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!

Me and my daughter love fishing and when we checked in to Barrier Island Station, we were thrilled…read moreabout fishing the area. Our first visit in this place, we talked to Kelly and she's a very sweet, friendly and helpful. She recommended places to fish, possible fish to catch without over promising and bait to use. We also asked her about the charter and she hooked us later in the week to go fishing inshore (about 4-5 miles in the Atlantic). This was our first time experience in the area and of course, I didn't expect to catch anything but just to experience the trip. Captain George was very experienced and fun to be on the boat. Very professional and friendly and good at what he does (navigating the boat safely and finding the fish). Noah was our first mate; quiet and fun kid to be on the boat helping us all with our catch. Thanks Noah for all your help The other folks on the boat were funny and was just having fun during our entire time fishing. It was a great experience with great people in the boat enjoying the day fishing. At the end of the trip, we took home about 15 good size spanish mackerel. Cleaned and seasoned them for grilling and it was insanely delicious! if anyone wants to experience fishing during any season, contact Sharky's and they will hook you up.

Sharky's was wonderful to work with. We booked a very last minute fishing trip for our family of…read more4. We have a 9 and 12 yr old and we could not have asked for a better experience. We went out on The Sea Hag with Frank and his second mate Scott. They were so fun, patient, and knowledgeable. We caught a lot fish and made some really great family memories!! It exceeded our expectations, would absolutely do it again!! Kelly was wonderful as well at helping book the trip. A great company to work with, we had a wonderful time!!!

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.

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.

We had the greatest time aboard the WaveRunner for our Outer Banks offshore fishing trip out to the…read moreGulf Stream. Captain Brian and his first mate James are fantastic and took great care of us to make sure we had a great time and caught fish. We caught mahi-mahi and tilefish. We had so much fun we booked a second trip for the next day. The boat is a 54-footer and rides beautifully out in the swells. It's very roomy and comfortable inside to relax or you can even take a nap on the ride out or the ride back in but the view is so fantastic you'll probably want to just stay out on the fishing cockpit and take pictures all the way out. We saw flying fish and pilot whales and manta rays. You can't go wrong booking a charter with Captain Brian White!

We went out for two trips with Waverunner and had an amazing time both times. We went for Mahi…read more(Dolphin fish), Tuna, and Tilefish. They have all the equipment for different strategies to increase your chances of success and they worked hard to ensure we had a great trip. They know the spots where the fish are. The boat is comfortable even when the seas are rough.

Captain Buz and his deck hand Max did a GREAT job on our charter. My buddy and I chartered the…read moreJawfly for a half day fishing trip with our sons (5 of us in total). Buz was firm with his expectations of the boys (10, 11 & 12) with regard to the safety, gave us a short brief on his boat (fire extinguishers, life jackets, the head, etc.) and we shoved off. I sat up front with Buz on the way out and he was more than happy to answer all my questions, show me the various navigation gauges, and share his knowledge as an ol salty captain. We pulled up to a couple of spots and dropped lines immediately, Max was very good with prepping the rigs and bait. We were on the fish quickly and when the action died down we pulled our lines and moved to the next spot. Very little if any downtime once we started fishing. Max and Buz did a great job of hooking fish when the action started to die down and when the had one on the line they handed the rod off to one of our boys to reel in. Buz clean our catch on our way back and once at the dock we settled up our tab and tipped $120 for the captain and deck hand to split up. Great time, Buz and Max were great with the boys, highly recommend this charter and if we're down again we'll go back out with Captain Buz on the Jawfly!!

Enjoyed a half-day fishing charter with my family. Boat was large enough to accommodate all six of…read moreus without feeling crowded. Trip was 5.5 hours instead of standard 4 hours. Captain and mate were patient and very helpful. We caught 20+ fish, half were keepers. They cleaned and cut the fish for us. We left with ready to cook fillets and a few dozen crabs. Great experience. I highly recommend.

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.

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.

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.