Fontana Lake Charter Boat Service

RULES & POLICIES

 

 

RULES

 

1) We provide the following link called the “Pre-Charter Checklist”. This link provides important information that recommends what you should consider bringing on any of our charters. The rule of thumb here is to please pay close attention to this information.

 

2) Guests are welcome to bring snacks, and soft drinks with them. Alcoholic beverages are also permitted, but drunkenness is not. The Captain reserves the right to ask a guest to stop drinking if he deems the guest has consumed enough alcoholic beverages. All alcoholic beverages must be consumed in a plastic cup, or plastic wineglass. Alcoholic beverage containers must be stowed away, out of sight, at all times. Alcohol is permitted on all of our charters, however, those who consume alcohol on any of our water recreation charters, will be required to wear a life jacket (PFD) while swimming, or engaged in any other water-sport activity. All empty containers and trash must be placed in the boats trash receptacle.

 

3) Please be considerate, and help keep our vessel and lake clean by not leaving trash lying about the boat, and by not throwing anything overboard.

 

4) Spiked heeled shoes, clothing with sharp objects, jewelry, or other items that could damage the vessel, inflatable equipment, or harm another guest will not be permitted aboard.

 

5) Please do not bring ice chests or coolers aboard the vessel. We provide complimentary ice in our boat cooler, which is large enough to stow your snack items. Please place food items in zip-lock bags. Please keep carry-on bags to a book bag sized backpack for your personal needs. Towels can be hand carried on to save space in your carry-on bag.

 

6) Guests are encouraged to bring their favorite CD’s, cassettes, and MP3’s. Captain Dean keeps onboard a personal collection of music CD’s that cater to most music genres, and he would be more than happy to play anything you would like to hear… hmmm within reason.

 

7) Guests should plan on arriving at least 15 minutes prior to their charter time. We operate on a strict time schedule, and if you are running late, you can try to notify the Captain at (828) 736-4118. Due to cell phone service inconsistencies on the lake, it is not guaranteed that your call will go through, and the Captain will only wait 15 minutes past the scheduled time for his guests to show. If you have not arrived by 15 minutes past your scheduled charter time, then the Captain will consider you a no show. There are no refunds granted if the Captain leaves because he considered you a no show. (See our POLICIES section below.)

 

POLICIES:

 

Safety:

 

1) Due to safety concerns and mostly the cost of insurance, we cannot take children under 7 years of age on any of our charters. Our charters are not handicap accessible, and we do not recommended guests who are unable to walk up inclines, or down declines to participate. The dock and ramp are just below the parking area, which means the walk down and up to the parking area is sloped.

 

2) Safety is our top concern. Fontana Lake Charter Boat Service takes boating, fishing, recreational water sports, and your safety very seriously. We make every effort to ensure you have an enjoyable lake experience. However, there are risks associated with recreational boating, fishing, and water-sport activities. We do not assume liability for personal injuries or deaths. All guests will be required to read and sign our Liability Waiver Form prior to boarding any of charter boats. To save a lot of time at the dock, prior to boarding, we recommend that our guests print out our online waiver, read and sign it at home. Once aboard, the Captain will conduct a short passenger safety briefing that is required by the U.S. Coast Guard.

 

 

Operations:

 

1) Our charters operate rain or shine. A charter will only be canceled if the Captain deems conditions too severe to operate safely.

 

 

Payments:

 

1) All charters are private, and by pre-paid reservation only. Bookings are accepted throughout the year with at least 72 hours of advanced notice. We recommend booking your charter at least two weeks in advance. This will assure that the time and day you wish to charter us is available. Charter requests made two weeks prior to the charter date will be temporarily reserved for 48 hours, and are only confirmed upon payment within the 48 hour period. If the charter request is made three or more weeks in advance, the reservation will temporarily be held for one week, and will only be confirmed upon payment within that one week period.

 

2) A 48 hour temporary reservation payment can be made through our online PayPal payment center, or with a credit card at the time of your call. Once we receive payment confirmation, your reservation is guaranteed. If the payment is not received within the 48 hour period, we reserve the right to cancel the reservation without notice.

 

3) A one week temporary reservation payment can be made by mailing a check or money order to our office, by making a payment using our online PayPal payment center, or by paying with a credit card at the time of your call. Once we receive payment confirmation, your reservation is guaranteed. If the payment is not received within the one week period, we reserve the right to cancel the reservation without notice.

 

4) Confirmation of your charter will be via email, or by a phone call once we receive your payment.

 

 

Refunds:

 

2) Full Refunds: Full refunds are only given if Fontana Lake Charter Boat Service or the charter Captain cancels the entire charter for any reason, or if you cancel 6 or more days prior to your reservation date. If you cancel 5 or less days before your charter date, we will access a 15% cancellation fee.

 

3) Partial Refunds: Should a trip become affected by adverse conditions, the Captain can decide to return to the dock, and the guest will receive a partial refund by way of a check mailed to an address of their choice. We calculate the partial refund by taking the price the guest paid for the charter, dividing it by how long the tour was scheduled for, and refunding the remaining unused time rounded down to the nearest half hour.

 

Example:  If the Captain decides to return to the dock 45 minutes early because conditions are arising that cause safety concerns, then a 30 minute refund will be returned to the guest by way of a check being mailed to an address of the guests choosing, but if the Captain returns to dock 25 minutes early there will not be a partial refund given.

 

4) No Refunds: There will not be a refund given if you are a no show. No refund will be given should the Captain refuse to take a guest who has not complied with our rules, exhibits disruptive behavior, appears intoxicated or to be using drugs, or for any other reason the Captain may deem a reasonable reason.