Rent Chicago Boats - Chicago, Illinois

Jonathan Parsons

We had a tremendous experience with this company! Vernon was very helpful and gave clear instructions and responded to questions promptly. I also highly recommend the hand on boating course! I did my training with Captain Marty and it was a lot of fun! I’ll definitely be using this company again.

JJ Schulz

Vernon is one of a kind! We had been working together to plan a birthday party for my sister in Jan 2020...well, because of the Pandemic, we had to place it on hold. Vernon was very accommodating and kept in communication with us for ~18 months! FINALLY in July 2021, we were able to use the boat and celebrate my sister's wedding! It was the most perfect day on the water. Definitely recommend renting a boat from here. Vernon was so responsive and amazing to work with!

Sahar N

The Good
Thanks to Vernon I am now a licensed boater in Illinois. In the past we have rented from companies that don't require this as a part of the rental agreement, but so glad I listened to his advice and bit the bullet. Bragging rights anyone?

The Better
Not many companies run before Memorial Day. My friends and I were looking for a rental last minute because the weather was beautiful. Spoke to Vernon and not only was he available - he was able to work his logistical magic and make our desired time available with Meemaw - our preferred/requested pontoon. His communication was very good throughout.

The Best
We had one hiccup during our rental which Vernon went above and beyond in accommodating. Upon inspecting the pontoon before our departure, we found that the Bluetooth stereo was out of commission due to a technical issue. Vernon was apologetic and offered to rectify the issue for a future rental. Our group was okay with that and we were on our way. Lo and behold an hour later, while in the water, I get a call from Vernon saying he was able to come to us and swap out the boat. He not only swapped the pontoon but gave us the Grand Baby (more spacious and a better boat IMO) AND added an hour to our rental! We didn't think we'd need the additional hour BUT BOY WAS I WRONG. We jammed out to our favorite beats (which was really a cherry on top of being on the river), and soaked in every last second of the rental time. It would be an understatement if I said we were sad to get off.

Truly, Vernon understood the need to make up for the lack of stereo and went above and beyond in making up for the technical issue. I don't know of many companies willing to make things work for a rental while you're on the river after leaving the dock. We really appreciated it.

I will be renting again from here in the future. The pontoons are large, they drive so smooth and you cannot beat the customer service. My group cannot wait to be back.

Thank you!!!

Harsh Shah

I rented the Grandpa Pontoon to celebrate my girlfriends 30th birthday. We rented it in the PM to catch the sunset views. Vernon was our captain and he was very accommodating throughout the entire ride. Vernon recommended a great route to enjoy our time to the fullest and even pulled the boat over so we could cut a cake! Definitely a great experience and will be coming back to Rent Chicago Boats for my boating needs!

Daniel Shapiro

I highly recommend Rent Chicago Boats. Vernon is extremely easy to work with and puts you, the customer, as his priority to make sure your experience is enjoyable. I have loved renting boats from him for the past three years to take a group of friends out. This is the way to go when renting in Chicago. You’re the best Vernon!!

Carlo Casino

Regarding the previous two reviews about “Captain Matt”:

I was in the group ahead of you. His name is actually Thomas. Not sure if he gave you a fake name or something? But I can confirm his behavior, and he should not be allowed to be a captain. Despite this, I’m still giving 3 stars because the other captain for our party, Captain Loren, was amazing.

Freddy Sacasa

“Captain” Matt arrived blind stinking drunk and drinking a hard seltzer. He stated that he had fallen on the dock and was bleeding from his mouth and the back of his head and blamed it on him “falling in love with an Asian woman” (?) Party inside warned us not to get on a boat with him as he had fallen face first into a wall in the lobby. He greeted us with homophobic remarks and then left to go buy cigarettes. He reemerged with a tall boy twisted tea which was crumbled and covered in blood. He spent the next 3 minutes alternating between spitting blood at my feet and calling my friends and I retards. We got our money back and left. I don’t think this should be a business, Matt should not be a “captain”, he probably needs serious help. Praying for you Matthew. 0/10 not for me

Elena Hernandez

This is a late review but better late than never! We rented granny pontoon last summer for my fiancés birthday. The boat was reasonably priced and there were several options for time and size. Vernon was very communicative and accommodating when we decided to change from a river cruise to a lake cruise and helped adjust our time to make it work with the other scheduled groups. When we had difficulty finding a captain he helped us come up with a solution. We had a lot of (self-inflicted) hiccups but thanks to Vernon everything worked out and we had a great time!