Hurricane Sundeck 237 Deck Boat Rental on Anna Maria Island
A dual console deck boat with a Yamaha 200, room for twelve, and the range to run past the bay toward the open Gulf off Anna Maria Island when the water is right.
Built for the open-water day
30+ years on this water
John grew up boating Anna Maria Island and meets you at the boat ramp himself.
160+ five-star guests
A 5.0 average, with returning renters year after year.
Everything included
Cooler, floats, snorkel gear, GPS, and shade already aboard.
Dogs welcome
Bring the family dog on any trip, no extra fee.
The Boat
| Model | Hurricane Sundeck 237 |
|---|---|
| Engine | Yamaha 200 horsepower |
| Capacity | Up to 12 passengers |
| Type | Dual console deck boat |
| Included | Cooler, floats, masks and snorkel gear, Bluetooth stereo, GPS, depth finder, bimini top, Coast Guard safety equipment |
| Pets | Dogs welcome |
| Fishing | Allowed |
What the Sundeck does best
A deck boat handles open water better than a pontoon
A deck boat rides on a V hull instead of on pontoons, so it cuts through chop rather than riding over the top of it, and that changes the whole feel of a windy afternoon. If your plan is to run out toward Egmont Key or push past the protected water on a day with some breeze, this is the boat in the fleet that does it most comfortably, and it is why a deck boat rental works for groups who want to go somewhere rather than park at one bar all day.
The Yamaha 200 gives you real range
More power means the far end of the bay stops being a commitment you have to think twice about. On a full day you can reach a couple of anchorages that a slower boat turns into a one-stop trip, cover the water between them without watching the clock, and still get back in plenty of time for dinner.
Twelve aboard without stacking into one bench
The dual console layout puts genuine seating forward of the helm as well as behind it, so a group of twelve spreads out instead of piling onto a single row. It is the layout that works best when two families head out together, and it is a big part of why guests booking all Anna Maria Island boat rentals for a larger group land on this boat.
Everything is already on board
The gear that would cost extra elsewhere
It is all loaded and ready before you arrive, at no extra charge, including every piece of Coast Guard required safety equipment. You show up, we go over the boat, and you leave:
- Cooler
- Floats
- Snorkel gear
- Bluetooth stereo
- GPS and depth finder
- Bimini top
- Safety equipment
- Fishing allowed
The dog comes too
Your dog is welcome on this boat on a half day trip or a week-long one, with no extra fee and no separate pet boat to book.
Two add-ons worth knowing about
The fuel fill service is $25 plus the cost of the fuel itself, so you can hand the boat back without hunting down a fuel dock at the end of a long day. The prop and skeg protection is $75 and covers damage to the propeller or the skeg, the fin under the engine, which is worth taking on a boat with this much power if you are still learning the local shallows.
What a day on the Sundeck looks like
Morning, when the water is flattest
The bay is usually calmest before about ten, and leaving early buys you the smoothest water of the day and a sandbar before the weekend crowd claims the good spots. Check the day's tide on the NOAA tables, or just get the short version from John at the ramp.
Midday at anchor
A deck boat anchors a little differently than a pontoon because the hull sits deeper, so you end up slightly further off the bar in a bit more water. For most groups that is a fair trade: you get a touch more privacy from the raft-up, and the swim ladder still drops everyone into water shallow enough to stand in.
Afternoon, when the wind fills in
Wind almost always builds through the afternoon here, and that is when the difference between a V hull and pontoons stops being theoretical. Where a pontoon starts slapping and slowing down, the Sundeck holds its speed and its ride, so the trip back in is comfortable rather than something you grit your teeth through.
Where this boat earns its keep
Egmont Key and the pass
Egmont sits at the mouth of Tampa Bay, and getting there means crossing open water where conditions can change quickly, so this is the boat in the fleet built for that run. Whether it makes sense on your particular day comes down to wind and sea state, and John will give you a straight answer at the dock rather than let you find out halfway across.
The full run of the Intracoastal
With this much power, running the Intracoastal from the island down toward Longboat and back stops being the entire day and turns into one part of it, so you can cover ground, stop twice, and still be home on time.
Dock and dine, a little further out
Because the range is wider, the list of waterfront restaurants you can reasonably reach and get back from grows, and John will tell you which ones have dock space that fits a boat this size, which is a shorter list than the reviews online would suggest.
Is this the right boat for your group
Two families going out together
Twelve seats split across a forward cockpit and an aft lounge mean two families are not crammed onto one bench staring at each other's knees. Parents tend to settle at opposite ends, the kids drift between them, and everybody gets a little of their own space, which on an eight-hour day matters more than most groups expect going in.
Groups who want to go somewhere
If your plan involves a destination rather than a single anchorage, this is the boat. Guests who tell us they want to see the island from the water, run out toward the pass, and eat somewhere different than where they started are describing a Sundeck day.
Experienced boaters
Two hundred and fifty horsepower rewards someone who has handled a boat before and punishes someone who has not, so if you are confident at the helm, this is the most fun boat in the fleet. If you are not, John will tell you so and put you on one of the tritoons instead, because a nervous captain has a worse day than a slow one.
What you need before you book
Florida requirements
The renter must be 18 or older and the person driving must be 21 or older. Anyone born on or after January 1, 1988 needs a Florida Boating Safety Education Identification Card, available through an approved online course from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Experience counts for more on this boat
This is a bareboat rental, so you drive. With 200 horsepower behind you, real boating experience matters more here than it does on the tritoons. We walk you through the boat and the water before you leave. If you are unsure this is the right boat for you, call and we will point you at the one that is.
What we do not allow
No tubing, wakeboarding, or towing behind the boat, and no trips in unsafe weather. If conditions turn, we reschedule you rather than send you out, because a rain check beats a bad day on the water.
Questions about this boat
More common questions are answered in full.
How many people fit on the Hurricane Sundeck 237?
Up to 12 passengers. The rate is per boat, not per person, so it costs the same whether four of you go out or all twelve.
Is this a good boat for a first-time renter?
It is the most powerful boat in the fleet, so it suits someone with real boating experience. If this is your first time handling a boat on this water, a Sun Tracker tritoon is the easier and steadier choice, and we would rather put you on the right boat than the biggest one.
Can I take it out to Egmont Key?
It is the boat in the fleet best suited to that run, and whether it is a good idea on your particular day depends on wind and sea state, so John will tell you honestly at the dock.
Are dogs allowed on this boat?
Yes, dogs are welcome on every boat we rent, at no extra charge.
How does the Sundeck compare to the tritoons?
The tritoons sit steadier at rest and handle easier at low speed, which makes them the better first boat and the better pick if you plan to park at one sandbar all day. The Sundeck trades a little of that easy handling for speed, range, and a much better ride once the afternoon wind fills in, so groups who want to cover water take the Sundeck, and groups who want to anchor and swim usually prefer a tritoon.
Does the deeper hull limit where I can go?
Slightly. A V hull draws more water than pontoons do, so the very shallowest bars are off limits and you anchor a bit further out, but in practice that rules out almost nothing people want to do, and John will point out the two or three spots where it matters before you leave.
What is the fuel usage like?
A 200 horsepower engine uses more fuel than a 150 does, especially if you run it hard, so most guests take the fuel fill service to keep the end of the day simple, and if your plan is to cover a lot of water, it is worth budgeting for.
Take the Sundeck out
Check what is open for your dates, or call John at (941) 877-0825 if you want to talk through whether this is the right boat for your group before you book. If you are still weighing your options, our common questions cover the rest.