Great find on our trip to the area. Staff is friendly and the kayak and canoe we rented were in…read moregood condition and the area we paddled was quiet and beautiful. Highly recommend if you want an easy day on the water.

I ordered a Northstar canoe in May, and was told that it would arrive in late July. I was hesitant…read moreas really wanted it for the summer but was assured there would be "plenty of paddling time all of August and September" so went ahead and paid full custom retail. In late July I was told it would arrive early August in mid August I was told late August and in late august was told "any day" and it's now September and still no calls, no canoe. Meanwhile all other proprietors have major sales and I'm leaving town for 2 months so will have to pick it up in spring. While I know they didn't intentionally mislead me, it's at minimum a huge bummer and at worst wildly unprofessional to give such incorrect information over and over. Really wish I would've gone somewhere else.

Hands down, the best guy I could have ever possibly found! Responsive and worked under non-ideal…read morecircumstances in a cold boat helping sort through and correct bad wiring everywhere. Our goal was to get some heaters going so the boat didn't freeze. Seth exceeded my expectations with his knowledge! Wow! We then the installed new batteries and a charger while fixing faulty wiring, winterized everything and drained the water tank. Amazing! Hands down the best boat guy I have ever worked with. Call him. You'll be glad you did!

Very helpful. Right before vacation my starter went on my best boat mercury. He drove over to my…read morehouse early in the morning. Fix it with no problem.

We paid for a steam boat but bc some company bought the steam boat for the night, they crammed us…read moreon the boat from jaws. Same price. If they say challenger, don't book. It's a tiny boat with limited seating. It looks like a fishing boat.

Top notch experience! They are very well organized from the instructions you receive after…read moreregistering to the check-in process and parking for $5 for the duration of your trip. It was great that it was a live narration rather than a recording. So many interesting facts along the way. We took the shoals island tour that included 1 hour at Star Island. The option to take a 1/2 hour tour or explore on your own for about an hour was available. Plenty of time to look around. Snacks and drinks available in boats are affordable or you can bring your own snacks. Overall a great experience.

We had a few groupons to get our kayak on, and with the beautiful weather we had this weekend, it…read morewas the perfect time. Nothing better than being on the open ocean with a paddle. Four of us arrived, filled out a simple waiver, and got our life vests and paddles. After not so gracefully plopping into the kayaks, we were on our way. Once we got the hang of it, we were on our way to the closest island. We were hoping to get to Spectacle, (insert snicker here) but I think we would have passed out first, so we made it to land (I think it was Thompson, which may or may not have had No Tresspassing signs on it. Eh, We weren't exploring, just resting up with a nice picnic lunch. I can't wait to go back, after my aching arm muscles stop killing me!~ Next time I might wrapy my thumbs with tape to see if it will prevent the blisters I got.... Highly recommend for a fun day out!

UMass Boston is right on the ocean, so it's cold of the…read moreYear.... but beautiful. They offer many boating activitIes, and water sports equipment rentals, as well as a running trail along the ocean. The deal: Umass Boston students, with ID's, hey free boat rIdes, kayak lessons and more!

Stopped in very last minute as they were closing on a slow late summer Tuesday. Was driving…read morethrough and wanted to see some loon's if at all possible. The dog and very competent daughter greeted upon walking in off street. Marty the Owner came out and recommended paddle board and directed to nearby lake. They were spot on! The family of 7-loon's right in area Marty recommended (great long paddle). What an experience! So grateful found these folks... our country needs more like you these days. Thank you Marty, grown daughter and dog!

This is a great shop, very impressive. With EMS gone now we have fewer choices when looking for…read moreoutdoor wear. I really liked what they had for men's and women's outdoor clothing. Interestingly enough, they also carry a decent selection of used gear: backpacks/sleeping bags, etc.. Great experience in this wonderful shop.

Great activity for families or large groups. We were 10; small children, parents, and grandparents…read more It was very enjoyable for all ages. The Captain, did a great job of teaching us about the Essex River, but also NOT talking and letting us experience the river. They really get that part right. It is beautiful, fun, educational, and accessible.

If you are looking for a loud, rowdy "Booze Cruise" then this is definitely for you…read more When I purchased tickets the website clearly advertised a relaxing, scenic boat cruise with bird watching and some narration of the history of the area. Perfect for my elderly family members birthday. Imagine my surprise when a large group of intoxicated people showed up and ruined the entire experience for everyone on board. They continued to drink throughout the tour making it even more intolerable. At one point two of the drunk men stumbled over to where I was sitting for a "better view." They got so close that I was pinned against the boat and one of their friends had to intervene. The captain however, did not intervene. I observed him being tipped by this group which gave him incentive to turn a blind eye to their behavior. I wanted to address all of this at the time but did not want to make a scene in front of my family. Furthermore, I would've had to complain to the captain right in front of the drunk people which would leave me open to retaliation. I did reach out to the company the next day via email and outlined everything that took place. I received an email back a few days later from the captain denying that anything happened. No apology, no compensation of any kind. He had total disregard for the safety of everyone else on board who had their experience ruined. One last note to put things in perspective. I work at a night club. I deal with intoxicated people all the time and have a high tolerance. This behavior was unacceptable and unreasonable, especially since all of their advertising leads you to believe this will be a peaceful experience.

If for some crazy reason you are thinking of doing business with Mario Marriotti and Middlessex…read morePowersports you best do your research (including calling the Chemlsford Police Dept.) and prepare to be ripped off. My experience with Middlesex Power Sports / Old Outboard Marina or what ever else Mario is calling himself now, was exactly the same as other reviews you will find on the web if not worse. Mario had my boat for no less than...wait for it...4 1/2 years (not months, years). During which time I stopped in many many times to check on its status. I had to stop in as Mario does not take or return calls. In fact most of the time you can't even leave a message as his message are full. Twice when I visited I found he had been evicted from his place and the boat along with most everything else was gone. Tracking him down to his new location was both time consuming and as anxiety packed as you can imagine. At one point he did have it finished (although not tested) and was delivering it too me only to have the back engine cover fly off on rt 495. Mario did not lock the cover down and it was caught by the wind and flew off. This was a truly rookie mistake that could have easily killed someone. This is a much longer story than I have time to write here but after all the pain, anguish and time, Mario ended stiffing me for $200....sigh. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR BOAT HERE AND ABSOLUTELY DO NOT PAY ANYTHING UP FRONT!

I wanted to trust Mario, but sadly he can best be described as a scam…read more He wanted 1/2 up front, fortunately I only gave him 1/4, because 6 months later I still have no engine back on my boat. He is great at providing excuses and stories of crazy circumstances. He will tell you that all the bad reviews are just crazy "liberal" customers that had unrealistic expectations. I read the other reviews and figured I'd give him a shot. Bad call. Don't make the same mistake.

What an insufferable man. What I can say is I will not comment on his repair work as I didn't have…read moreanything major done. I will say his attitude is horrible! Not friendly, easy to talk or deal with. Charge you 3.5 hrs for 2 and than, not before, tell you he charges for travel time. SLOW of course as its 85 an hour. Hes one of the only options around but not worth his bullshit that's for sure, rather pay $110 hr elsewhere.

Very professional and knowledgeable service- this is a place that does more than just oil changes…read moreon brand new boats- they will fix a 40 year old boat and are extremely skilled. Had my 1977 Chris Craft in for some work, and not only was it done right, but the owner was extremely helpful w suggestions on other mods, pointed out some good parts sources to save major $$, and it was a great overall experience. Def will be going back in the future and highly recommend.