The last time we landed at Orlando International Airport, Dustin spotted a unique-looking catamaran boat sitting in the middle of the airport lounge. It looked like two surfboards put together with an outboard motor. This boat is small but fits two people. Of course, Dustin was beyond excited and didn’t stop talking about wanting to drive one. Luckily, we found out about Catboat Escapes, a tour company that offers rides on these personal catboats, right outside Orlando, Florida. It was such an exciting adventure, speeding through the vast lakes of Clermont, gliding across the open wetlands, and snaking through the narrow crooked river, lined with cypress trees. Catboat ride was a perfect adventure to do if you’re in Orlando.
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Catboat Escapes Tour Info
Website:
https://www.catboatescapes.com
Packages:
At the time we went, they had a special of $99 per person for a 2 hours tour. Please check their website for more updated pricing.
Time:
The tour is 2 hours.
Where
Cypress Cove Marina and Resort:
10354 Cypress Cove Ln, Clermont, FL 34711
Parking
There is a small, paved parking inside the marina
Restroom
There is a restroom next to the parking lot. There is no restroom while you’re on the tour.
Pet-friendly
I don’t believe dogs are allowed.
Ideal Time
It’s Florida so you can pretty much go any time. However, if there is thunderstorms, they might have to reschedule.
Weather
Important Things
- Catboats have a weight limit of 250 lbs. per passenger. You must be under 250 lbs. to take this tour.
- You’ll need to be over 18 with a valid driver’s license to drive the boat. If you were born after January 1st, 1988, you will need to have a Florida Boater Certification to drive. You can easily get a temporary certificate here. There is a fee to take the course.
Video
About Catboat Escapes and the Booking Process
Catboat Escapes is a pretty new tour company founded by Nate, who used to be a professional stunt man, as well as a safety consultant for multiple companies such as Sea World San Diego and Universal Hollywood. This means that our safety comes first while we were out on the tour with him. The booking process for the catboat ride tour in Orlando is super easy. You can either book through their website or call in and talk to Nate. He is very friendly and funny and he will answer any questions you have.
The Adventure
Getting There
The launch point for the Catboat Escapes catboat ride is located in Cypress Cove Marina & Resort, about 25 miles from Orlando. You should be able to use the address above to get yourself there. Once turning into the Marina, follow the road all the way to the end. There should be parking on the left-hand side. After you park, cross over the small wooden bridge to the small island. You should be able to see the fleet of catboats basking in the sun, waiting for a full day of adventures.
Checking In
We got to Cypress Cove Marina & Resort about 15 minutes earlier than our scheduled tour time. At first, we didn’t know where to go. Luckily, we’d run into a worker at the Marina, who kindly told us where to go. We quickly crossed over the small wooden bridge connecting the main area to a tiny island. As we crossed over the bridge, we can see the fleet of the catboats, lining the shoreline, ready for us.
Dustin excitedly ran over like a little boy seeing the incoming ice cream trucks. One by one, the other people on our tours showed up. Once everyone was there, Nate quickly went over the safety protocols, showed us how to drive the catboats, then helped everyone put on their life jackets. He then showed us to our boats. Each catboat is equipped with 2 seats underneath a bimini top, a small ice chest filled with cold water, a storage compartment for your personal items, and 2 handheld radios. One of the radios is mounted in between the 2 seats, while the passager of the boat keeps the other one. This was how Nate communicated and guided us throughout the tour.
Getting to Crooked River
After everyone was seated comfortably in our seats, Nate patiently pushed each boat out on the water, then quickly followed behind. As soon as everyone gathered outside the cove, Nate got up front and gave us a clear signal. Everyone stepped on the gas and followed Nate across Lake Minnehaha toward the small canal that leads into Lake Susan. After everyone made it safely across, Nate slowed down and told us to follow him in a single file. This was our first taste driving through the narrow passage, lined with cypress trees. It is a short passage before we got to our second lake, lake Susan. Once again, we pulled the throttled to speed across the lake.
Crooked River Section
Our next destination is the Crooked River. This river is aptly named. It winds through the wetlands and connects Lake Susan the Lake Louisa. This was our favorite part of the tour! This section is beautiful. The Crooked River has many narrow passageways lined with beautiful cypress trees. Most of these trees are covered with Spanish moss, which makes the route even more spectacular. There were also tons of wildlife along the way. Please note that you will be sharing the river with other boats and kayakers so make sure to go slow and give them plenty of room. Luckily, the catboats are very agile and quite easy to handle. They are also small enough to be able to go through smaller gaps as well.
As we drove along the Crooked River, Nate also gave us tons of neat info about the area and the wildlife around here. He also very skillfully engaged everyone in the tour with his gator trivia. It was actually fun and informative. Throughout the tour, Nate patiently and expertly guided us safely through the high traffic areas as well as the narrow passages. To think that such a unique experience riding this small catboat is here in Orlando!
The Rest of the Tour
After the Crooked River, we once again sped through the open area of Lake Louisa before finishing up at a small cove along the side of the lake. We then headed back to Lake Susan. However, Nate had a surprise in store for us. When we got to Lake Susan, he told us to go play by ourselves for 15 minutes. We can drive as fast as we want, safely of course. It was pretty exciting to crank up the gas as fast as we can, gliding through the open lake. Once everyone had enough fun, we met up with Nate at the other side of the lake and made our way back to Cypress Cove.
We had so much fun with Nate and Catboat Escapes. It was a wonderful combination of exciting adventure ripping through the lake and a leisure, informative tour through the beautiful passageways of the Clermont chain of lakes. Not only the tour itself was fun, but we also enjoyed Nate as our guide. We couldn’t have asked for a better tour guide. If you’re in Orlando, you must do the catboat ride! It’s worth it! Besides this, we recommend doing the airboat ride with Wild Willy. If you’re willing to drive, the bioluminescence kayak tour in Titusville is incredible, as well as the tube ride in Blue Spring State Park!
These are the gear that we personally use and find them helpful for this particular adventure. Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.
things to bring
- Sunscreens. Even though there is a shade cover, your legs will be in the sun. We use eco-friendly, reef-safe sunscreen, Stream2Sea SPF 30, and tinted, organic All Good Organic Sunscreen Butter.
- Clothes that can get wet.
- Sunglasses, but no hats. Hats don’t seem to stay on for too long.
- Always good to bring some snacks with you. For healthy and easy snacks, check out some of our recipes.
camera gear
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