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March 2023 by Jamie Watson
Do your research and DO NOT rent from here!We really regret not doing our research so I’m hoping to save others! Stay far, far away.The photos online look nothing like the boat you will get. I’m honestly surprised this company hasn’t been shut down by the FWC or USCG. We rented the 23ft Cobia for the day and we were extremely disappointed. We didn’t notice all the issues with the boat until we were already out on the water…and most of the issues were safety related. For example-no back or front doors (they had been removed), broken compass, missing windshield, no locks on the side doors, detached/broken ladder on the front of the boat, Bimini held together with zip ties and electrical tape, back ladder held together with zip ties, screws coming out of the back of the boat, and duct tape on the motor. The list continues but if you’ve read this far into the review and looked at the photos, you know to stay away from here.Joe seems like a nice guy and very knowledgeable, but when we brought up the issues when we returned, he just made excuse after excuse, saying it’s the busiest time of year and “next year I’ll do better.” The boat clearly has not been maintained or cleaned in years and needs serious work.
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March 2023 by Leck Gabriel
Very Bad Experience!!! Owner is tricky and gave us a rusty, unkept boat with no swim ladders and a light rusted anchor. Boat dock is a hardly passable outlet and inlet. Was charged extra $120 for the fuel with only 3 hour use of the boat. This destroyed our fun day in the keys. Never rent from this company. Believe me, you will regret it.
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March 2023 by Cody Charpentier
Joe is a very nice guy, very accommodating. The boats are just that. Might could use some TLC, but they are rentals and most people don't take care of rentals.
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March 2022 by Andrew Schaubach
Jo is a very knowledgeable local waterman originally from the NorthEast. He set me up with a decent 23' cuddy cabin with a 175 outboard (ran great). He was upfront that he buys used boats and puts new motors on for reliability with a basic, solid GPS. Boat had a few bumps but considering the inexperienced clientele that pass through here at times I think it was in solid condition. Jo told me exactly where to go according to what I wanted to do with my kids. Gave me a map with written directions and pointed out hazards and good picnic, fishing and snorkel spots. Walked me through the use of the GPS. I live on water with a boat at home so it was comfortable for me to get going. If you're not very experienced in boating, I'd recommend brush up on your navigational rules of the road ahead of time, channels, markers, look at a chart (boat road map) if you haven't before. Lots of shallow water there and current at certain places. Jo was straightforward, upfront, honest and a real pleasure to chat with. Can't go wrong with this guy, just remember you're in the keys and things are quite a bit more laid back and a bit slower than the city. That's a GOOD thing. Hope to visit again!
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March 2022 by Andrew Price
Definitely worth it. If your just looking to get out the n the water and have fun, experience the beautiful waters of the Florida keys. Hit some swimming holes and islands. Boats decent shape, easy to operate and safe. Joe is definitely an experienced local waterman. He'll tell u exactly where to go according to what y want to do. So double thumbs up
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March 2022 by Ricky Cisco
Stay Away from here. You will be disappointed. We rented a 23 ft deck boat for mini lobster season. The boat does not go faster than 8mph, it has a 175 horsepower engine. And only 6 of us on the boat. It took us almost 2 hrs to get from Jo’s to our destination, which should have only been abt 30 min. Oh and the boat itself looks like it’s 30yrs old.
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March 2022 by Janay Hernandez
DO NOT RENT FROM THIS PLACE!We rented the 25 footage boat, we were not able to do what we planed, we weren't happy with the boat, needs a lot of maintenance. We didn't like that captain Joe knew about the problems and did not tell us anything in advance. We couldn't move the motor up and down like is supposed to and we did not have a GPS functioning completely. I think those are very important things if you are boating in a new place.
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December 2021 by Brian B.
Booked boat well in advance and showed up to the location which can easily be mistaken as a boat junk yard. The boats are old and have soft spots on the decks. The boat he had for us was broken and his other boats were decrepit and didn't seem safe to take out. After taking our security deposit which was over priced per the other renters in the area and gave it back once the boat was deemed completely broken. Joe will rent a boat to anybody and the boats show this. Joe never mentioned needing a boating license which is required for boat renters so he disregard safety and the possibility of you getting a ticket on the water. The rails and other boat parts are barely hanging on the boat. After he left us hanging we were thankfully able to find a boat from Big Pine Key Boat Rental which was the same rental price but they had boats that were nicely taken care of. They were able to help us extremely short notice and get us on a boat.
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March 2021 by Adam Pack
We were nervous about renting here after reading some of these reviews, but we went with it and ended up having a great time. Joe helped us get a suitable boat to match our boating skill level. He drew out and explained a map to nearby attractions for us to explore. We took a group of 7 out on the boat and had a great time. We found a chip on the propellor after we got back but Joe said it was there before and did not blame us for it. His boats are not brand new but they are robust and in good shape.
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March 2021 by Stewart Coyle
I’ve fished a lot of places and rented all over. Jo is amazing. Thoroughly went through the area, places to fish, maps, the boat, etc.. and guess what- we came home with a cooler full of fish. Best prices I’ve seen yet. You really can’t beat this place.
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March 2021 by Janis Goode
DO NOT try to rent a boat here. BAIT and SWITCH and very poor business practice. I feel bad giving Joe a bad review but this place should not be in business. It all sounded great on the phone. We were told $200 for a 1/2 day center console rental. The place is a dump and you can't even find a place to park. He tried to rent us a dilapidated deck boat that looked like it was ready to fall apart. I doubt it was seaworthy. He agreed to a much larger boat at the same price, but when we were rung up he charged us $1000 deposit PLUS $340 in fuel, plus the price of the rental. It just about ruined our day since it was already mid-day and many other rental companies were all sold out by then, but we walked out. We just hope the voided receipts go through. Do yourself a favor, rent from Hans at Poseidon or Dillon at Cudjoe Boat Sales. Both reputable and honest guys.
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March 2021 by Marc Miller, PGA
Great day on the water. Good location. Captain Joe is very helpful and prices are fair. Will be back next time we are in the keys. Very helpful and nice staff! Thanks again!
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March 2021 by Bryana C
Rented from Capitan Joe about 7 times and every time we have a great experience! Great prices and the best launch spot for A fun day on picnic island! Highly recommend keys boat rental!
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March 2021 by Stephanie Becaas
We called and Joe was very accommodating. He offered us some choices of boats at very reasonable prices. He took time in explaining all the different locations we could visit, very informative and honest. We had the best day, fishing, snorkeling and sightseeing; Thank you Joe, we will be back!
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March 2021 by Chris Marchesani
Rented a 25’ Catamaran from this company labeled the “Fishing Machine” and boy was I surprised. The pictures online are probably from over 10 years ago. We ended up returning the boat as it was not sea worthy and very unsafe. The deck was soft all around, cut bow railing with sharp edges, the t top shook very badly and had broken welds, very little screws securing it to the deck and so forth. Engines were newer four strokes but the steering line was kinked, the motors were not straight and the boat topped out at 29 mph light load with twin 150’s. The boat is completely water logged. Not to mention I rented the boat and was told it would be ready at 5. We waited until almost 8 to leave the dock because they fueled it with 5 gallon jugs. It took 28 jugs. Capt Joe was nice but that was it. Very very disappointed. We didn’t get to do any fishing or diving on our trip. This review comes from a USCG licensed captain and marine surveyor.
