No. Sovereign Boat Fleet is a self-drive boat rental service - not a club or membership. You pay only for the days you use. There are no dues, annual fees, or initiation fees.

Yes. You will be required to complete a comprehensive boat-instruction course with our USCG-licensed captain. Once you are proficient, the captain will approve your use of SBF boats at all locations. We pass the captain's charge through at cost. Becoming a confident captain is an exhilarating experience, and you may eventually decide to buy your own boat.

No. All boats are self-drive. You will receive an evaluation of your boat-handling skills before your first rental. A USCG-licensed captain or instructor is available at an additional charge if you need instruction. If alcoholic beverages will be served during a party, state and federal laws prohibit the boat operator from drinking and driving, so a captain can be arranged for hire.

Our captain will familiarize you with the boat. Hands-on training is available from a certified captain or instructor at cost. It may be the best money you spend toward becoming a safe, confident operator.

After paying for your package, you will receive an individual password for our reservation calendar. You may make up to four reservations at a time for any dates within the following 12 months. Each time you use one reserved day, you may reserve another, allowing you to keep up to four future days reserved at all times – if sufficient days remain in your package.

A cancellation made by 10:00 a.m. on the day before your reservation will not count as a used day. A cancellation after that deadline will be charged because the boat must be made available to other renters with proper notice. Rain or cool weather alone does not waive the charge. You will not be charged when USCG or NOAA small-craft warnings are in effect or when a named storm affects the area. Check the weather the morning before your reservation.

Yes. Payment terms are available for packages of 12 days or more. The current terms are shown in the pricing section above.

Yes. Only one weekend day may be reserved during a given weekend, although Friday and Saturday or Sunday and Monday may be booked consecutively. Insurance permits travel up to 25 miles offshore. Travel to the Bahamas requires special insurance waivers, equipment, and permits that take time to procure. For safety, SBF boats are limited to no more than eight passengers at one time. Children 13 and under must wear a PFD at all times (state law), which must be provided by the renter. These PFDs should be the vest type and be comfortable for the child. Do not leave these PFDs on the boat, as they are your property, and we are not responsible for them.

Yes. Provided that enough days remain in your package, you may reserve a boat for up to three consecutive nights and four consecutive days during the week. Insurance requires the boat to be secured at a marina each night; overnight anchoring is prohibited.

The marinas in St. Petersburg and Palm Beach operate from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For an earlier departure or later return, call us so we can ask the marina to launch the boat the afternoon before or retrieve it the following morning. The Bradenton marina is open 24/7.

Yes. In this respect, renting from SBF resembles ownership. You must clean and wash down the boat and flush the engines with fresh water. If you cannot do so, a $175 charge applies for an outside cleaning service to prepare the boat for the next user.

Yes. Similar to a car rental, a $69 boat-insurance charge applies for each used day and is billed at the end of the month. You are also responsible for the fuel you use.