Adding pontoon rentals to your marina.

Start with the questions that decide everything

• Who are your renters? Families on vacation, locals for a birthday, anglers on a weekday. That shapes your boats, your hours and your prices.
• How many boats? Many marinas start small and add boats once they know their busy days.
• Full days or half days? Half days fill weekdays; full days are what weekends and holidays want.

Rules to write down before you open

• A boat rental policy renters read and agree to before they pay: minimum age to drive, what’s included, fuel, life jackets, alcohol, pets, where they can go and when they must be back.
• A security deposit amount and how you take it.
• Cancellations and weather. How much is refunded at how many days out, and what happens when you call off a day for storms.
• Insurance. Talk to your insurance agent about coverage for boat rentals before the first booking, not after.
• Local rules. Check with your state and lake authority on any licensing, boater education or safety rules for renters.

Pricing

Set a price per boat for a full day and a half day, then decide which days deserve more: holidays, summer weekends, and the last few boats on a busy Saturday. Write down a lowest and highest price you’ll ever charge, so no day gets out of hand. Extras like tubes, coolers, ice and fuel add up, and renters are happy to add them while they book.

Taking bookings

Most people plan a lake day at night or on the weekend, often a week or more ahead. If the only way to book is a phone call during office hours, many will book somewhere else. Online booking that shows which boats are open, takes payment and holds the boat while they pay lets your fleet fill while you sleep.

The morning of a booking

• A list of today’s pickups and returns.
• A short checklist for each boat: license checked, deposit taken, safety talk given, fuel level noted.
• A reminder sent to every renter the day before, with what to bring and where to go.

Closing for the season

On lakes where the water drops in winter, many marinas close boat rentals for part of the year. Block those dates so nobody can book them, and consider leaving next summer open for early bookings over the winter.