First time in Saugatuck and we were looking for some things to do on the water. I saw the ad for Retro Boats, so we decided to make a reservation. We chose "Ruby" and a time for 11:30 am. The reservation process was very easy and we were even able to take our little dog on the boat with us! The 3 of us enjoyed a nice, relaxing ride with pretty scenery and beautiful weather. The employees are friendly and helpful and gave us easy to follow instructions. The ride takes about 1 1/2 hours from start to finish. The boat does not go much over 5 mph and is pretty easy to maneuver. I would definitely recommend this if you are looking for a fun, leisurely way to spend an hour or two. We even saw a few turtles! read more

Retro Boat Rentals - Ruby - Boating Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

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What a wonderful way to explore the opening to the Kalamazoo River from Lake Michigan! We rented Ruby the retro boat yesterday to tool around in at 4mph. The boat itself is a beauty and so eye catching. It was my husband's birthday so we brought along our daughter and her boyfriend to help us celebrate. We could've purchased from their wide variety of beverages (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) but we were too excited to get the show on the road. The young lady provided us with instructions on where we could boat around and what the general etiquette is on the lake. Everything went off without a hitch and we got the boat back right on time. The people running the facility were very helpful and friendly. We did get an adult beverage before our launch. They have a wonderful bar area you can sit and watch the boats go by while you wait for your turn! Overall a wonderful experience! read more

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I am TEAM DORIS. This was so much fun. Very easy way to sip a couple of Sun Cruisers while cruising down the lake. No boating experience necessary. read more

Such a great time at Retro Boat Rentals. It's a fun way to see the river and get out on the lake. The staff was super friendly and helpful with loading and docking. We brought our dog who also had a great time. Stocked up on drinks and snacks for the ride, too. Would highly recommend. read more

Retro Boat Rentals - Out for a spin in our retro boat! - Boating Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

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Retro boat rentals? OMG we were in without even knowing much else :P my hubs decided to let my mom's bf drive the boat since he's from Michigan and we thought it'd be a nice treat for him. We rode seeing the amazing houses blasting Taylor Swift from my phone (it was glorious) enjoying our awesome boat, my son waving to everyone he could, plus spitting in the water after my hubs did so and of course my son copied :P as we came back my mom's bf wasn't understanding how to stop the boat and we almost rode up on the dock lol, taking the poor women with us who were trying to help. Luckily that did not happen, only a close call and I joked maybe my hubs should've driven after all. They also have snacks in the shop and of course my boy found an ice cream sandwich :P read more

You have to rent a retro boat at least once in your life, especially if that retro boat is actually a retro car. Our boat fit four of us comfortably, and 1.5 hours was enough time for cruising on the river, following the route you must take. One thing I was pleasantly surprised to discover was the number of wildlife we encountered--turtles, green herons, and gulls, among others. Will this become an annual summertime tradition? Stay tuned... read more

Fun and relaxing. We went early in the morning so there were very few boats out with us. Staff were very friendly and helpful. Definitely recommend! read more

Yes!!!!!!! What a great concept! Had a blast. Loved every minute with Laverne. You can buy wine there & take on the boat with you. Have a designated driver! Beautiful trip up & down the Kalamazoo River. read more

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The business is a well oiled machine. We had such a great experience during our trip. It's nice to have an activity to do in town that isn't eating or shopping. We will be back read more

Retro Boat Rentals - Boating Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

What a great time ! This place is so beautiful and what a great concept . The retro boats are all equally perfection. We got Beverly and what a beauty. Lauren was so sweet and helpful. Got us a speaker , suggested some great mimosas which we 100% agreed with, and got us going in no time. Her son was also there working and what a great kid . So kind and hard working, really great environment . Would come back and it was for sure a highlight of Saguatuck . read more

