Check in was super quick. They had offered to lock up your phone but I felt better hanging onto it…read more You also have to remove your shoes cause you will get wet regardless of where you sit. It was an overcast day but muggy. So the water and the occasional breeze felt refreshing. Austin was a great guide. We did maybe 8 loops? And even managed to catch sight of some dolphins up against one of the large cargo ships. Would recommend.

I would highly recommend the sunset cruise. It was so romantic. The crew spotted dolphins and…read morewatched for 15 minutes on our way to watch the sun set. So relaxing.

capt adam is the go to captain. hes been around for years!…read morehe knows the lay of the land. the ports the waters whats going on in the area and the changes. the history of it all. most imporrantly , not only do you get an info tour you get to see exactly what you came their to see!! dolphins, and plenty of them. do not miss opportunity to ride with capt adam with baywatch dolphin tours!! we had a great time! thank you!!!

Everything went well, and we got a lot or nice pictures. Anyway, you meet a lot of ships even if…read moredolphins are few.

Incredibly nice venue. My understanding is it's for sale. The mission of the place is to get new…read morepeople involved in the sailing community. It's currently letting Galveston Yacht Club re-establish off of the property. It has multiple floors an is outfitting for meeting or all kinds of spaces, classrooms, etc. I haven't had a full tour. Tons of docks - they are being repaired with a goal date of the end of the year I think, maybe sooner. Prime area. I believe the goal is to sell it to a group to further sailing education and participation which is really cool. Great staff.

November 21, 2021…read more AWESOME EXPERIENCE with Captain Clement Jardin!! In honor of my 60th BD on the 23rd...we, "just sit right back and you'll hear a tale...a tale" of 3 gals on the bayou!!! (gilligan's island song reference) The three of us had the best time...Sunday FUNday! It was predicted to be a 40-80% chance of rain ...BUTT, not today Satan...the weather was perfect...hardly any clouds, 75 out and a decent wind...Capt Clement was patient, friendly and informative. I was the captain for about an hour...then I asked my friend to take over...she hesitantly did! We were on a 30 foot sailboat called, "the lift off!" It had plenty of space to sit. While on the water we met several other sailors/captains that Clement knew and we got to talk to from afloat. This outing cost $50 each and we were sailing in Offatt's bayou for 2 hours (maximum is 3 hours but, we all had to pee, so we lost an hour...old bitty's!!! LOL!) All in all, it was a FANTASTIC experience ...very zen. Get this...one friend aboard hadn't been on (any) kind of boat in 38 years (she had been involved in a near fatal boat crash at 14) and today, was the day she conquered that fear of water-crafts. We all learned a lot from Captain Jardin and about ourselves. " and if the wind is right you can find the joy of innocence again" (christopher cross 1979) For information about this sail...you can reach Captain at this email cjardin@ssbgalveston.org Or Call 409 572 2560 Do it!!!

Great time on the water, cut short for hurricane, friendly and responsive to questionsread more

I can't really give these guys a great review. We rented an 18' center-console from them to do some…read morefishing. The engine was erratic, dropping down in speed suddenly at full throttle and increasing speed when moving slowly. The young guy who set us up didn't mention some key things such as location of anchor (which was so far down in the hill as to require a long reach, not visible when the hatch was opened) , life jackets, depth-finder use, etc. I would use another boat rental next time.

Super clean Informative on wild life and the local area…read moreCaught a shark and some flounder overall had a very nice trip

Don and Matt were absolutely phenomenal from the time we arrive till the time we left. I must say…read moreif you're going to do any sports fishing these are two guys to look at. they know what they're doing they spend time with you my son and my grandson had never gone on a fishing trip and these two guys really took care of them. It was great to watch their smiles when they were catching. the captain would catch something and hand the rods to the boys so they would pull in the catch. Don and Matt were fantastic with the boys we went in was absolutely spectacular. I can tell you they are true lovers of their jobs as well as the people. Thanks

I had booked a boat with them to take us out into the ocean. They charged me $475.25 on September…read more11,2023. The guy who answered the phone and took the details of the credit card, gave me a reservation number. We were supposed to get out at 10 am. on September 30 and be back by 12 pm. Before I left my house I called them a few times and then when I was on the road I called him a few times. I sent him a text to which they answered: Your outing today will be delayed due to unexpected situation. Please standby and we will let you know. After that there was silence. There was no office at the address listed on the site or the address where we were supposed to pick up our boat. I was made a fool. I have reported this incident to my credit card company for refund.

