The best! Not only did we catch tons of fish (seabass, porgies and a few sharks we released), Bill…read moreand Jimmy made it a memorable experience. I've done a few charters before--you know the kind, where you feel like the captain and mate are phoning it in or secretly laughing. This was not the case with The Starship! Bill and Jimmy made you feel like you were good friends going out for a fishing trip. Bill seemed to know exactly where the fish were, while Jimmy made sure you caught them. I can't help but smile when I think about our trip.

We arrived at Raged Rock Marina and the charter was ready waiting for us. The captain, Bill, and…read moreguide, James, we're both very welcoming and helpful the entire time. The bot had a nice indoor area with a few seating options as well as a bathroom. They gave us a quick safety rundown and we were off. While Bill was driving the boat to our first spot James gave us a rundown and said we would start of bottom fishing for sea bass and then make our way to some striper fishing. We made it to our first spot and dropped our lines. Some of us had never been deep sea fishing so James helped us to make sure we were doing it correctly. It started off slow but towards the end of the trip we had to hide in the boat cabin to bait the hooks! All kidding aside, each time we pulled up our line and we're missing bait, James would practically run to add more bait to the line so we got in all the fishing we could. James helped land all of our catches and even filleted everything for us on the way back to shore. Bill was very knowledgeable about exactly where to go and where the fish were hiding. The whole trip was so much fun. Bill and James helped make it a great trip, offering to take pictures for us, letting us ride up at the top of the boat and answering any questions we had. I can't wait to come back and fish with them again!

Went out for the first charter of the season (May 21, 2017) and had a great day of fishing! Caught…read more2 blues, and about 5 or 6 stripers. Caught a monster of a striper!! Biggest fish we ever seen!!! You want to catch fish, you must go out with these guys....they have the knowledge of the sport, you won't be disappointed! They are very personable and are out to give you the best day of your life and they do succeed at it.

Went on the trip with Kingfisher Charters on 08/19/2016 with four friends. For some of us it was…read morethe first time on the fishing charter and Captain Mark and his mate made it really special experience. They know where and how to catch a fish; showed and explained in details how to use fishing poles and catch a specific kind of fish. Great charter for experienced fisherman and for beginners. We caught large Blue fish and stripers. Will be coming back.

Much more than brunch!…read more I wanted to treat my parents to brunch and I found this truly unique venue where you can dine on a yacht on the CT River and dance/listen to music! It is the 2-hour fall foliage brunch cruise on the Lady Katharine yacht called the Mystique. You arrive by 10:30am at Eagle Landing State Park in Haddam, and everyone (I'd estimate about 150 people, tops) begins the boarding process. You have pre-assigned tables and can request to sit together with family/friends ahead of time. The buffet brunch is hot and ready as soon as you board which is great because there are literally no lines - it's a gradual process. Also, the food is out and replenished for a long time, so you don't have to worry about not getting any, e.g. if you decide to partake in the music and view on the top deck first, you can eat when you are ready. The buffet consisted of salad, rolls, salmon, stuffed chicken with a delicious cranberry stuffing, tortellini, tender beef tips with gravy, carved ham with a delicious sauce, Belgian waffles with fruit and cream toppings, eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes, raw salmon w/capers and several desserts... I'm probably forgetting something. There is a cash bar but coffee, juice and tea are free ($3 for a fountain beverage which I thought was strange). The staff members were all incredibly friendly and attentive. There was a 3-piece band playing a variety of music on the top deck and people were having fun dancing. The views were amazing, especially seeing Gillette's Castle from the water. For only $50-ish dollars per person, this was an awesome alternative to your usual brunch buffet!

