Take the boat out yourself for a half day, a full day, or your whole stay, with the cooler packed, the gear loaded, and the dog welcome aboard.
A small fleet, each boat suited to a different kind of day. All of them are bareboat rentals, so you are the one driving.
Mercury 150 horsepower, seats up to 10. Three pontoons make this the steadiest ride of the group, which matters when you have small kids aboard or you are anchoring in a little chop at a sandbar. Wrap around seating, a Bluetooth stereo, GPS, and two anchors come with it.
Yamaha 200 horsepower, seats up to 12. A dual console deck boat, so it moves faster and handles open water better than a pontoon, and it is the one to take if you want to run out toward Egmont Key rather than stay inside the bay.
A 23' Beachcat catamaran with a Yamaha 150 horsepower engine and seating for up to 10. Two bimini tops provide shade, with a Bluetooth stereo and Garmin GPS aboard.
Four hours is enough to run out to a sandbar, swim, eat somewhere on the water, and be back before anyone is sunburned and tired. It is the trip we book most, and it is the one we point first-timers toward, because it fits a vacation day without eating the whole thing.
Eight hours changes what is reachable. You can run down toward Longboat, spend real time at more than one anchorage, and still tie up for lunch at a dock and dine spot without watching the clock the whole afternoon.
Guests staying on the island for a week often keep a boat the entire time, which works out better per day and means you can head out on the mornings the weather cooperates instead of committing to one fixed date. We rent by the day for as long as you need, up to two weeks and beyond, and multi day guests are the ones who use the delivery service most.
| Rental length | Rate |
|---|---|
| Half day, 4 hours (the trip most guests take) | $499 |
| 6 hours | $550 |
| Full day, 8 hours | $599 |
| 2 days | $999 |
| 3 days | $1,249 |
| 4 days | $1,499 |
| 5 days | $1,749 |
| 6 days | $1,999 |
| 7 days | $2,249 |
Rates are per boat, not per person, so the same boat costs the same whether two of you go out or ten do. A 50% deposit holds your date, or you can pay in full when you book.
Plenty of operators hand you a boat, then charge you again for the cooler, the floats and the snorkel gear. We load every bit of it before you arrive, at no extra charge:
Your dog rides free on every boat we rent, on a four hour trip or a two week one, with no extra charge and no separate pet boat to book. Fishing is allowed on all of them as well, so you can throw a line in wherever you decide to drop anchor for the afternoon.
There are two optional add-ons, and we would rather you know what they cost before you get to the dock. The fuel fill service is $25 plus the cost of fuel, so you can hand the boat back without hunting for a fuel dock at the end of a long day, and most guests take it. The prop and skeg protection is $75, in house coverage so that if you catch the propeller or the skeg, the fin under the engine, on a sandbar, the repair is not coming out of your pocket. Guests new to this water take it most often, and it is the cheapest peace of mind on the list.
Staying somewhere waterfront on Anna Maria Island, Holmes Beach or Bradenton Beach? We bring the boat to your dock, tie it up, and walk you through it before we go, so you skip the ramp, the parking, and the trailer and start the day from your own dock.
Delivery makes the biggest difference on multi day rentals, where the boat simply lives at your dock for the week and you go out whenever the mood strikes. Plenty of guests tell us afterward it was the part of the trip they would repeat first.
We deliver across Anna Maria Island, Holmes Beach, Bradenton Beach, Bradenton, Palmetto, Ellenton, and Sarasota. We keep the delivery range tight on purpose, because a boat delivered late is worse than no delivery at all, so we do not run out to St. Pete, Longboat Key, or Siesta Key.
The best days out on our Anna Maria Island boat rentals come down to knowing where to go, so here is where regulars point the bow.
Jewfish Key, Passage Key, and the bars off Egmont are where most guests spend the middle of the day, anchoring in water shallow enough to stand in. Which ones are worth it depends entirely on the tide that day, which is the kind of thing John tells you before you leave the dock.