DO NOT TRUST THIS MAN…read more I rented a pontoon boat from him and I immediately had issues within the first 5 minutes. The engine stalled out on me, then once I got it going again it continued to happen seemingly every 5 minutes. On top of this, the radio did not work, the boat was overall very poorly kept, which resulted in us bringing the boat in an hour early due to a lack of fun being had by the entire group. Upon returning to the dock, I was very friendly and explained to the owner the issue, to which he immediately knew what was wrong (obviously it happens all the time and he has yet to fix it), and he promised me a $50 refund. Now, more than a week and a half later, he is screening my calls, sending me straight to voicemail, and has not returned any of my voicemails or texts nor has he refunded me this $50. Awful business, untrustworthy owner, waste of time and money dealing with them.

Hopefully they reimburse our payment . Very unfortunate today . Booked 6 weeks ahead and we showed…read moreup to No working boats ... we had a 8 hour rental . If not reimbursed I will hit every review site possible .... The young fella at the dock was very nice. The owner could at least make a phone call to us but has not .

My wife and I just finished a Grady White boat day rental - it was perfect for our Anniversary. I…read moremet with Russell yesterday to get things lined out, and Sean (Shawn) was our go-to man this morning when we picked up the boat. Seamless experience and Sean (Shawn) was on top of it all. We highly recommend a boat rental from Finney if you are in the Galveston area. Look forward to our next outing with them. Thanks So Much! It made a great addition to our Anniversary! Hope you enjoy the Zipperhead Beer t-shirt.

I am trying to locate a live-aboard slip and contacted the marina. The responses from…read moreinfo@pelicanrestmarina.com were ridiculous. They would give the most brief answer possible with no additional information. The emails are so unprofessional. After 3 or 4 messages back and forth, not ONE of them was signed. I still have no idea who I was speaking to. I felt like I was pulling teeth. The first email answered my question with a question (so NO help) The second one provided an answer...but not to the question I asked! The third email finally gave me one piece of information...that could have been included in one email. Take some pride and ownership of your business. Sign your emails and BE PRESENT to your business inquiries. Honestly, based on how they treated me I would not want to do business with them even if they had availability.

"Our philosophy can be summarized in one word - Exclusivity."…read more _ / ' ) // / //( '( \ / \ ' \ __||__ |". :| |". :| |". :| m-m-m-m-m (Imagine Paul Harvey speaking) For decades, the north side of Offatts Bayou had some private homes and old wood piers. Very few large yachts graced the island. Hurricane Ike swept through, and ravaged many properties. Yet, suddenly, a luxury marina has taken seed. And now, the (Pelican) REST of the story... After Ike, insurance money allowed re-building. And locals rallied & cleaned-up the island. Now, cruise lines, real estate and the restaurant scene have come back. The former owners of M&M Bar & Grill (which also survived 1900 storm), Marita & Harry "Buddy" Schultz, turned their attention to building a new marina. Why locate a marina at 29° 17' 04.57" N, 94° 51' 26.49" W? -The only deep water marina access in Texas -Cruisers pass nearby in Intracoastal Waterway -Not crowded -Good view -Secure -At the foot of I-45, it's quick access to hurricane evacuation, & within 40 minutes to the Houston Medical Center (important if you are a rich old man). -And, finally, Scholles Airport is just across the bay for private aircraft. The wealthy have long needed a deep water marina along the upper Texas coast, &investors pulled it all together to build, in phases, a place for them. Phase 1 is nearly complete, and Phase 2 condo high-rise is being built. These folks spend moolah. This classy, high-end, "white glove" phased development off I-45 on Offatts Bayou is for the wealthy large-boat owners, or as website states: "Pelican Rest Marina is a state-of-the-art concrete floating ShoreMaster system that is designed to house 60' and larger class sport fishing yachts." (can accommodate 200' vessels) Luxurious condos are planned for 2014, & a high-end restaurant in a few months. How to get there: "Turn East at Red Nunn 30 - Proceed East to Red Day marker 6 - proceed 500 yards using Red Day marker 8, 10, 14, 16, 18, 20 22, 24, 26 - you have now arrived at Pelican Rest Marina entrance." (these directions assume you are in a yacht) The approach and dockside depth is 18' (allow for a 3' tide). Amenities: -Tropical landscaping -Floating dock for easier boarding, & protected from direct chop water -Finger piers between boat slips are wider than most (allows two fat cats to pass each other) -Floating dockside palapas (shaded seating) -Water & electricity on docks -Fuel Dock; oil change service & a disposal tank for used oil -Fish weigh station - the only IGFA Certified Marina in the Gulf of Mexico -Smitty's Bait shop -Palm-leaf covered structure over the fish cleaning table -Local storage facility for gear, & dock carts available -Private Pool -Wi-fi -Laundry -Security on-site & members-only area -Fees are per linear foot (with liveaboard fee as an option); Pelican bill requires a deep pouch. -Men's restroom has one shower (assume same for women) -Eating area available (limited shade). Cheerfully painted murals on picnic tables. Other notables: -Fishing contest site, big (bill fish) & small (some for kids) and women (eg. Ladies Lipstick & Lures tournament) -Participates in the Oyster Beds Restoration Project Some people think that such a fancy marina won't "fly" in Galveston, but a Pelican doesn't look like it could fly either. Although pelicans are some of the heaviest flying birds, each bird's skeleton only amounts to one tenth of its total body weight - which in some cases can be over 30 lbs! Similarly, hidden from most people, there is a yacht community that now communicates via the web and are the backbone for market demand of the new marina. But why the name "Pelican Rest"? It is a peaceful name, appropriate for this place. But as far as pelicans resting, many of the piers have a cone on the top to prevent birds from landing and leaving their souvenirs, such as on your fancy new outfit. Dock is kept cleaner that way, too. Don't worry about the pelicans, though, they have plenty of other nearby piers, as evidenced by their presence, and some are good at balancing on the points. ...and now you know the (Pelican) Rest of the story! I am not rich*. So, what brought this peon here? Special event with catered food at the outdoor wooden bar. Good food, watching a beautiful sunset, and then the Moody Gardens' fireworks capped a great night. * There's a slim hope for me getting rich, if I get back pay of a penny per word from Yelp on my reviews. P.S. Buying a large boat is like a pelican eats: it catches prey in its large gular sack, squeezes the water out the side of its bill, moves the food until it is facing head-down in its throat, and swallows. For buying a boat, you plunge headfirst and squeeze your wallet empty. Galveston is moving up several notches with this development. "Y'ought" to go here!

