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Fishing Float

Experience  the  Difference
of Nantahala Shores
Boat Rentals

We are the "Laid-Back" Rental Company!

Come see why renting a boat has never been easier than

with Nantahala Shores Boat Rentals.

 

Bigger doesn't always mean better.  When you choose our small, family-owned business for your multi-day or weekly boat rental needs, we hope you will see this for yourself.  At NSBR, you can expect both a well-equipped boat and excellent customer service,  delivered at a budget friendly price. In fact, we guarantee our prices are less than any other rental company on the lake. "Escape the Ordinary" with Nantahala Shores!

We pride ourselves on keeping the rental process as simple as possible... Our goal is for you to spend less time going over policies and completing paperwork, and more time creating great memories during your vacation on the Lake.

As lifelong residents of the Nantahala area, we know the lake and locale like no other company, and we hope to earn your business year after year as you fall in love with the place we call Home.

PONTOON
BOATS

As a general rule, all of our boats are offered on a first come, first serve basis for reservation.  If you prefer a specific boat, please mention this when you call, or we will be happy to make a suggestion we feel will best accommodate your party's needs. If a specific boat is not requested, any of the 4 boats available on your rental date may be delivered. 

To view photos of our boat(s), please check out our gallery above, or visit our Facebook page!  Simply navigate to the "Images" section of the page, and click on the "Our Fleet" album. We will be adding photos of our 2021 SunTracker (Blue) soon!

 

We update these images regularly and also encourage customers to tag us in their own photos while enjoying time on the water!

We have merch! Ask about a t-shirt!

2024 Rates:

Daily: $300 (2-Day Minimum)

Weekly: $1,700 (6 Full Days)

At this time, we offer 4 Pontoon Boats for rent. 

All 4 boats offer 4-stroke motors and are well-maintained.  The interiors are clean and comfortable, and are ideal for cruising, taking in the scenery, swimming, and making memories. 

 

Choice of:​​​

  • 20' Bennington SLX

    • 10 person rated seating capacity

    • 90 HP 4-Stroke Motor

  • 20’ Blue SunTracker

    • 10 person rated seating capacity​

    • 90 HP 4-Stroke Motor

  • 20’ Red SunTracker - *Pet Friendly*

    • 10 person rated seating capacity​

    • 60 HP 4-Stroke Motor

  •  20’ SunTracker Fishing Edition - *Pet Friendly*

    • 10 person rated seating capacity​

    • 60 HP 4-Stroke Motor

    • Equipped with live wells and pole holders

**We do not offer skis, wake boards, inflatable tubes, or ski ropes for rent.  Please note: in the event you choose to bring or rent your own inflatable tube/towable from the marina, our boats are only suitable for pulling a single rider. Guests who choose to utilize a towable device will be subject to repair costs incurred from to damage to the boat's motor/prop/steering.**

*Pet friendly boats: Pets welcome on board; please let us know at time of booking if you plan to bring your pet(s)! Please refer to Pet Policy in FAQs section below for additional details.

AVAILABLE FOR RENT:

WHY CHOOSE  NANTAHALA SHORES FOR YOUR BOAT RENTAL?

OUR PLEDGE

At Nantahala Shores Boat Rentals, our customers are our top priority.

Our goal is to provide a rental service that enhances your vacation experience, while allowing you to sit back, relax and unwind. Let us handle the rest.

Take a look below to learn more.

Dock on a lake

DOCKSIDE DELIVERY

Nantahala's only rental agency offering this complimentary service on all rentals

Nantahala Shores Boat Rentals strives to make the rental experience as easy as possible for our customers.

While  planning your visit to your lake vacation home or Airbnb, simply provide us with the home's physical address when you call to book your boat.  We will work with you to arrange a time to deliver your boat to the dock on the morning/evening you check in, free of charge! When your rental period is finished, we'll pick it back up, too! No dock? Not to worry - we can help you arrange a wet slip rental at the nearby marina and deliver the boat there instead!

 

All you need to do is show up, relax, and enjoy yourself! 

Nautical Rope

ON-LAKE MECHANICAL FAILURE ASSISTANCE 

Breakdowns are no fun, but they can happen.

If they do, we will be there to help.

In the event your rental boat experiences a mechanical failure, or even if you run out of gas... just give us a call and we will respond to assist you on-lake.


**Please note, Nantahala Lake is located in a remote and mountainous area, where cell coverage is limited. NSBR does not guarantee you will be able to make outgoing calls in all locations while on the water. Please ensure you are comfortable with boat operations and basic troubleshooting prior to departing.**

 

We truly appreciate our customers. In order to ensure we provide the best possible experience and that each customer leaves with the highest level of satisfaction, we do ask that you consider and understand NSBR is not a full-service marina.  We are a small, family owned and operated business, with our boats being delivered directly from our home's private lake frontage. 