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Our group of 13 moms on a girls trip from Ohio loooooved a day out on the water with Retro Boat Rentals! We rented two donut boats for 2 hours. Sam was helpful at teaching us how to maneuver the boats and where to go on the water to get the best use of our time. The boats each came with an iced cooler and we filled the coolers with $160 of drinks from The Old Boathouse stock. Lots of beautiful homes and boats to gawk at while on the water. So fun to get out and swim for a bit in the cove too. We recommend you bring a waterproof Bluetooth speaker for your music and head to The BARge for lunch or dinner after! So fun. read more

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One of the worst customer service experiences I've had. My husband and I were super excited to rent one of the retro boats they have here -- "Doris." When we came in, Lauren, the owner (I did not know that then), was finishing up taking payment from another couple. She asked if there was anything she could help me with. I told her we were interested in renting the teal boat that I did not know the name of, so she pointed to a picture of a boat on the wall and asked if it looked like that one -- that was the one. She said that one was "Doris" and that it was, indeed, available to be rented at that time. I said, "Great, that's the one we want to rent -- Doris." She said to give her a minute to finish up with the couple she was helping and that she'd then rent me the boat. While waiting for her, I walked the ten steps to the drinks area and bought two drinks (all in the same single-floor facility -- open floor plan). A few minutes later, another woman came in looking to rent a boat. I only caught part of their convo, but the woman said she had been there before and normally has rented only pontoon boats. Lauren asked her if she was interested in retro boats, and they had some convo about that (I didn't listen to the whole thing). Lauren's employee came by, and she started helping me. I don't know her employee's name, so we'll call her Jane. Jane was super friendly. She set us up for a 1:00 p.m. rental, and once we were done signing all the paperwork, she said something about us taking a boat named "Gladys." I immediately told her that we had wanted to rent "Doris," as we had told her boss, to which she responded that the woman who had come in after us looking to rent any boat was actually taking Doris out, so it was not available. I told her I was surprised because I'd had a whole conversation with Lauren about renting "Doris," that's the only boat we were interested in (we came to Saugatuck SPECIFICALLY to do this). She said she'd see if the other woman would trade. Jane then went up to Lauren and told her the situation, and instead of Lauren saying something like, "Hey, lady who didn't even care about what boat you'd use when you came in, these people were actually here first and requested this boat specifically so my bad, you can take a different boat," she instead just asked the lady if she wanted to trade, the lady said no, and that was it. When Lauren was done giving away the boat we had requested, I approached her to ask why she did that because it was a really crappy thing to do. She initially pretended she'd never spoken to me. Straight up denied it. (This was utter BS because when I told her employee we had actually wanted to rent the Doris boat, she said, "Oh, that's why she came by and mentioned Doris" -- so, obviously, Lauren knew I was the person who asked about Doris at that time). I recounted our entire convo to Lauren (in addition to discussing Doris, we discussed that they also had boats docked on the Chicago River), which apparently triggered her memory. Still, she started making other excuses, like telling me I hadn't picked a specific time. She didn't see me in the building (again, open layout, not very big, and I was one of about 7 total people in there -- 4 of them being employees). She then said she didn't know what I wanted from her; she was "f*cking busy" (her words) and apparently couldn't keep up. She said I could take another boat or she'd refund me for everything (including the two drinks that we bought to take on the boat). They only have one boat like the "Doris" boat, and based on what a terrible attitude she had during our entire second interaction, I decided that a refund was indeed the best option. She said to bring back our drinks for a refund. I brought back the drinks (an unopened can of ale and a margarita that I put my straw in and took a single sip of). Lauren said, "You want me to refund you for a drink you put your straw in?" Um, yes, I do. I can't drink on the street, and I don't have a boat to drink on, so yes, that's what we just discussed. After she refunded me for the drink, it was time to refund me for the boat. I was JUST STANDING THERE WAITING FOR THE REFUND when Lauren asked me to "stop being so snotty." Mind you, Lauren was doing most of the talking, cussing at me (seriously -- cursing at her customer!), and taking absolutely no accountability for HER screw-up. We were initially willing to come back the next day to rent the Doris boat, but based on Lauren's terrible customer service skills and nasty attitude, we decided to forego the entire thing. I did not want to give my money to support Lauren's business. We are pretty bummed we didn't get to try what seemed like a cool experience, but Lauren sucked. Instead of taking the high road, apologizing, and trying to remedy the situation, she was rude and combative. I would never recommend that anyone subject themselves to Lauren. read more

