Clearwater & St. Petersburg, Florida
Private Family Boat Tours
The whole boat, reserved for your family. No strangers sitting beside your kids, no fixed schedule, and no rush — a day built around your family’s pace rather than someone else’s timetable.
Minimum age is 5. This is a U.S. Coast Guard requirement, not a preference — children must fit properly into a Type I life vest, and children under 5 do not fit the ones we carry. We put this first so nobody drives to the ramp and finds out there.
Beyond that: private charters for up to 6 guests from Clearwater and from Maximo Park in St. Petersburg. Gulf Escape $395 (2.5 hrs) · Half-Day Island Escape $575 (4 hrs) · Sunset Escape $425 (2.5 hrs), all flat whole-boat rates. A family of five pays the same as a couple.
There is an enclosed restroom onboard, and Captain Keith — a USCG-licensed captain, former Navy diver, and cardiac registered nurse — is at the helm on every charter.
While your kids are in the water, someone is watching it
Most of the swimming worth doing out here happens away from lifeguards — sandbars, island beaches, quiet stretches with nobody else around. That is the appeal, and it is also the thing a parent thinks about.
Captain Keith stays on watch the entire time guests are in the water. Eleven years as a Navy submariner leaves you with the habit and he cannot switch it off. A manatee drifting under the anchor line, a current picking up, a boat coming in faster than it should. He is also a former Navy diver and a cardiac registered nurse.
Six guests happens to be about the number one person can genuinely keep track of. That is part of why we cap it there, and it is a real difference from a boat carrying twelve swimmers spread across a sandbar.
What families actually do out there
Most combine two or three of these in one charter. Nothing is a fixed package.
- Dolphins — resident year-round. Captain Keith knows the mangrove edges and channels where they feed
- A sandbar stop — shallow, calm, warm water kids can stand up in, usually with nobody else on it
- Shelling — beaches you cannot drive to, so they do not get picked over
- Island stops — quiet shores only reachable by boat
- Snorkeling — masks, snorkels, and fins aboard in kids’ through adult sizes
- Sightseeing — the Don CeSar, the bridges, waterfront homes. The right call on a cool day when nobody wants to swim
The moments families talk about afterward are rarely the ones on the itinerary. A hermit crab. A live sand dollar the size of a coin. A horseshoe crab that turns out to be older than dinosaurs. An egret that lands on the rail and rides along for a while because it feels like it.
Dolphin & wildlife charters
Where the dolphins actually feed, what else is out there, and how responsible viewing works.
See wildlife charters →Sandbar charters
Shallow, calm water you can stand in, at spots you cannot reach by car.
See sandbar charters →Shelling tours
Sand dollars, whelks, and conchs on beaches that do not get walked over.
See shelling charters →Island hopping
The 4-hour charter that reaches the barrier islands with real time to spend there.
See island hopping →Why families choose a private boat
The differences are practical rather than luxurious.
On a public tour, the schedule decides everything. If the dolphins turn up late, you leave anyway. If your five-year-old is having the time of her life at the sandbar, you leave anyway. If someone needs a restroom, you wait.
On a private charter, none of that applies. Stay longer where it is working. Skip what is not landing. Come back early if a child has had enough — nobody minds, and nobody else is affected.
- Your family only — no strangers sitting beside your kids
- Flat rate for the boat — a family of five pays what a couple pays
- Enclosed restroom onboard — the single most underrated thing on a boat with children
- Freshwater rinse wand — wash the salt off before the drive back
- Shade aboard — somewhere to get out of the sun
- Sunchill float, chair floaties, bean bags — and the bean bags come ashore with you
- Photos of your day — sent afterward, so no parent spends the trip behind a phone
- Captain Keith on every charter — not a rotating crew
Which charter suits your family
All flat rates for the whole boat, up to 6 guests.
Gulf Escape — $395
2.5 hours · up to 6 guests
The usual pick for a first time out or with younger children. Sightseeing on the way, dolphins, and a nearby sandbar — enough to feel like a real day without anyone getting tired.
Half-Day Island Escape — $575
4 hours · up to 6 guests · most popular
The range to reach the barrier islands and stay a while. Best if your children are comfortable in the water and you want swimming, shelling, and snorkeling in one day.
Sunset Escape — $425
2.5 hours · up to 6 guests
Dolphins are often active at dusk and the water is flatter. You pick the backdrop. Works well as a last-night-of-the-trip charter.
Planning the day
What to expect on your first charter
How the day actually runs, from arriving at the ramp to the photos landing in your inbox.
Read what to expect →What to bring
Swimsuits, towels, sunscreen, water shoes. We handle the cooler and ice.
Read the packing guide →Are there sharks out here?
The honest answer for parents, and why it is not the thing worth worrying about.