Because we function differently, we feel it is important to share some of the ways that our processes vary from those of a more traditional marina. 

While preparing for your boating experience with us, please be aware:

1. There is not always a staff member present on-site.  Our process is to work with you in advance of your arrival to set a time for dockside delivery/pickup of your rental that is both convenient for you and compatible with your travel arrangements.  We typically make notes of this plan at the time of reservation, and then verify the arrangements via phone a day or two before your arrival. 

2. A private dock and/or dock access/community slip at your lodging location is required for all rentals. No exceptions.

  • This is to ensure no damage occurs to the boat from improper docking on rocky beaches or rough shoreline. Customers found to be in violation of this requirement may forfeit the remainder of their reservation period and/or incur additional costs.

  • Wet slips are also available for rent at the local marina (Lakes End Marina), by reservation​​. If your rental home or Airbnb does not have it's own dock access, please let us know at the time of booking and we are happy to help you secure a wet slip in advance.​

3. Due to the small size of our company and fleet, we are currently unable to honor split day rental requests (meaning, if a customer reserves a boat for more than 2 days, the days must run in succession such as Mon-Tues-Wed rather than Mon-Wed-Fri).

 

4. At this time, we do NOT offer any other types of watercraft for rent other than the 4 pontoon boats described above.  We do NOT rent speed boats, wake boats, jet skis, canoes/kayaks, etc.  For these requests, we recommend you contact Lakes End Marina. 

5. We do not offer single day rentals on a regular basis, or by reservation. Customers are welcome to call (828) 557 - 0408 on the morning you are interested in renting to see if a boat is available due to cancellation or no-show.

  • On the rare occasion that a boat is available for a single day rental, we will arrange a meeting time at the Big Choga Public Access Area for loading the boat and going over boat features/functions.  It is crucial that customers arrive in a timely manner.  An arrival more than 30 minutes past the agreed upon time may forfeit your rental.

Splashing Water

HOURS OF OPERATION

We can’t wait to see you on Nantahala Lake!

Come experience the beauty, variety, and relaxation

that the North Carolina mountains have to offer!

We are here to serve you, water levels permitting, from the

first weekend in May thru the first weekend in  October!

 

*We occasionally consider rental requests prior to opening for the regular season, during the month of April.  This is dependent on both temperatures and water levels (In WNC, outdoor temperatures prior to May are often below freezing in the morning, and quite windy.  Lake water temperatures range from a low around 40 degrees in winter, to a high around the mid-70s in the summer.  The water levels of the local lakes are not static - levels are dropped by Duke Energy in the winter, and raised in the spring, which can make many docks at lake front homes inaccessible.

 

If you have travel plans in April, feel free to contact us regarding your pre-season request.  A minimum of 3 consecutive rental days will be required, along with an advance reservation, for consideration of any rental request outside of the regular season.

  • We are available by phone from 9am-9pm, 7 days a week.

This is the best way to reach us for bookings, questions, or special requests! If you get our voicemail, just leave us a message and we will call you back within a few hours at most.

  • You may also message us on Facebook at @NantahalaShoresPontoons to request a booking. Provide us your contact information, and we will respond as soon as we can!

  • Emails are returned within 24 hours during the operating season.

Please note, we do not currently offer online booking or reservation confirmation. 

We will need to speak with you via phone to go over rental policies, your rental home address/pick-up location, and requested dates prior to confirming your reservation.  We promise it will be a quick and easy process.  Just click below to give us a call!

Kids Jumping into the Lake

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION GUARANTEE

LOCAL EXPERTISE

We guarantee to provide the highest level of professionalism, and we promise to follow up after every rental to ensure you are completely happy. Not 100% satisfied with your experience? We’ll do everything we can to correct the problem in real-time. We want all of our customers to leave fully satisfied and with great memories. We are confident the experience you receive will leave you looking forward to returning year after year.

We firmly believe this is one of our strongest qualities when compared against other rental shops. Our team is more than happy to answer any of your questions before, during, and after the rental process - and beyond! Ask us anything... if we don’t know the answer, we know someone who does!

CLEAR & SIMPLE RENTAL POLICIES

Driven by quality, we’ve been in the “business of people” long enough to know how important it is to provide not only reliable rentals and real customer service, but also clear policies with simple terms that protect everyone’s safety and interests. Our simple language policies do just that. No guess work, no time wasted.

FAQS

HOW LONG IS A “DAILY RENTAL”?

Great question!

