A Sea Day

The "Crew"

Today we decided to rent a boat and tour the area around Sebastian FL from the inter-coastal waterway. After some internet research a couple of rental spots were found and some phone calls narrowed it down to one called ‘Held’s Indian River Island Adventures’. We called and reserved an 18 ft Pontoon boat with a 50 hp 4 stroke engine.

At the Wheel

Deck Fluff

Our ‘adventure’ however did not start well. We pulled into the address to see lots of boats, all complete wrecks, in very bad states of repair. A hand painted ‘OFFICE’ sign directed us to a door sorely in need of alignment and a coat of paint, and it took three tries knocking on the door to bring a weary yawning man to the door. He ushered us into the messiest office I have ever seen. A bag of cat food leaned against the wall by the door, a child’s drawing sat on a make-shift table, boat parts occupied most corners, and a bare mattress with a blanket was on the floor behind the desk. After signing an 8 page ‘waiver’ and turning over credit cards, we were directed down the road to the dock while he “Went to get gas”. Was it gas for the boat, or could he finally afford gas for his truck now that some tourists were renting his boat?

Beer Stop

Down the road, we did indeed find a dock with a pontoon boat with “HELD’S RENTALS” on the side. Not new, not shiny, seats a bit worn, but it looked mostly sea-worthy. Gary one of our friends and the ‘Captain’ for the day (also always an optimist), suggested “This is perfect; we don’t have to worry about how we treat this boat, no one will notice a few more scrapes and bangs.” No Bill, the ropes were not coiled – in fact they were so short we had to tie three together to tie the boat up at one of the islands . . . .

Now, the boat actually worked like a top, ran perfectly, was nicely set up, comfortable, and perfect for our day on the waterway. The owner was a great help, giving us a brief operating course and lots of helpful advice about attractions in the area. 

Drinks on the Island

Relaxing On Board

Dolphin Entertainment

We spent a wonderful day on the water. We visited a couple of islands and explored them, stopped at a local “Bar & Grill” where we could motor right up to the wharf to tie up, and get a nice cold beer. We visited a Manatee preserve (Didn’t see any however), and were entertained by a pod of dolphins who circled our boat playfully for fifteen minutes, jumping out of the water right beside the boat.

Although the boat was slightly less than perfect, the day was. Everyone had a great time, got way to much sun, and came home happy and tired from a wonderful day at sea.