Bottom: A fun and relaxing two-hour cruise on a 55-foot sailboat for which you can bring your own…read morefestive drinks and snacks. Having vacationed in Nags Head for the past 40+ plus I feel like I've done it all so when my husband mentioned taking a sunset cruise on Downeast Rover I was curious. I also vaguely recalled that I had seen this excursion featured in Our State magazine earlier in the summer. With the forecast looking favorable we signed up for a Friday evening sail in mid-August. We booked about 10 days in advance and at that time there were only a handful of spots left on the sailboat so next time I'll be mindful to book earlier. Downeast Rover does daytime trips as well but I suspect the sunset cruise is the most popular. I was worried that sailing on a sailboat with 20+ people would feel cramped and chaotic but it didn't at all. The group in the stern was very chill and the group in the bow was tastefully having a good time with their cooler of Trulis. My husband and I sat mid-ship and just quietly relaxed and took in all of the sights. We probably seemed disenchanted but we were just soaking it all in. About those Trulis . . . Downeast Rover welcomes passengers to bring food and drinks. Most groups brought something festive to drink and perhaps a snack. The nature of the sunset cruise is that it squarely goes through the dinner hour. I think we had to be on the Manteo waterfront at 5:30pm and we didn't return until after 8pm. We didn't take much in the way of drinks or snacks onboard with us because we hoped to get a nice dinner afterwards but by the time we got back to the slip most restaurants we wanted to try were closed. Sooo, in hindsight, maybe we should have taken some sandwiches from Poor Richard's to enjoy on the sail. And as a side note, we encountered an epic sunset so we lingered out on the sound a bit longer than planned which is why we didn't return until after 8pm. Also, the departure time for the cruise changes a bit to accommodate the sunset time. Chris was our Captain and he diligently steered us into the sunset. Mate Ethan kept us all entertained. Ethan shared a lot of interesting history and stories about the Outer Banks. Having spent a good bit of time studying the history of the barrier islands I thought I knew a lot but Ethan's knowledge really impressed me and was shared in an entertaining way. He also sang us a sea chanty or two which was fun. Which reminds me, be sure to bring cash to thank the crew for a safe and fun adventure. Regarding the Downeast Rover, I was expecting it to be a romantic historic wooden sailboat but it is straight out of the 80s! The steel 55 foot topsail schooner has been retrofitted and certified to accommodate 25 passengers. There is a head on board but its probably not very glamourous so I was sure to skip it. We were fortunately to have decent winds so we were able to get under sail after leaving the Manteo waterfront.

What an amazing journey - we didn't realize it was the last sunset tour of the season but Captain…read moreScott and Captain Ken gave us the best night! Peaceful views, education of the area and best of all - new friends both human and aquatic! They found a pod of dolphins that ran with us for nearly ten minutes! What a bonus! We can't wait to return!

Captain Marc is awesome! He is friendly and knowledgeable and great with kids. If you have kids…read morethis is THE boat you want to be on; they will have a blast with Captain Marx!

I can't recommend this enough. We went on a 4 hour family trip with an almost 2 year old and a 3…read moreyear old and they both loved it. It was super windy out but Captain Marc found some sheltered spots and we caught a huge variety of fish. He is excellent at keeping the kids entertained and super patient with them.

Highly recommend! Wonderful time for our family. Vic is a gem and was lovely to spend time with…read morewhile getting to see dolphins (which were amazing), checking out a sand island and the harbor. You cannot go wrong with this trip and such a wonderful experience. We were so lucky to book and can't wait to go again the next time we are in town.

What a fun trip. Saw lots of dolphins and Capitan Vic was very informative and entertaining…read more Seeing the sunset on the water was absolutely beautiful. If you're re in the area it should be on your "must do" list.

Duck Hunter OBX isn't just a charter--it's where memories are made. Over the years, I've shared…read moreamazing days on the water with my kids and friends, catching red drum, speckled trout, and even a skipjack tuna. This was also my first time duck hunting, and it was hands-down some of the most fun I've ever had. Can't recommend them enough--we'll be back year after year.

Great day fishing with this guy, he is funny and polite. Very knowledgeable about fish spots and…read moreseems to genuinely enjoy helping everyone have a great time, highly recommend. Great for beginners or long time fishers.