A daily rental is defined as from the time the boat is delivered to you/picked up at the ramp, until sunset.

 

For dockside delivery, we bring boats approximately 30 minutes before sunset on the evening prior to the day your rental begins, and pick up around the same time on the evening your rental concludes. This time can vary depending on the time of year, but is roughly around 7:00-8:00pm in the evening, unless this conflicts with a customer's travel plans, in which case morning delivery accommodations can be made upon request. A dock or slip rental are required for all overnight rentals, unless prior arrangements have been made with NSBR staff.

 

Daily rentals must be returned to the pick-up location (Big Choga Public Access) by 30 minutes before dark.   

WHICH PAYMENT METHODS DO YOU ACCEPT?

Our preferred payment method is cash. 

However, we are able to accept payments via PayPal or Venmo.  For any PayPal transaction, a 3% service fee will be charged (this is to cover the cost auto-deducted by the vendor for services and goods transaction type). Beyond this, we do not charge any additional taxes or fees. There is no fee for Venmo payments.

 

For advance, multi-day rentals, the required $100 deposit can be made via PayPal or Venmo, in order to secure your dates. There is no fee charged to make the deposit payment. Required account information for the deposit payment will be provided to you at the time of booking.

Payment of outstanding balance is due (minus the deposit) at the time the boat is delivered to the customer. No exceptions will be made.

WHAT IS YOUR CANCELLATION POLICY?

We understand that life happens.

We are a small, family owned business and we do rely heavily on the dependability of our customers.

For multi-day and weekly reservations made in advance, we require a $100 deposit at the time of booking, payable via Venmo.

 

Any customer who notifies us of the need to cancel more than 7 days prior to their reservation date will be refunded 100% of the deposit amount. Cancellations made within 7 days will be offered a one-time courtesy reschedule, valid for 1 year. All no shows will forfeit the full deposit amount.

 

Since we cannot predict or control the weather, we are unable to offer refunds in the event inclement weather conditions occur during your rental period.  If possible and/or if availability allows, we may consider a date exchange prior to customer arrival or delivery of the boat.

WHAT IS YOUR POLICY FOR DAMAGES?

We try to keep our policies simple and concise.

Like any business - we have to protect both our investments and our clients, so while we do not require a traditional damage deposit or keep a credit card on file, we do require a $100 deposit at the time of reservation that is payable via Venmo. This deposit serves a dual purpose: It secures your reservation date(s)  and can also be used to cover any damages, excessive dirt/debris left on the boat resulting in the need for extensive cleaning, evidence of pets onboard in the event a pet fee was not paid, or fuel not being replenished prior to pick up.  If the boat is returned in satisfactory condition, the deposit will be returned to the client via Venmo at the conclusion of the rental period.

 

Damages are also covered in our Rental Agreement, under the Damage Waiver section. A signed rental agreement/damage waiver which matches the name on your a valid boating license (if born on or after January 1, 1988) OR valid photo ID (if born on or before January 1, 1988) must be on file prior to the boat being released, per NC Wildlife Commission Regulations. This is for your protection as much as ours. 

 

NSBR is not responsible and accepts no liability for personal items that are lost, damaged, stolen, or left behind behind on the watercraft by customers.

HOW OLD MUST YOU BE TO RESERVE A RENTAL?

Responsible renter must be at least 21 years of age.

  •  You must be able to provide a valid photo ID (if born on or before January 1, 1988)

          OR

  • a valid boating ID (if born on or after January 1, 1988) 

  •  You will need to keep your ID/boating license with you while onboard.

Again, this is a regulation of the NC Wildlife Commission, and serves to protect us all legally.

DO YOU ALLOW PETS?

Yes! 

We love our four-legged family members, and are happy to have them join in on the fun on the water.  Pets are allowed on 2 of our 4 boats - both of the SunTracker models are pet-friendly!

 

A small pet fee of $25 per pet is required to cover cleaning.  Please make sure to let us know when you book, if you plan to bring along your pet. In the event we find a pet has been brought onboard without us having been notified, you may be required to forfeit your $100 deposit.

 

Also keep in mind that pets do add to the total weight allowed on-board, so you may have reduced capacity for human riders than what is stated in the boat description. 

 

In order to protect upholstery, we ask that you have your pet to ride on the carpeted floor, in a crate, or bring along an extra towel/blanket to protect the seating from being damaged by nails.  Renters are responsible for any damages to the boat caused by pets.

 

Local leash laws must be obeyed in any public area, as well as when loading/unloading.  Customers are solely responsible for any injuries inflicted by pets.

CONTACT US

13 Old Faber Rd. Topton, NC 28781, USA

Phone: 828.557.0408 

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