First I would like to say Donna the promoter for the ALL WHITE Cruise intentions were good!!!! Who…read moregoes on a $5k+ boat ride and the boat cannot sail. Absolutely, unacceptable LK. You charge a lot of money for?? Boat didn't move IJS... The Lady Katherine staff were so nice and pleasant to the guests EXCEPT the contact, She was unapologetic & awful. So back to the boat the venue. I was so disappointed there was no silverware just paper plates, plastic forks and rolls of paper towels on the tables. The bar was limited not sure if the promoter had an opinion. Anyone who rents from them please read the fine print and have insurance... their boats needs repair... this was not a cruise more like a tugboat PARTY

The Riverquest previously operated by Captain Mark & his side kick Mindy is now operated by the…read moreConnecticut River Museum in Essex CT. But have no fear, the operation is run flawlessly by professionals that love what they do & it shows. We have been enjoying the Connecticut river journeys on the Riverquest for several years now & learn something new every trip. Any cruise is a fun outing but we give high marks to the Old Saybrook lighthouse cruise & the Swallow migration cruises offered late summer, early fall. Several cruises do have tables set up where you can bring food & libations on board for a DIY onboard picnic while you cast a keen eye for vultures, osprey, eagles, cormorants & other water fowl, nesting hunting & feeding on the river. The scenery is wonderful. The ship is comfortable. 5 well earned stars.

My wife, a friend, and I partook the sunset cruise. It was a more personalized experience because…read moreit was small. We went on a steamboat ride and it felt like a ferry ride, crowded and loud. We were only 18 people in the riverboat so each group had our own table where we brought our own food. They provided binoculars for us to see things. We saw bald eagles, swallows, egrets, swan, etc. The crew was really knowledgeable. He taught us why the mute swan is an invasive species and how they damage the ecosystem. The ride was quite smooth and the breeze at the end of the day was really soothing. We didn't see the sunset unfortunately. The neighborhood in the area is very quaint and cute. People are extremely nice when compared to NYC. They say hi all the time. There is parking nearby but you had to pay attention to the signs. I didn't so I had to look further which I didn't revert because we got to explore the neighborhood.

No nonsense straight up fishing. Captain Wayne is going to put you on the fish and 1st mate Steve…read moreis going to make sure you catch them. Be prepared for a workout, it's one set right after another. By the end of pulling in average 20-30 pound Stripers I had nothing left in my arms. None of our group of four had ever gone deep sea fishing, but Steve drilled us like a fishing boot camp. Snap! Snap! Quarter turn! Bring a decent size cooler with ice for your filets. All your fish is skinned and bagged in freezer bags. Bring sunglasses, sunblock, water, beer, snacks, Dramamine, hats, and dress lightly because your going to get hot jigging and reeling. Don't forget to tip the 1st mate. Captain does not get a tip, He gets cash or a check. This is not a scenic ocean cruise, or time to play on your phone, it's about catching big ass fish.

Had a fantastic time fishing with Wayne. What a lively man that really knows his way around the…read morewaters. It was unbelievable how many giant fish we caught much more than any other charter I have ever been on. I highly recommend.

This was such an amazing experience! We did this as a surprise for Fathers Day and had such a cool…read morebonding experience. Captain Matt and First Mate Sean were both so warm, friendly and knowledgeable. Our 11 year old daughter caught this year's biggest fish!

Such an amazing experience for adults and kids. We went out for a half day and we caught our limit…read morein large but keeper Striped Bass and a few large Blue fish as well. Crew was fantastic and so was the boat- we were very busy catching fish but also had a great time relaxing and talking to the crew. Wonderful experience and would recommend it to anyone interested in both seeing the Sound and catching some good eating fish (we threw a bunch back too).

Hands down the best thing to do on the North Fork. Erick, Hannah and Christian took 8 of us out…read moresailing for several hours on the schooner Bonnie Lynn, and it made for the most memorable, vibrant and relaxing time. Bonnie Lynn is an incredible boat, with Erick and Hannah the perfect hosts. I can't think of a better way to introduce people to, and share with them, the beauty of the North Fork. We cannot wait for next time, and neither should you.

Great experience. We had fun, very enjoyable sail. Our hosts were very kind and welcoming. Will go…read moreagain.

Bought tickets for the North Pole Express through the Essex Steam Train online. Although it was…read moreincredibly rainy throughout our visit, they did their best to accommodate for everyone. As you arrive after parking, you are able to pick up your tickets through the ticket booth. It had indicated me through the emails that the tickets would have been delivered in the mail and I would have to have them prepared, but they never arrived or delivered. You are able to pick them up at the booth. As you embark on the North Pole Express experience, your actor on your carriage/wagon will begin to story-tell, and they also sing a few Christmas songs throughout the experience. They pass a cup of hot chocolate and a cookie to each passenger. I'd personally say that this experience was more directed towards kids. This was my first experience with something like this, but if I were to ever return, it would mainly be to bring a child, since it's geared towards children. I've heard there are other North Pole Express train experiences in other cities that are more adult oriented. Although this was the case, it was still an enjoyable experience. Both Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus appeared outside and soon made their way to the carriages. The actress was incredibly interactive and kind with everyone on board.