Such a great place , kids absolutely loved the retro boat! It was our first time visiting the area and this boat rental was conveniently located right in the middle of town. read more

Retro Boat Rentals - Coolest boat to cruise in ! - Boating Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

I highly recommend for a fun and relaxing day on the River. The booking experience was easy, the staff efficient and friendly and the boat was clean and fun. We took out Beverly for 3 hours and she was a great time! I highly recommend! read more

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On our first day of our three day visit, to Saugatuck we came in to reserve a boat and were told we could wait till the of id F we wanted. . We came in the day of to get a boat because they were open till seven " last boats went out at seven". At 5 o'clock, we were told we cannot get a boat. They had boats. They just refused to send it out. The poor girl at the counter, called her manager and owner and they did not help us. Kind of put a damper on our entire visit as it was going to be one of the highlights--sunset boat ride. we were willing to cut our time in half to be back by the last boat and still they would not accommodate. I'm putting this all in here because they would not help us and that says something. read more

Last minute we decided to rent a boat for myself, my husband and our one year old daughter. Our Airbnb host recommended Retro Boats so we walked down to their location in Saugatuck and rented a Duffy boat for two hours. Originally we wanted a smaller boat, but all were rented out already (this was on a Saturday... so to be expected in the Summer). The Duffy was bigger than we wanted and more expensive, but it had a canopy. Let me tell you this was the perfect boat for 1. a very, very hot August day and 2. for a baby's delicate skin. The boat was very clean, staff friendly and helpful in showing us the 'lay of the land'. There were lots of areas we could have gotten the boat stuck but they did a good job of describing were to avoid driving the boat. The boat itself is very easy to drive and kind of impossible to make a wake because it is on the slow side. FYI - you must buy your booze from Retro Boats. We didn't buy any because booze, boats and baby don't mix well. This outing was worth the $300 we spent for the views of the amazing homes on the river and for our little girl to enjoy her first boat ride. read more

This was such an amazing experience! I highly recommend if you're visiting Sagatauk. The boat was clean, they sanitized it well and we got a cooler for our drinks! Their instructions were really clear on where we can go and not go. We had so much fun for the 1 hour and 15 min. We will definitely go back read more

Retro Boat Rentals - Boating Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

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Renting a retro boat was my number 1 thing I wanted to do in Saugatuck. How cool is it to ride in a boat from 1959! We rented Ruby since there were only two of us and we had the possibility to swim if we wanted to. Helena helped us and went over everything even several times without asking as it was a lot of information at first but not an overload for someone who has never driven a boat. It's like a go cart basically and it goes max 5 mph so you're not going very fast before you get comfortable. As with all old vehicles, the steering wheel has a lot of leeway so little adjustments are best. We had a great time on the water playing yacht rock from one of the Bluetooth speakers they provided! read more

Retro Boat Rentals - MCM chairs and table - Boating Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

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We had to reschedule as it was raining on the Morning of our original booking. No issues with the rebook. Staff are all very nice and accommodating. Our time was 3:30 PM and was so glad they offered an umbrella as that sun was HOT!!! An added touch was that they take a couple of pics of you in the boat and then text them to you!!! No additional charge!!!! The experience itself... boat was cool. But the ride became boring. I thought there would be much more to see. However if you have kids, I think they would love this!!! read more

Retro Boat Rentals - Boating Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

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Great times on the water. Really nice to have this option for novices that just want to have some alone time - couples or otherwise - on the water. read more

We loved the Retro boat ride. The staff was extremely friendly and explained everything. It can get hot on the boat so wear a hat and bring sunscreen. They will give you a blue tooth speaker and a cooler if you want to purchase drinks. We arrived early and ate at the boathouse restaurant they have on site. Not impressed with our food at all. Bar food and not very tasty. Two wraps, mini corn dogs, 2 fountain sodas, and one alcoholic drink was a $60 lunch. The fountain sodas were $5 each and the tiny cup was full of ice Then I decided to grab a shirt and 2 alcohol drinks for the ride and they added a $5 tip to my bill for that purchase. Ummmm...... Overall a great place but next time We will eat somewhere else. read more

