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How many people can you take out?
"6 passengers is the most that we can take out. Keep in mind that these are
custom charters, so if there are only 2 of you then you get the boat
all to yourselves - which is priceless!"
We have small children and their grandparents are these ages okay?
"We have taken 6 month old twin babies on our charters all the way
up to 100 year olds and all ages in between - that's what we do"
What time do the trips start?
"Morning Charters begin at 8:30 a.m. Afternoon charters begin at 1:00 p.m.
However, the times can vary depending on the length of the charter(s)"
Which is better, morning or afternoon trips?
"Both times of the day have their advantages. In the summer the mornings are not so hot yet and there is less boat and sea-doo traffic on the waters. During the cooler winter months, the afternoon charters are warmer"
How do I book a charter with you?
"You can reserve your charter online by clicking here. Or you can call 239-839-2109 to book by phone.
What happens in the event of bad weather?
"Welcome to Southwest Florida! Although the forecast sometimes may show rain everyday, this is usually only happening inland and not on the beach. The breezes off of the Gulf of Mexico are just strong enough to keep the thunderstorms about 10 miles inland. We can see them and hear them, but they usually never make it to the beach. In the event of bad weather, we try our best to reschedule for another day. If we cannot reschedule there is never going to be a charge to you. If we are out on the water and bad weather threatens, we will quickly and safely return to the dock and you will only be charged for the time you were out with us (prorated down to 15 minute increments)"
What do you mean by We Guarantee You Will See Dolphins?
"Exactly that, we guarantee that if we dont find dolphins, then the trip is on us. You dont pay"
Do you offer a manatee guarantee?
"Although we see manatees on almost every charter, we cant guarantee them. Manatees can sometimes be a little harder to find than dolphins"
Can we swim with the dolphins?
"This is probably one of our most asked questions. There are waterparks in Orlando where you can swim with captive and tame dolphins. Our dolphins are wild animals and to try to swim with them would not be recommended, its is against the law as well. We love the dolphins and they love us back. But we do it from a safe distance staying out of the water"
Can we swim with the manatees?
"Often times, while we are swimming and shelling, manatees will swim right up to us because they must be curious about us. Sometimes they stay around for a while and even try to rub themselves against us. When this happens, we have to be careful because we cannot touch the manatees"
How far are you from Sanibel Island?
"Not far at all! Most of our charter guests come over from Sanibel Island and trust us, its worth it. From the Sanibel Chamber of Commerce to Fish-Tale Marina is 14.9 miles, less than 30 minutes"
What do you provide?
"We provide complimentary bottled water, Cokes, Diet Cokes, Juice and snacks like Chex Mix, Chitos Fritos and Doritos (there is nothing like a nacho flavored Dorito when you are on a boat). We also provide great shelling bags that snap around your waist so you can shell with both hands. One gallon zip lock bags are provided to take your shell booty home in. We also provide great music (14,000 songs) or you can bring your iPod and plug it in to listen to your own playlists. Last but not least we provide you a family experience that will give you memories to enjoy for years to come"
Do you provide life jackets?
"Absolutely! We keep plenty of life preservers on the HattyCat. One thing to keep in mind though is that these are the standard issue Coast Guard Approved orange life preservers. That being said, we always tell people if they have comfortable ones for their children that they can bring with them, that's a great idea"
Is there shade on the boat?
"Yes there is shade on the HattyCat. Mostly you will find sunshine, but you can always find some shade by getting under the top (or sitting next to the captain)"
Can we do trip shorter than 4 hours?
"So many of our customers leave our charters amazed at how quickly 4 hours goes by when they are having such a great time with us. It is hard to fit that much fun in four hours!!! The 4 hour charter is our shortest charter. We keep the boat several miles from the marina and to get the boat in the water, stocked up with refreshments and travel to the marina, any trip less than 4 hours simply wouldnt justify the time, effort and cost involved. That being said, if we already have a 4 hour charter going out, then we sometimes make an exception and do a shorter charter since we are already out there"
Can we bring alchoholic beverages on the trip?
"Yes you can bring alcoholic beverages on the boat and put them in our cooler. They sell beer at the Fish-Tale Marina ship store if you decide at the last minute you want beer"
How early should we arrive?
"We usually pull up to the dock about 5 minutes before the charter begins. So you should plan to arrive 5 or 10 minutes before your charter begins. You can arrive even earlier if you would like. There is plenty of cool things there to see, you might even get to feed the big snook, grouper and jack crevalle that hang around the fish cleaning stations. The ship store is a very nice place to look around and shop or pick up the last minute sunscreen, visor, t-shirt or six-pack. There are wonderful restrooms there as well"
Is there a bathroom on your boat?
"Yes we have a potty on board"
On the lunch/dinner trips is the meal included in the price of the charter?
"On the charters that we stop for lunch or dinner, the cost of your meals is not included. Most of the restaurants we stop at have reasonably priced fare"
Will I get sea-sick, should I take something for that before coming on your trip?
"No one has ever gotten sick on our charters because we do not go out in rough seas that would lead to this condition. Getting sick is usually associated with the deep sea fishing trips that everyone has a horror story about. If anyone is feeling uncomfortable on our trips, we take immediate action to make them comfortable whatever it takes"
What if we have to cancel?
"Please give us as much notice as possible so we can rebook this time to another group. 24 hour or more notice is preferred. 12 hours or less notice and there is a 25% charge. If you are a no show, we charge 50% of the charter price (but why would anyone no-show?)"What should we bring?
"You should bring a towel, sunscreen and swim goggles if you like to swim underwater and look for shells. On a side note, the overspray from the aerosol spray on sunscreens makes the boat very slippery. Creams and lotions work much better than the spray on type" What can we bring?
"You can bring pretty much anything your heart desires. The HattyCat is very spacious with plenty of storage to keep things out of the way while cruising"What should we wear?
"During the summer, when it is hot, shorts and shirts or just swimsuits are perfect. If we are stopping at a restaurant, shoes, shorts and shirts are requireed. In the winter months (Dec-Mar), we recommend dressing in layers and bring shoes and socks as well because it can feel chilly on the water. (75 degrees on the water can feel chilly)"
How big is your boat?
"Our boat is over 26ft long and 9 feet wide. It is extremely spacious and comfortable" Is this a fishing boat?
"The HattyCat is called a center console boat which is a great style that is quite often used for fishing. However the HattyCat is never used for fishing and was chosen for its wonderful design conducive to our dolphin, manatee and shelling excursions. It is extremely roomy and the center console design allows children to walk around the boat freely as often as they like. Also, the crows-nest seat up top which holds two adults or three small children 10 feet above everyone else is probably the most popular feature of the HattyCat. In addition to these great features, there is a changing room/potty, swim platform with ladder, freshwater shower, great stereo with surround sound, electronics, radar, GPS with auto pilot, and a two-way VHF radio" Should we bring insect repellent?
"We never have a problem with any biting bugs on the boat" Click Here to Return to the HOME PAGE
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