Read the answer →Weather & cancellations
What happens if conditions turn, and how rescheduling works.
Read the policy →What it costs
Full pricing breakdown and how a private charter compares per person to a public tour.
See pricing →Celebrating something
Birthdays and family milestones on the water, and what to plan for.
See occasion charters →Meet Tessa
Our sea turtle guide, and how we talk to kids about this water.
Tessa came from a real moment on the water. We were struggling to fish a stray balloon out of the Gulf when a sea turtle surfaced and nudged it toward us.
Balloons and plastic bags look like jellyfish to a sea turtle. They eat them, and it kills them. Tessa is how we talk to guests — especially kids — about keeping this water healthy without turning a good day into a lecture. If a family leaves knowing why that stray balloon matters, that is worth as much to us as the photos.
Questions parents ask
How old do children have to be?
Five. It is a safety requirement rather than a preference — under U.S. Coast Guard regulations children must fit properly into a Type I life vest, and children under 5 do not fit the vests we carry. We would rather tell you now than have you drive to the ramp and find out. If you have a child under 5, please wait a season and come see us when they are ready.
Do kids have to wear life vests the whole time?
Children are required to wear properly fitting life vests aboard, per U.S. Coast Guard regulations. We carry Type I vests in appropriate sizes. Adults are not required to wear one under way, though vests are aboard for everyone.
Is someone watching while our kids are in the water?
Yes, and this is worth understanding before you book anywhere. While guests are swimming, Captain Keith stays on watch — the habit eleven years as a Navy submariner leaves you with. A manatee drifting under the anchor line, a current picking up, a boat coming in faster than it should. He is also a cardiac registered nurse and a former Navy diver. Six guests is about the number one person can genuinely keep track of, which is part of why we cap it there.
How much does a private family boat tour cost?
All rates are flat, for the whole boat, up to 6 guests. The Gulf Escape is $395 for 2.5 hours. The Half-Day Island Escape is $575 for 4 hours. The Sunset Escape is $425 for 2.5 hours with champagne flutes included. The price is the same whether two of you come or six, so a family of five pays the same as a couple.
Which charter is right for a family?
For a first time out, or with younger children, the 2.5-hour Gulf Escape is usually the right call — sightseeing on the way out, dolphins, and a nearby sandbar, without anyone getting tired. If your children are comfortable in the water and you want to actually reach the barrier islands and stay a while, the 4-hour Half-Day Island Escape is the one most families pick.
Is there a restroom onboard?
Yes — an enclosed restroom, and you are welcome to use it for whatever you need. On a boat with children that matters more than almost anything else on the equipment list. There is also a freshwater rinse wand for washing salt off and a deck sink.
Can some of us swim while others stay on the boat?
Yes, and most families do exactly that. Because the charter is private there is no pressure for everyone to do the same thing. Some guests swim, float, or walk a beach while others stay aboard in the shade with a drink and a camera.
Is it good for grandparents and mixed ages?
It is one of the things a private charter does best. The pace bends around whoever needs it. Grandparents can stay aboard in the shade while the kids are in the water, and nobody is being hurried along by a schedule or a boat full of strangers.
What if a child gets seasick?
The 23-foot WorldCat is a catamaran hull, which rides noticeably more smoothly than a monohull — it is one of the reasons guests prone to motion sickness do well on it. If you are concerned, motion sickness medication before the trip helps, and tell Captain Keith so he can plan calmer water.
What should we bring for the kids?
Swimsuits, towels, sunscreen (lotion rather than spray), hats, sunglasses, and water shoes for island and shelling stops. Snacks and drinks are welcome; we provide the cooler, ice, and bottled water. Non-glass containers only, please.
Will we see dolphins?
Often, but nobody honest guarantees wildlife. The bottlenose dolphins here are a resident population rather than migratory, so they are around year-round, and Captain Keith knows the mangrove edges and channels where they feed. Most charters see them.
Can we bring our dog?
No — we do not allow pets aboard. Toenails puncture the cushions, and we cannot be responsible for a pet jumping into the water near wildlife.
How long should we plan for, door to door?
Add travel time and arrive 15 minutes before departure. From Clearwater Beach hotels the ramp is close; from most St. Pete Beach rentals, Maximo Park is about 25 to 30 minutes by car. With a 4-hour charter, plan on most of a half day once you include getting there and back.
Ready for a family day they will remember?
Tell us your ages, your interests, and how long you want to be out. Captain Keith builds the day from there — and if a five-year-old decides the sandbar is the best part, that is where you stay.
Gulf Escape
$395
2.5 hours · up to 6
Half-Day Island Escape
$575
4 hours · up to 6
Sunset Escape
$425
2.5 hours · champagne included