The Landings of Tarpon Springs

We had the greatest experience. Natalie & Chris were so helpful. We were from out of state and they gave us great insight. The boat was great and the Island was Awesome!
Highly recommend.
Things to bring, Cooler, Beach chairs, Diving mask
Can’t wait to go back.

Our family was looking forward to a beautiful day of dolphin watching and swimming. Our day was an experience, but not one for the photo album.
When I arrived I was given rental options of either the pontoon boat or deck boat. We were leaning toward the pontoon at a half day rental of $ 155, but when I went to inspect the boat it was quite unsightly. Beyond the boat’s obvious age, the seats were torn and the carpet is thread bare. So I looked at the deck boat which was quoted for $ 200 for the half day. This boat was just ok. It too was old, but at least it wasn’t disgraceful.
As I walked with the dock manager back to the office I inquired about the fleet of brand new beautiful pontoon boats. I was told those were for boat club members and then I got the $ 800 initiation fee and $ 239/​month sales pitch.
We went with the deck boat and as I was getting under way the dock manager says, don’t try to trim the engine it’s in the proper positions and might stick. That was the clue… I should have done a 180 and canceled the trip, but I didn’t want to disappoint the kids so we were underway.
In the channel the steering was not optimal, ok it stunk. The motor was either over or under corrected with every movement of the steering wheel. The steering did improve under faster speeds so it was manageable.
We got out into the Gulf, into the channel and that is where we spent the day. We could not get any closer to shore to swim than three feet of water. Why? Well the motor would not trim. I called the marina and inquired further and was told it trims, its just slow. This was the furthest thing from the truth. The trim was broken.
Fast forward, we did do some dolphin watching in deeper water and then headed back to the marina.
Fast forward we return the boat, fuel, and what not. The family is loaded into the car and I’m heading back to the car and I hear an awful scraping noise. I walk back to the office in time to see the boat lift fail and drop what looked to be a very expensive boat.
I did not see any spotters working the dry dock area to assist with crowd control, so I believe this business is lucky no one was hurt or killed during this accident.
Suffice it to say there are many options in the area for rental and other boat services. I would not recommend this one.