This place was great!! You can buy drinks there & they provide a cooler & a Bluetooth speaker for the ride! Staff was so helpful! We will be returning for another boat ride soon! My husband & daughter really enjoyed it too! They also provide a life jacket for our little ! Views were amazing Ps. The boat we had was super cute!! Loved it read more

Best place in Saugatuck. Great views, boats, and drinks. The only downside is the old, rich people who live next to it are complete strokes read more

Retro Boat Rentals - Boating Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

We rented Flo for a wonderfully relaxing sunset boat cruise on our girls trip. Our beautiful Flo was a little finicky until we got used to her. Flo looked like a 1950's car and behaved like one. The kid that helped us get setup was wonderful. He patiently answered our many questions before we attempted taking Flo out. We laughed and delighted in the wonderful sights on our 90 minute journey. Wow, some people have so much money. Make sure to peak at the houses and boats along the way. It was fun to dream a little. The weather was perfect. In fact, everything about this experience was perfect. I would highly recommend this company. They're easy to work with. read more

Retro Boat Rentals - Flo - Boating Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

Great company. Used them to rent a boat called the flo with my friends on a girls trip. It was a fun cruise in the canal and in the river. Because it's electric, we can't go in the lake. The steering is slightly touchy at first but my friends were able to get used to it. Beautiful evening on the water we loved it. If you like hard cider and sweet taste, the peach cider sold there is tasty. The craft pictured is another rental the company offers called a donut boat read more

Retro Boat Rentals - Boating Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

Gotta say that my day our in Sauagatuck was a blast and that a large part of that goes to Lauren and the folks at Retro Boat Rentals. We had a three hour reservation. The boat was awesome and clean. But more importantly, the staff's attention to detail was perfect. We had a great time on the water with the boat. It ran great. If you're ever in the area, you need to give them a visit. The service and experience was second to none. We will definitely be back! read more

Retro Boat Rentals - Boating Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

Excellent! An excellent idea, wonderful equipment. Outstanding owners and family. Great time was had! Perfect facilities: restrooms, waiting area, bar, rental counter. Streamlined check in process. Awesome instructions. PERFECT place to take your family. read more

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I have been coming to Saugatuck for 20 years in the summers and have been to Retro Boat Rentals several times over the years. Always a very fun experience cruising around in the channel on a retro boat. This past September me and my 6 friends that I was hosting stopped in to Retro Boat rentals to listen to the live music. We sat on the stools inside (which was completely EMPTY by the way) to sit briefly after a long day of walking around town. We told the waitress that we are just going to have some waters and that we wouldn't be staying long. After maybe 15 minutes of sitting the owner of Retro Boat rentals approaches us and very RUDELY kicks us out since we weren't buying anything. He was sarcastic and condescending, and it was absolutely shocking how rude he was to our group. I understood where he was coming from, maybe we should've ordered an appetizer or 2 since we were taking up barstools, but I have never EVER been treated like that before by an establishment. There were 1000 better ways that man could've handled the situation. Very disappointing experience from a business that I once was a big fan of. The boat rentals are fun, but beware of rude owner!!! read more

The boat was great, and the ladies who worked were very helpful. Andrew, however, was rude and impatient. If at all possible, do not work with Andrew, he obviously hates his job and anyone he interacts with. read more

John @ RetroBoat is the best. So glad to have found this business when doing a pontoon rental. Will definitely do business with again. read more

Lots of boats, retro vibes, indoor water front bar and very helpful staff. There is a fee odd container rules but they explain and make sure you are all set. read more