First time fishing! Overall it was cool…read more Once you sign up for the tour they send you a ton of info via email when you book and just before your vist. Go over it all carefully, before you go. Its located right next to Katies Seafood in Galveston, if your familiar. Its more like a check in shack, no bathrooms. We did the 4 hr tour, this was enough time, we went to 3 seperate fishing locations. Boat ride to get out there is pretty slow, so prepare for that. What's nice about this is they provide the boat, rods, bait etc. And you just show up with your fishing license. You can bring your own soft shell cooler with snacks/food. It's a nice family outing. If you are a novice fisherwoman this is for you. There was 2 guys going around giving basic casting info, and They help you get your fish out the water, and store it until you get to shore, then you get the fish directly handed to you. They do seek out tips at the end of the ride. The con is that because you are so close to the next person sitting to you fishing your hook gets caught and easily tangled up with your neighbor. It's good for there business to maximize seats but not great from fisherwoman perspective. Too much interference/competition the people sitting next to you. and there's fisherman on the dock around the boat after the tour that will break down your fish right near the deck for $5.00. Caught 2 catfish, but due to size was not able to keep. Pros and cons for sure.

The fishing reports have stated that this season hasn't been great, but we wanted to wet a hook…read more After multiple stops the boat had caught our red snapper limit. Mostly 18 to 26 inches with a few exceptional fish. Then we began fishing for vermilion snapper having no catch limit. I specifically asked for guidance to catch them from our deck hand. With this info, my son and I caught an additional 16 fish. On the ride back I spoke with many other passengers and they were not given this advice and they had little success with the Vermilion. Lack of communication is a weakness with many businesses, including this one. Such an easy way to significantly improve client experience. Had the boat been communicating with the fisherman during the 4 hour ride out to the fishing area, explaining equipment use and techniques would have significantly reduced line entanglement (which always happens) caused from novice fisherman. The boat was full, so when demand is high, a business does not have to work hard for it's clients. They have lots of room for improvement, but at the end of the day, we caught fish. The prices (for the trip and on the boat) were reasonable and we had fun. My son and I were happy.

I had the urge to go kayaking and found this listing on a random internet search. Great single and…read moretandem kayak all day rental prices. Be sure to call ahead of time for reservations. We wanted to do an early morning kayak, unfortunately they were all rented out until 4 in the afternoon. The evening kayak was perfect. The water was so calm, the weather was so nice. We brought beers for the kayak and stayed out on the water for a few hours waiting for the sunset. Make sure you remember where the dock is at! Bathrooms are hard to come across, so if you're drinking... best of luck to ya, luckily we docked at a random spot and I ran across a port-a-potty. What great luck! The sunset on the water is gorgeous. An experience that you need to put on your bucketlist.

They close early.... At 5, but weren't even open until 5. We got there before 5 and they said they…read morewere already closed. Recommend trying elsewhere, Bait Daddys is right down the road.