Downtime Boat Charters has a two hour minimum, however we suggest booking at least 3 hours in order to truly enjoy Charleston and your time on the water. If you have a certain destination, sight, or idea in mind please contact us so we can make sure you have plenty of time. If you have younger children please keep in mind how long they will be okay on the water. Depending on age, 2-3 hours tends to be the max, but you know your child better than we do.

As soon as possible. Our schedule fills quickly and last minute reservations are not always possible. Holidays, events, and weekends are usually the first to be reserved so plan ahead! We cut off online booking 3 days before. With at least a few hours notice we can attempt to assemble a crew and get the boat ready, but no promises. Please call as soon as possible if you are attempting a last minute booking so we can confirm availability and start work in the background.

We would love to have you stay longer and we are happy to add on time. The only restrictions are if there is another charter scheduled after yours, the crew's availability, and at the discretion of the Captain. Odds are good that in the summer and during weekends we will not be able to extend. Additional time added while on charter will be billed at the full hourly rate. Booking an extra hour ahead of time may save you money vs. trying to add later.

Absolutely! Let us know as soon as possible so we can make sure we have the right safety equipment and personnel assigned to the trip. If you were originally below 6 passengers and decided to invite a few more, we will update the invoice and invoice you separately Please minimize changes within 7 days of the trip. Changes within 7 days may result in delays, additional fees, or be denied. There will be no refunds for passengers not showing up at the time of charter.

Traffic in Charleston can be unpredictable. We stress the importance of planning to be at the dock early to help account for delays in the group being ready to go and traffic on the way. If you are running late we will do our best to work with you to make sure you get as much time on the boat as possible. Our crew will prioritize getting our safety brief completed and leave the dock as soon as possible. It is difficult to simply push the start and end times due to other charters and crew scheduling. We can sometimes run a few minutes late returning back to the dock but anything more than 10-15 minutes will require extending the charter or paying for the crew standby time.

Our online booking service will require the amount to be paid in full for automated approval of the trip. This can be done with a credit or debt card through our booking checkout. At a minimum we need a 50% deposit to confirm the trip. If you prefer to do a deposit for now, contact us so we can send you a custom invoice. The remaining balance will be due 24 hours before the charter unless other arrangements have been made. Deposits and invoice balances can be paid through Credit Card or Venmo

A family day out on the boat is a great time and we are happy to allow children on board. You know your children, please keep their limits (heat, attention, etc.) in mind when booking the length of charter to make sure everyone has a great time. We have a limited number of "Child" and "Infant" sized life jackets so please let us know in your booking how many children will be joining. Keep in mind Children do count as passengers toward our limit, regardless of their age. By South Carolina law we are a large enough vessel that children and infants do not have to wear a life jacket while we are underway. However, for safety reasons, we recommend they do. Amazon, Walmart, West Marine, etc. all sell comfortable life jackets (much more comfortable than what we use on board) and we recommend purchasing one to bring with you for them to wear. They are fairly inexpensive, but there is such a wide range of sizes that we could never stock all of them on board. At the end of the trip, if you have no need for the jacket, we are happy to take it and donate it to a local charity.

Sunscreen lotion (No spray sunscreen), hat, sunglasses, towels, food, and any drinks you would like. We have plenty of coolers but if it is easier to bring your own you are welcome to. We have plenty of space and there are carts available to bring it down the dock.

- Spray sunscreen, it harms the finishes on boats and can cause damage. Also, it is very harmful for the environment and not economical to purchase. - Illegal drugs (including marajuana, sorry to those from out of state, federal law - federal waters). By law, our Captains must be regularly drug tested and we cannot risk their livelyhoods/licensure through exposure. - Please avoid glassware if possible for the safety of all on board. - Bananas... Yes really, bananas. Banana's have a dark history aboard boats dating back to the 1700's.

Never expected, but always appreciated! The boat charter business is a service industry and follows similar general gratuity recommendations with about 10% being standard. Your crew will work very hard to ensure your comfort and safety. They also put in a few hours of work to prepare and clean the boat before and after every trip. If you feel they did a good job or went above and beyond, please let them know. Gratuities are always split evenly between the crew. Cash is preferred but we know that can be a pain; we also have Venmo or can charge a card if needed.

