submerged rock or running a ground which can cause damage to the propeller and or lower unit of the motor. Please be observant of the depth gauge on the GPS and cautious at all times

Cancellation Policy

One person’s perfect day on the water may be too hot for somebody else and too cold for the next person. As a rental company, last minute cancellations are very costly. At the same time, we understand that things come up and we don’t feel it is right for you to lose your entire rental fee if you have to reschedule.  We give our customers the option to reschedule their trip.  If a trip cannot be rescheduled, we will issue a credit toward a future reservation

Our cancellation policy is 10 full days due to the tremendous demand

Our Cancellation policy is simple and strict, but fair.

• We DO NOT give refunds, rather we will gladly give you credit for use another time.
• If you cancel within 10 days or more notice you will receive a 100% gift certificate to use another time, on any type of rental.
• No shows and cancellations within 48 hours of the event, for any reason, are subject to full boat rental fee.
• We do not allow cancellations for less than ideal weather. If the weather is bad due to high winds, lightning, rain, storms in the area, unsafe conditions we will call you to cancel or move your reservation. Cancellations made by our staff due to weather will receive a full refund.
• We reserve the right to cancel any rental at any time due to extreme conditions deemed unsafe.

Please Note:  If a boat reservation is cancelled the day of the scheduled departure time, you are responsible for 100% of the boat rental fee. Late arrivals will be charged the full rental rate. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Weather Policy

No one, including the weatherman accurately predicts conditions the day before a scheduled trip.

Cape Family Boat Rental will  make the sole decision on the morning of the.

Yes, we accept Master Card & Visa.

Our boats all come equipped with an on board GPS and Fishfinder unit with electronic charts of the local waterways. Also, we provide a hard copy map the shows with cruising boundaries, marinas and local restaurants.

All of our rental boats must stay with in a designated area as marked by boundary lines on our hard copy chart. This chart is located on each of our rental boats. Please ask for assistance from one of our friendly staff members if you have a specific location you would like to navigate to. Our agreement states the boat cannot be taken more than 15 miles from our dock.

While you are on the water you must OBEY ALL MARITIME LAWS, NAVIGATIONAL AIDS, MANATEE ZONES, SLOW & IDLE ZONES and stay in marked channels. Water depths can change extremely quick outside of marked channels and you can find yourself running aground. Cape Family Boat Rental does not reimburse customers for tickets they might receive received on the water for disobeying the Maritime Laws and Speed Zones.

No we do not offer our guests the ability to purchase insurance. You are financially responsible if the boat returns with any damages not noted before leaving our docks.  You are also financially responsible for any damage to other boats, docks or personal property caused by the use of the rental boats or your actions while the rental boat is in your possession.

No, we do not. We will pinpoint the closest on water fuel facility at the time of checkout, typically the Boat House Marina and Restaurant is an ideal  spot to refuel and eat on the water on the way back to our dock.  ALL BOATS MUST BE REFUELED AND RETURNED AT THE FULL LEVEL, unless prior arrangements have been made with our rental office.  Ask us how you can skip the refueling process at the time of your check out for an additional fee.

At Cape Family Boat Rental, we require that the operator is 21 years of age or older with a valid drivers license from their country of residence. The operator must also have a valid credit card to use or put on file for the boat rental.

Yes, we can deliver our boats to your Cape Coral Property so that you can maximize your time enjoying both our boat and your property for a small fee!

Please call and talk with one of our friendly staff members to make the arrangements for docking your boat during your rental period