We originally rented a donut boat, but last minute were placed in a duffy due to some unexpected issues. Although we were bummed at first, everything worked out great for our family of 4 (kids ages 5 and 1). In retrospect, probably should have rented the duffy to begin with:). Lauren was incredibly nice and apologetic. She took awesome care of us! It was the highlight of our trip. We ate lunch as we cruised to the swim spot. My daughter had a blast jumping in the lake and swimming up to the shore to run up and down the dunes. Highly recommend checking it out and renting a boat during your visit. Better to rent in advance online because they get busy. read more

Love this place. We went on Ruby, and she was a blast! The staff is really friendly, and we enjoyed our scenic ride on the river. The boat was really clean and we didn't have any problems. You should know this type of boat rental is for cruising only (which was what we were looking for), you won't be jumping out of the boat in the cove and swimming around. read more

Retro Boat Rentals - Boating Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

A definite must do in Saugatuck that could be the highlight of your trip there. We enjoyed every part of our experience. From signing up, to waiting, to the instructions, and of course the boat ride. This is a family business and an original idea. The boats were in perfect condition, we could enjoy the quiet electric ride. The controls were easy to navigate and we always had information about how darts we were going and how much charge was led on the battery (always 6-10 hours left). I was impressed with the service. The owners were super super nice, welcoming, personal and extremely knowledgeable of the river and the equipment. We felt like at home with friends. This is a family run business and the attitude was REMARKABLE!!! I hope as they grow into different cities they manage to transfer the same attitude and service to all their future employees and they will super successful. I admire such businesses. I strongly recommend this experience!!! read more

Friendly place with great boats. They didn't even mind that my docking was more of a crash landing

I was a walk-in client to rent a boat and was amazed by the aesthetics of their place. Lauren and the entire crew was amazing!! Lauren was able to accommodate our needs and flexible with our rental time. She was only a text away when I decided to extend our rental. She provided us with adult beverages, wine opener, cooler and ice while on board! The boat was very clean! The guys at the dock were also amazing!! I highly recommend this place! read more

Retro Boat Rentals - Boating Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

The boat ride was fun and unique on a donut shaped boat. We went on a Sunday evening at 7 pm and the waterways were very busy. The kids really enjoyed it so it was worth the money. read more

We rented "Flo"--a pretty turquoise-and-white 6-person cruiser--for an hour and a half trip. We headed out the Kalamazoo river toward Lake Michigan, turning around (Coming about?) in the popular "cove beach" basin. Powering back toward Saugatuck, we spotted five turtles sunning themselves on the same log, stared at beautiful river-side homes, many with manicured lawns, motored past the fire boat on the left (port?) side, and the sheriff's boat on the right (starboard?). Our pretty boat handled well once our "captain" got the touch, and the 4 mph pace was perfect for sightseeing. Passing the Saugatuck duck on the water--a World War 2-era amphibious truck, loaded with tourists--our Flo was so quiet, we could converse with the duck's captain across the water. Continuing up river, we passed Tower Marine, came about (By this time, the whole nautical-speak had taken firm hold) shy of the Blue Star Highway bridge, and made our way past so many beautiful yachts moored near Saugatuck's downtown. At Wicks Park, one of the kids waving to us from shore yelled, "Cool boat!" Indeed. Docking back at Retro Boat Rental after our 90-minute adventure was easy with the help of their convivial staff. We could not have had a better sightseeing experience in Saugatuck. The boats are quiet, clean and VERY cool-looking. Worth every penny! read more

Retro Boat Rentals - "Flo" underway. What a blast - Boating Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

The owners of this business do not care about vacationers. We stayed next door to this business and they began pounding, drilling, sawing, etc. at 6:00 AM every morning without regard for others. All they cared about was doing what they wanted not what was best for tourism. They could have had some consideration for local guests but no such luck. read more

One of the highlights of our trip to Saugatauk! The owners were super friendly and accommodating. We rented for 1.5 hours and had an awesome time doing a lap down the river and around the lake in Ruby. Everyone who saw us smiled and waved because the boat looked so cool. Hope to be back next summer for another ride. :) read more

Retro Boat Rentals - Boat name: Ruby - Boating Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

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