Absolutely! This is your charter and we want to make sure you get to do and see exactly what you would like. If you know ahead of time of any special requests, drop us a message so we can plan accordingly and make sure we can make it happen. If not, no worries, let the Crew know at any point during the charter and they will try their best to accommodate in the time booked.

We want to make sure to be able to give our guests the full experience and not cut any of their time short. Anchoring, preparing to have people in the water, and cleaning up all adds up to a significant amount of time. On a 2 hour trip you get much more for your money if we continue to cruise than to only get to swim for a few minutes.

The beauty of Downtime is the stability of the vessel. It does not pitch and roll like a normal boat due to the construction and weight. Odds are, as we stay in the harbor and protected waters the risks of sea sickness are minimized. If you start to feel sick on board, let us know as soon as possible so we can give you a few tricks to hold you over while we search for calmer water. We know you can't control it, so if we need to end the charter early we will work with you on refunding a portion of the remaining time. If you, or a member of your party, are extra sensitive to motion sickness, let us know before we leave the dock so we can utilize extra caution or change our route plan to stay in smooth waters. Please consult with a doctor regarding anti-nausea medications. If you require these medications we suggest taking them early as once you are on the boat or feeling sick it is likely too late.

We will have a minimum of water and limited soft drinks (Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite) on board for you. Anything else you choose to bring is up to you. Adult beverages are 100% okay, please avoid glassware if possible. Snacks are usually a good idea to plan for if we are going over 3 hours or depending on what else your group is doing that day or how much you plan on drinking.

Not at all. Unless that is the easiest way to get your items down the dock and onto the boat. You can use ours or we will make space for yours. We have two 50L refrigerated coolers on board (no ice needed) which will be about 75% available to you. Thats about 90 cans worth of space between the coolers with the ability to turn one section to freezing if needed.

Absolutely, but please drink responsibly. It is very easy to drink too much on the water and in the sun. Remember the long walk back up the dock when we are done. If a member of the group does over indulge a bit we may ask them to stop drinking and/or remain seated inside the cabin. We will be happy to continue the charter if it is safe to do so. Safety is always our priority. The Captain of the vessel has the authority to end the charter and land the vessel at the closest dock if the safety of our guests, crew, or vessel is in question. If the charter is terminated due to the actions of the guests, Downtime Boat Charters will not be responsible for land transportation arrangements and no refunds will be issued.

We don't currently offer any packages but we can help to stock the boat for you with any food or drinks at your request. We need at least a few days of notice and will invoice you for the products with a small fee.

Never! Once we hit the summer months the weather forecast will call for rain everyday. When these storms pop up, they tend to leave as quickly as they started. We have had some groups actually have more fun in the rain than in the sun. We have indoor space and a slide out cover for the back deck to provide plenty of dry space where the party can continue. Safety is our priority and will always err on the side of safety. Weather cancelations will be at the discretion of the Captain based on the conditions. If Downtime Boat Charters cancels due to weather, you will be given a full refund or the option to reschedule. We will always err on the side of safety and comfort, if it looks like weather will impact your booking we will be in contact early to discuss options.

Requests for rescheduling will be considered on a case by case basis and are subject to a rescheduling fee. The rescheduling fee is determined by the amount of notice given prior to the charter date and time: Outside 7 days: no fee* Within 7 days: $50* Within 24 hours up to 4 hour prior: $150* * Note - Dependent on requested date/time being available. Rescheduled charters cannot be canceled for a refund and do not fall within the cancelation policy.

A full refund will be given up to 7 days before the scheduled charter. Within 7 days a 50% refund will be provided. There is no refund for cancellations within 24 hours of the scheduled charter. For safety, weather cancelations are at the discretion of the Captain only and at the time of the charter. The weather forecasts are never correct, we always show up to the boat and see what the weather is at the time of the charter and in the harbor. It is not uncommon for it to be storming downtown but sunny in Mount Pleasant. If the weather is severe or unsafe to be on the water, we will be in contact and will try to work out the best alternative. First, we will postpone if the time is agreeable for the guests and crew if the weather appears to be moving off. If conditions do not improve and/or the Captain cancels the charter, you will have the option to a full refund or reschedule if available. We do not usually cancel charters for light rain or moderately windy conditions.