Another successful fishing trip with Captain Reed and first mate Justin! We book a full-day fishing…read moretrip annually with Kahuna Charters. This year the weather wasn't great, but we still managed to catch 200 lbs of tuna. Captain Reed did keep us updated on the weather report and offered us the option to reschedule. We chose not to reschedule and are happy with that decision. Captain Reed's boat is clean and well maintained. The cabin is air conditioned and has ample space for storing our items (including refrigerator space). There is a bathroom, table, and couch in the cabin. Then additional shaded seating on the deck. Fishing equipment is high quality and the first mate keeps the lines baited and maintained. A chair is set up that holds the rod making it much easier to reel in your catch. You keep your catch and have the option at the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center to have your catch cleaned. Tips: They fill up quick so book in advance. Full-day charters are recommended in NC as it takes about 2-3 hours to reach the best fishing spots.

The Outer Banks Adventures air boat with Captain Jamie was fantastic! It was a lot of fun for our…read morewhole family and specifically for our kids. Captain Jamie was very knowledgeable about the area wildlife and history. He provided an educational, interesting, and fun experience. He was the perfect captain for the trip. Talking on the headsets during the ride was fun too! We'll definitely do it again!

James was a fantastic tour guide! The airboat was a great time, one of my favorite tours I've ever…read moredone. The boat is fast and fun with great fun facts about the area at stops! I accidentally dropped my sunglasses to the bottom of the airboat and he even rescued them (sorry, James!). Would definitely recommend!

Nice way to spend an afternoon…read more After beach, sand, sun, beach, sand, sun, it was a nice break to do something different. Our neighbors at the house we rented suggested dolphin watching and recommended Capt. Stuart Wescott and his tour. Wasn't too happy that I had to travel down to Manteo (car travel in the Outer Banks can be murder - worst than the GW bridge in rush hour). Luckily, it wasn't as bad as I had feared. The quaint little town of Manteo was an added bonus. Nice seaport-esque village with nice quaint little stores. As for the cruise itself, you actually sail with Capt Wescott. He was very nice and knowledgeable. Told silly jokes to keep the voyage light hearted. Sold drinks at a very reasonable price. The bathroom was also very convenient and clean. Strangely, this seems to be a selling point compared to their competitors. Saw many dolphins. Very docile and peaceful. Don't expect any flips or spins or twists. This isn't a SeaWorld show. The captain was very patient. Kept us out there a while until everyone had their fill of watching dolphins swim. After the initial excitement of finding and seeing the dolphins, there's only so much more you can watch, at least for me. On the downside, it is a touch expensive for a ferry ride but comparable to everyone else. Overall, a nice alternative If you need a break from the beach to let the sunburn recover.

My family and I have enjoyed this particular company for several years now. We always see dolphins…read more The Captain is very knowledgable and entertaining. The boat is spacious, clean and shaded. I highly recommend Outer Banks Cruises A.K.A. Captain Johnny's Dolphin Tour.

Captain Ray showed us a great time fishing. We have come to the Outer Banks numerous times…read more, but never tried fishing. He took us offshore for some tuna and we caught plenty, plus a few dolphin as well. We now have a new "most do" while on vacation in Nags Head.

From the owner: Inshore & offshore fishing charters, day trips, sunset cruise, or do a custom boat trip just for…read moreyou.

this was a fantastic charter. marc and mate aiden were friendly, easy to work with and patient with…read morethe kids. HIGHLY recommend. marc's goal is to provide a safe and friendly trip and get you as much crab and shrimp he can! the kids (5,7&11) hooked in the crabs and said it was the highlight of our week long trip. you will not be disappointed if you book.

Looking for a once in a lifetime experience??? Look no further!!!! Reach out and schedule your…read moretime on the boat now!!!! We decided to do both crab and shrimp. And we got a hall!!!!!! Definitely would recommend if u are in the area, this is a must do!!!! Advice, earlier in the day is better because it gets hot out there when u are dealing with the shrimp.

We took a speed boat water tour with these guys and it was amazing, it was only around 30 bucks,…read moreand for that pice we got more than our monies worth! so we ended up getting in a group of about 50 dolphins, and they were swimming all around us. the captain was very knowledgable and he told us some cool facts, he communicated with the other tour boats so he ensured he found the dolphins. about an hour in we all started getting kind of hot and the kids were getting bored, so he asked if we wanted to see some of the sound, and took us on a super fast and fun tour, where he did some spins and jumped some of the wake, it was a blast!

Great people! Very helpful. We did parsailing and jet skis. There was a HUGE malfunction with…read morethe parasailing and they refunded us our money so we did the jet skis instead. Nice course and good prices. Will come back next year.