This is one of those things where its more about the experience, than value or fun per say. This…read moreis one of those old-time coal fired trains, that takes you on a slow methodical journey through the woods. You won't see much, if anything, but again this more about the experience of an old-time vintage train. If you've ever seen Indian Jones and the Crystal Skull apparently the train scene in the beginning of the movie is this exact train, so I guess you could ask for an autograph if you take the ride :) If you select a first-class ticket, you get your own swivel seat, so you can always face the direction you're going, and you are able to order alcoholic beverages. If you're in regular class, you get a bench seat and may have to share it with someone. Does that make first class worth the extra money? I'll leave that for you to decide but I liked having my own seat. The cruise has some nice views and is a very tranquil ride. Overall, it was a fun day.

The guy Scott's a good mechanic and if you're in that area of the Connecticut River base around Old…read moresaybrook or Essex you can get both parts there. The guy probably has everything. I bought a boat as Marina from a customer It was an old boat that I was unrealistically and ridiculously underqualified to do the maintenance on the guy that sold me. The boat failed to tell me that there was no access to the engines without four guys and an hour labor to take entire top of the boat off. I bought the boats because them rings in Montauk are incredibly expensive and I thought I could get a better deal storing it in Connecticut. I also have had very good friend or a few friends over there that I thought could help me do some basic stuff like the oil change change and things de-winterize it. Do some teak work. Paint the bottom and splash Turns out that area of the Connecticut River is brackish water. I need a massive barnacle problem. The black fin that the owner failed to mention was infested with Barnacles up into the housing unit stuffing unit. I made a mistake of telling Scott to go ahead and remove the Barnacles but I forgot to tell my partner/friend about it and he went ahead and did it anyway. Apparently he didn't leave tarps down and caused massive environmental damage with the barnacle shells and the internet $500 cleanup. So now it started as a good thing. Me doing a favor for a friend ended up with us. Bickering and yelling and a friend fit dissolving and now I'm stuck with a boat that I really can't get rid of cuz they're real dinosaurs. Nevertheless, I'm glad that Scott and places like S&S Marina exist that very few mechanics that can work on inboards anymore, Montauk could use a mechanic like Scott. They're a dying breed. It's a very tough job where you're always at a weird angle and four bolts. Three bolts can come out perfectly. And the third one you got to spend the 3 hours on because it's corroded and the spreads are not coming out and you have And you can burn it off. Sometimes one little simple set like set back like that can take 3 hours and that ends up on your bill and people freak out. I used to be the type of guy that would freak out about Marina bills until I worked at a marina. I've worked side by side with some great mechanics and I see what happens. The hardest job there is doing discussing mildew areas and gross holes and billages your breathing and dangerous stuff. The hard job they deserve the money. I just got into a bolt that I couldn't handle and when you do that you better be a multi-millionaire and I'm not. Scott's assistant Caroline was very pleasant and professional I was hoping she would send me an invoice for some of that commissioning work they did I'm still not sure of what it cost for a short haul. That's why it's not a 5 but other than that the place is clean. The docks are beautiful right there on the river. It's a great place for transient to stay and again he is parked for just about every engine and if not he'll work hard to find them. God's probably wanting few professional Marine mechanics that'll get the job done. Not cheap but if you want cheap do it yourself

Scott is the absolute best. He has saved my bacon not once but twice, when I encountered serious…read moreissues on each of my two engines, two years apart, in two different locations, each one many miles away from my home port in Norwalk CT. In each instance he went way above and beyond the call of duty, having key parts shipped overnight from the factory and, in one instance, having one of his team install the part immediately at his facility, and in the other, many miles away, finding the right guy to do it and arranging for him to do it promptly where I was. In each of these two instances Scott was utterly responsive, fair in his pricing, and easy to work with. I'm grateful for how he helped me in tough spots, and I recommend him highly.