Several waterfront restaurants around Anna Maria Island and Cortez let you tie up and eat, which turns a rental into a whole afternoon. John points you at the ones with real dock space, so lunch does not turn into a two hour wait.
You will very likely see dolphins on the Intracoastal side, and manatees turn up around the warmer shallows in the cooler months. We will not promise you either one, since wildlife does not take bookings, but the odds on a normal day are good.
The thing guests write about most is how little there is to figure out. Book, pick the boat up or have it delivered, and go. Most of the day is spent on the water, which is what you came for.
Guests notice a clean, modern, well maintained boat, and they notice the opposite even faster. We keep a small fleet on purpose, because a fleet we can maintain properly beats a dozen boats that go out tired, and every boat is inspected and Coast Guard certified every year.
Call and you get John, who knows the boats, the water and the tides. Guests name him by his first name in their reviews. That is also why Compass has placed top three in the Bradenton Herald's Bradenton's Best awards three years running. Read more about the family behind the boats.
Compass made the entire experience stress-free by handling everything from putting the boat in the water to taking it out when we returned. It was such a relief not having to worry about gas or cleaning afterward.Bradley G.Verified Google review
This rental company is by far the best we have used. The boat was in great shape, and super comfortable.Derek B.Verified Google review
Excellent experience every single time! Best place to rent a vessel. John and his crew are top notch.Mike F.Verified Google review
A bigger fleet sounds like an advantage until you are handed the boat nobody has looked at this week. Running a small fleet means every boat gets attention before it goes out, and it means the person who rents it to you is the same person responsible for it when it comes back.
Add up a cooler, floats, snorkel gear, and the rest of the extras at a per-item operation and a cheaper sticker price closes the gap fast. Everything you would pay extra for elsewhere is already on our boats, so the number you book at is close to the number you pay, plus fuel.
Anyone born on or after January 1, 1988 needs a Florida Boating Safety Education Identification Card to operate a boat with 10 horsepower or more. If you were born before that date, a valid photo ID is all you need. The card is straightforward to earn through an approved online course, and you can check the current rule directly with the state wildlife agency (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission boating safety).
The person renting has to be 18 or older, and whoever is driving has to be 21 or older. Both apply on every boat and every rental length, no exceptions.
You are the captain out there, which is the appeal for most of our guests and also the reason these boats are not the right fit for someone who has never handled one. We walk you through the boat, the local water, and where to go before you leave the dock, and John is a phone call away if something comes up while you are out. If you are unsure whether your experience is enough, call and ask, because we would rather have that conversation now than at the ramp. For general on-water safety before your first trip, the United States Coast Guard boating safety resources are worth a read.
We do not run captained tours, we do not allow tubing, wakeboarding, or any towing behind the boat, and we do not send boats out in unsafe weather. If conditions turn, we reschedule you without a rescheduling fee.
More common questions are answered in full.
You need a valid driver's license, and if you were born on or after January 1, 1988 you also need a Florida Boating Safety Education Identification Card. Anyone born before that date does not need the card.
Everything you need is loaded before you arrive, at no extra charge. The only optional extras are the $25 fuel fill service and the $75 prop and skeg protection.
Yes, to waterfront vacation rentals on Anna Maria Island, Holmes Beach, or Bradenton Beach, or to the nearest marina, and we help you dock on arrival. Delivery is most popular with multi day rentals.
A 50% deposit holds your date, or pay in full when you book. Cancel more than 48 hours ahead and it costs you nothing. Inside 48 hours a $200 fee applies, because a boat held for you is a boat we turned other guests away from.
Yes, every boat is pet friendly, on hourly and weekly bookings alike, at no extra charge.
Pickup is at the Kingfish Boat Ramp, 752 Manatee Ave, Holmes Beach, unless you have arranged delivery.
Safety comes first, so if conditions are unsafe we reschedule your trip without a rescheduling fee rather than send you out. We watch the forecast and call you, so you are not left guessing on the morning of your rental.
Check the calendar, pick your boat and your hours, and we will have it fueled, loaded, and waiting. If you would rather talk it through first, call John at (941) 877-0825.