How much does it cost to rent a boat in Chicago?
At Knot My Boat Charters, a private yacht for up to 13 guests starts at $285–$420/hr depending on the boat, plus a captain you hire separately. Event yachts for larger groups start at $1,000/hr with captain and crew included. Charters start at a three-hour minimum, and our fleet of 23 vessels carries groups of up to 125 guests.
Chicago boat rental pricing by boat size
Price is set mainly by the boat you choose. The rates below are each vessel's starting hourly rate; your quote depends on the boat, the date and how many hours you book. Charters start at three hours, with longer charters available depending on the vessel and schedule, and peak dates such as holidays and popular weekends may require 4- or 8-hour blocks. Select a boat to see its photos, amenities and booking calendar.
Rates on the 13-guest Sea Rays cover the boat only; you bring your own food and drinks and hire a captain. Rates on the larger event yachts include captain and crew, and the final price is built from the hourly rate plus a per-person bar package, sales tax and service charge. For your exact date, check live availability and pricing or compare the full Chicago fleet.
Boat rental costs by group size
Guest count decides which boats you can book, and that sets the price range. Pricing is per boat, not per person, and children count toward capacity.
Chicago party boat & event yacht pricing
For birthdays, bachelor and bachelorette parties and summer days at the Chicago Playpen, most groups of 13 or fewer book a private Sea Ray at $285–$420/hr. These boats are BYOB, which keeps the cost of a party boat down: the boat rate and the captain are the main costs.
Larger parties, weddings and company outings move to our Coast Guard–inspected event yachts: the 57' Power Catamaran and the 72' Classic Chris Craft for up to 49 guests, or the 78' Power Catamaran for up to 125. Rates start at $1,000/hr with captain and crew included; outside food and drinks are not normally allowed, so plan on a per-person bar package plus sales tax and service charge, with catering optional. For company events, see corporate yacht charters in Chicago. Evening charters on these boats are popular for Navy Pier fireworks cruises.
How much does a boat captain cost?
On our 13-guest boats, captains typically charge $100–$125 per hour before gratuity, paid directly to the captain. On our event yachts, the captain and crew are included in the charter price.
13-passenger boats
Hire a captain after checkout. On the 37' through 56' Sea Ray fleet, you review a list of captains familiar with our boats after checkout and pay your captain directly. The customary tip is 10–20% of the boat price, not of the captain's hourly rate.
COI vessels, 14+ guests
Captain and crew included. On the 57' Power Catamaran, 72' Classic Chris Craft and 78' Power Catamaran, a licensed captain and crew come with the charter, not as an add-on. Check your quote for gratuity details.
Boat club & membership costs
If you plan to go out several times a season, a boat club membership usually costs less per outing than booking charters one at a time. Season memberships are priced by boat: The Half (10 outings) runs $9,950–$12,500 and The Full (20 outings) runs $15,495–$19,495. Split with co-members on a payment plan, membership currently starts from $403 per month per person.
What membership covers:
- Docking, fuel, cleaning, maintenance, taxes and insurance covered
- Access across the membership fleet, May through October
- Holidays bookable, with no blackout dates
- Co-members can share the season
- A payment plan after a $1,000 deposit
See current Chicago boat membership plans and monthly pricing, or read how a Chicago yacht membership works.