We had a great charter on the Radiance recently! Captain Ben was super nice and informative,…read morepatiently explaining to us some of the basics of sailing. He and the first mate also let us help with some of the sailing tasks. The Radiance is an impressive boat, and even with light winds, we got a good taste of sailing on Lake Michigan. An added bonus is launching out of Montrose Harbor, which is surrounded by a park, golf course, nature trail, food spots and places to swim.

Well this review is about a month overdue but I had to write one for Captain Ben and Radiance…read moreCharters for the amazing experience I and my friends had. We were a group of 6 and looking for a weekend 2 hour sail. Since I was booking last minute, most of the other charters I enquired were either booked or quoted jaw dropping rates. Captain Ben accommodated us all on his amazing race boat at a fairly reasonable rate. He is a professional racer and it showed when he cruised the boat in fast into Lake Michigan., much to our thrill. We took out own beer and some food. He provides you with drinking water and a place to cook too. Captain Ben is an instructor too so its fun learning the basics if you're a first timer. Wish we could do longer but with friends flying out and everything, we could sail for only 2 hours. But it was an amazing experience and my friends loved it. We will definitely go back.

A beautiful day on the Lake Michigan. Had a blast on Veteran-owned FIREBOAT-TOURS today! Such a fun…read moreafternoon soaking up Chicago's history and architecture from the water. The itself was comfy and solid, and it's pretty cool to think this fireboat served the city's fire department from 1937 to 1981. Lucky us, we caught a perfect day light winds and clear blue skies. Thank you to Cliff, our tour guide, who had serious knowledge of Chicago history and a fun vibe was fabulous. The bartender, magic manning, was a total character, bringing good energy and making sure everyone had a good time. In fact, the whole crew was super welcoming and made the experience even better. Next time we are going to try the sunset cruise and do this all over again.

This fireboat tour was spectacular! My friend and I both had a wonderful time and can't recommend…read moreit highly enough. The length of 2 hours was perfect so we didn't feel rushed. We motored around near Navy Pier and on the river. While I'm generally not into architecture, the buildings were beautiful and interesting to learn about. I expected that the tour would include a recording of the information about all the sights, but the person narrating the tour did so live. He came up and chatted with all the passengers a couple of times. We felt very well cared-for. Word to the wise though, it can get a bit chilly so wear layers if possible. Highest recommendation!

I was terrified of boats, so I was very scared to try the Sea Dog Speed Boat. Instantly, I was…read moregreeted with a friendly smile from Avery! She was so sweet and gave us a ton of facts! When she was talking, she was smiling and dancing to the music! 10/10, I will have to go again!!!

Great team and an amazing boat ride cannot complain one bit. The architecture tour is definitely…read moreworth the money.

As boating season starts in Chicago, I just wanted to let you know that Russell took me, my…read morechildren and their significant others out for my "birthday celebration" and it was thee BEST boating experience this Chicago gal has ever had. Russell took us on the most beautiful route and his boat is beautiful and comfortable for viewing, eating, drinking and laying out if you like. My favorite moment was when we anchored and me and my kiddos did a celebratory jump into the lake as Russell videotaped us. Big Thanks to Russell for the BEST Boating experience in CHI. He is so knowledgable and experienced that I highly recommend 1st Class Charters Chicago!!

We had a truly excellent office outing with Captain Russell & Captain Mike last week! The 'Just Be'…read moreboat is gorgeous! Captain Russell has thought of everything you could possibly need on the boat - every little detail was meticulous! Captain Mike took us out for a nice sail and then parked to let us jump in and enjoy the water for a while too! Both Captains went out with us and both were so incredibly friendly and attentive to us all afternoon. The communication was great from the moment I sent an inquiry all the way through post-sail. Highly recommend this company for a wonderful afternoon out on the water!

Had a GREAT TIME sailing!!! The boats are all nice and clean.Was a wonderful experience.I highly…read morerecommend going with Fairwind charters if you're looking to experience sailing along Chicago's lakefront.They are conveniently located at Burnham harbor pretty much near EVERYTHING!!! Soldier Field,Shedd Aquarium and Millenium Park are nearby.JUST DO IT!!! Also,there is a restaurant/bar at Burnham harbor that has LIVE MUSIC that you can go hangout at after youre done.Great time!!!!

I do not post often but when I do it is because I feel I received a service or product that was…read moreexceptional. My wife and I had Sailing on our bucket list. This past summer we purchased the Summer of Sail package from Fairwind. The weather was not cooperative. However, Ben Sells the owner worked with us and made sure we received all of our sails and lessons. It was so much fun we spent the entire summer learning new skills all the nautical terms and my wife and both received our ASA 101 and 103 certifications. We are now joining Ben with his flotilla to the BVI's this spring and have renewed our lease with him next year. I have friends that use other lease share services and lost thousands of dollars in unavailable sails due to the weather. Great program very nice boats, Ben Sells was great and Highly recommend.

What a FUN TIME we had! My niece had a tight budget for her wedding. She reached out to Greg and…read morehis co-captain to have her wedding on his boat in September 2018! EVERYONE HAD A BLAST! He even acted as the wedding officiant for the ceremony since we did not have anyone. My friend and I went a few hours ahead to decorate the boat. Greg was totally willing to help and the wedding was a success!! This was a great budget friendly decision :) Bathroom - Bluetooth - lighted boat and more!.SO MUCH FUN!! THANK YOU :)

Our boat day with Captain Greg was easily the best day of summer 2022! We had the most amazing time…read moreand the entire experience from booking to the trip couldn't have been better. The communication was wonderful, planning was so easy, and the boat was exactly what we were hoping for and more. Highly recommend a boat day with Captain Greg! We will definitely be booking again in the future. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Included everything to make sure everything was perfect and easy going. All the girls from the…read morebachelorette party wish to go back! Thank you for making everything enjoyable for everyone!

Booked Captain Tom's Penalty Box for my boyfriend's Birthday! Sent out information on Tom's website…read moreand Tom got back at me the next day. Whenever I have questions I'll just text Tom and he usually replies pretty quick. We scheduled the cruise at 3 but we didn't get to the harbor until almost 4 due to traffic. Tom is very understanding. We brought some food and drinks and Tom has a cooler with ice ready on the boat. Started off with a Chicago river cruise. My boyfriend got a bit sea sick when we were cruising on the lake... what can I say, freaking Chicago wind, but the river cruise is calm and nice. Caption Tom is patient to explain all the functions of the boat (wow two engines) and other interesting facts about Michigan Lake and Chicago river. We got caught in the rain for a bit but lucky the boat has a roof and we brought cards. When we got back on the lake the sun came out again so we stayed a while for a little lake front swim party... kinda funny since my boyfriend can't swim. Tom eventually find a rope to tie to his life vest so he had fun. Finished off the cruise at around 8 as we planed. Great day! Highly recommended!

We did a daytime private charter on the Chicago Motor Yacht for a bachelorette party and the…read moreexperience was perfect. The staff was very attentive and the yacht amenities were wonderful. I would highly recommend this company! Booking with Chicago Motor Yachts is so seamless and Grace is very helpful.

Wanted to leave a review even though we weren't able to venture out due to inclemate weather. I…read moreappreciated how easy it was to get all the info I needed leading up to the trip with Grace. Also, I had to make some changes to the plans and they were very quick to assist me in transferring the reservation to a delegate. Overall, giving a high rating for the ease of booking, the assistance in answering all my questions, and also the expedient processing of the deposit reimbursement due to poor weather. Hope to actually go on a boat ride on a future visit if the weather cooperates!