Captain Chris was very kind and respectful in allowing us to say goodbye to my uncle, father,…read moremother, and her 10 cats :), by laying their ashes to rest in Lake Michigan. He made us feel safe and accommodated our needs. He's very professional, calm and personable. Everything went very smoothly and we couldn't have chosen a better captain. We really appreciate Captain Chris and highly recommend Knock Out Charters!!

Captain Chris & the entire crew made our day! We booked a…read moresunday pregame cruise for the Bears vs Cowboys on september 21st. We were able to board & sail around tailgate style for a couple hours before getting dropped off at soldier field. After the game we go picked up & had a nice 20 minute ride back to DuSable harbor. The vessel is awesome & they provided staff to bartend, etc. Awesome day! I highly recommend KnockOut Charters & will definitely book again in the future.

Pre Sail GP hang waiting for the breeze to pick up with friends, what a nice day…read more It's a Chicago gem.

What can be said about the Play Pen? If you're on a boat during the summer in Chicago life could…read morenot be better. The weather is probably great, the people are better and chances are you are on a very nice boat of a friend of a friend...(more so applies to females). The Play Pen is where almost every boating trip on Lake Michigan drops anchor. Makes for fantastic people-watching, other boats going by, jetskis, people jumping off and swimming. PLEASE be considerate with the speed and others in the water. AMAZING views of the city skyline and Navy Pier. Nestled right in Oak Street Beach. The water is chillyyyy but great for 1. hangovers 2. seasick 3, if its really hot out

Great place to kayak, hike, bike, fish, picnic and basically anything else outdoorsish. It is a…read morebeautiful space, just like everything else in the giant area that is the Palos Forest Preserves.

Love this place for canoeing and bbk. The people at the boating area are supper nice, informative…read moreand prompt. They accept credit cards!!!! They have a few options. They have canoes and kayaks. Definitely coming back soon

Highly recommend this company. They go above and beyond and we always have the best time with them…read more Will continue to use them for our future boat rides!

From the owner: Affordably priced boat and yacht charters in beautiful downtown Chicago! Call or text 872-287-7999…read moretoday for more information!

Captain Russell gave us a great experience on the lake, in the sun and the breeze, with a…read morespectacular view of the city and a great time for all of us. Thanks!

As boating season starts in Chicago, I just wanted to let you know that Russell took me, my…read morechildren and their significant others out for my "birthday celebration" and it was thee BEST boating experience this Chicago gal has ever had. Russell took us on the most beautiful route and his boat is beautiful and comfortable for viewing, eating, drinking and laying out if you like. My favorite moment was when we anchored and me and my kiddos did a celebratory jump into the lake as Russell videotaped us. Big Thanks to Russell for the BEST Boating experience in CHI. He is so knowledgable and experienced that I highly recommend 1st Class Charters Chicago!!

Great first time kayaking! The views were breathtaking and the staff member was very informative…read moreand kind to us. I will be doing this regularly. It's a great way to explore downtown Chicago and connect with yourself.

First, it says when booking that it will be two hours. The start time is 8:15. So I told my…read morebabysitter an end time based off of that. The day of the tour we get a text saying it will be three hours. That meant we had to scramble to see if our babysitter could stay at least an hour longer. Second, they put a green light on each kayak on each so it can be seen at night on the river (we did the fireworks tour). I am not exaggerating when I say half of the kayaks on the tour lights were out on the way to the fireworks. That made me feel unsafe and anxious. It also made it more difficult to figure out who our tour guides were because at least two tour guides' lights went out as well. Third, they directed us to "park" (not sure how else to put it) for the fireworks in a spot that the other kayak tour groups seemed to very clearly know was to be avoided because a giant boat was going to dock there. This resulted in our group being yelled at by another kayaking group that we should leave for our own safety because a boat was going to dock there. Then the boat was descending upon us and we had to play kayak-frogger across the river in a mad dash at the last minute while the giant boat honked and played sirens because we were in its way. Again, felt very unsafe. For a person looking for a a casual, fun kayaking experience, this whole thing was too stressful. Would not recommend. Other kayaking places we saw on the water seemed more organized and safety-conscious.

Upon our first visit at Tampier Lake we were able to stop at the boating center directly on the…read morepeninsula of the lake. I was always under the impression people were able to rent kayaks or boats, but I was happy to find out even more information. Staff were very professional, verifying all customers wear a mask. I was promptly reminded to do so upon entering. This is the rule for all, vaccinated or non-vaccinated. I inquired with the staff what the minimum age to ride any water craft was and was told children have to be at least 3 years of age. All boaters are to also wear a life vest and the last rental is at 6PM. Rates seem very reasonable, as kayaks, boats, and paddle boats are $20 per hour. Fishing boats are $25 per hour with a minimum rental of two hours. Whereas it was our first time and we were just visiting the lake we now have all the details moving forward. Leave the little one at home and rent away! We will return.