Retro Boat Rentals
Retro Boat Rentals is a Saugatuck, Michigan-based seasonal boat rental company serving tourists with vintage 1958-1963 electric fiberglass runabouts, pontoons, tritoons, donut boats, and Duffy boats on the Kalamazoo River and Lake Michigan.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersSaugatuck, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Retro Boat Rentals firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Retro Boat Rentals
- Legal name
- Retro Boat Rentals
- Website
- https://retroboatrentals.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Retro Boat Rentals is a Saugatuck, Michigan-based seasonal boat rental company serving tourists with vintage 1958-1963 electric fiberglass runabouts, pontoons, tritoons, donut boats, and Duffy boats on the Kalamazoo River and Lake Michigan.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Retro Boat Rentals industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Boat Rental Services
- NAICS
- Commercial Air, Rail, and Water Transportation Equipment Rental and Leasing (532411)
- SIC
- Services-Auto Rental & Leasing (No Drivers) (7510)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Personal Watercraft (Jet Ski / Sea-Doo) Rentals (THADAHAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Boutique Small-Ship River Cruises (THAEACAC)
Keywords
Where Retro Boat Rentals is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saugatuck
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Retro Boat Rentals business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Boat Rental Fees: Primary revenue from hourly/duration-based boat rentals across multiple boat types including Retro Boats, Pontoon Boats, Donut Boats, and Duffy Boats. Customers pay per rental based on duration (1.5 to 6 hours) and boat type. Additional revenue from beverage and food sales at The Old Boat House waterfront bar and restaurant.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Retro Boats - Up to 4-5 passengers, 1.5 or 3 hours |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Pontoon Boats - Up to 8-16 passengers, 2-4 hours |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Donut Boats - Up to 10 passengers, 2 or 4 hours |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Duffy Boats - Up to 12 passengers, 1-6 hours |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Retro Boat Rentals product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Retro Boat Rentals provides private, self-drive hourly and multi-hour boat rentals from two waterfront dock locations in Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan. The fleet includes vintage mid-century fiberglass runabout boats (1958–1963 era) retro-fitted with quiet electric motors, plus Pontoon, Donut, Duffy, and Tritoon boats for groups of up to 16 passengers, operating on the Kalamazoo River, Kalamazoo Lake, and Lake Michigan channels.
Product overview
Retro Boat Rentals is a boat rental service in Saugatuck, Michigan offering diverse watercraft for private rentals. The portfolio includes five vintage mid-century fiberglass runabout boats (Beverly, Gladys, Ruby, Betty, Vivien) retro-fitted with quiet electric motors for small groups up to 4-5 passengers; Pontoon boats in various sizes (18'-24') for 8-16 passengers at the Union Street dock; Donut Boats for up to 10 passengers with circular design and table; and Duffy Electric Boats for up to 12 passengers. The two tritoon options (24' Barletta and 22' Bennington) are unique as the only boats permitted on Lake Michigan. The business is co-located with The Old Boat House waterfront bar and restaurant. All retro boats, Donut Boats, and Duffy Boats operate on electric motors for quiet, eco-friendly cruising on the Kalamazoo River and inland waterways.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Retro Boats: Vintage mid-century classic fiberglass runabout boats (1958-1963 era) retro-fitted with electric motors. Up to 5 passengers. Priced from $149 per rental.
- Pontoon Boat Rentals
- Donut Boat Rentals
- Duffy Boat Rentals
Products and services
- Retro Boat Rentals Rental of vintage mid-century fiberglass runabout boats (1957–1959 models) retro-fitted with electric motors, available for private self-drive rentals on the Kalamazoo River. Accommodates small groups up to 4–5 passengers, with selected models permitting swimming and dogs.
- Pontoon Boat Rentals Rental of gas-powered Pontoon boats in 18' to 24' sizes for groups of 8 to 16 passengers, departing from the Union Street dock in Douglas. The 22' Bennington Tritoon and 24' Barletta Tritoon are the only boats in the fleet permitted to go on Lake Michigan when conditions allow.
- 24' Barletta Tritoon 24-foot Barletta Tritoon introduced in 2024, seating up to 14 passengers and one of the only boats in the fleet permitted on Lake Michigan when conditions permit.
- 22' Bennington Tritoon 22-foot Bennington Tritoon introduced in 2024, seating up to 12 passengers and permitted on Lake Michigan when conditions allow.
- Donut Boat Rentals Rental of circular donut-shaped electric boats for up to 10 passengers, featuring a round table in the middle for food and beverages and suitable for cruising, swimming, and beaching in the cove area.
- Duffy Boat Rentals Rental of electric Duffy cruising boats with open-deck seating and a canopy for shade, seating up to 12 passengers with a table for sharing food and beverages and a swim ladder provided.
- The Old Boat House waterfront bar and restaurant Waterfront bar and restaurant located behind Retro Boats at 730 Water Street, Saugatuck, featuring a large patio along the Kalamazoo River. Offers craft cocktails, beer, wine, and cider (including local Michigan offerings), snacks, sunscreen, and live music on weekends; serves as the home base for Retro Boat Rentals.
- Retro Boat Rentals Gift Cards Gift cards for Retro Boat Rentals experiences, redeemable through the FareHarbor booking platform against boat rental purchases.
Companies that use Retro Boat Rentals
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Retro Boat Rentals technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature1 record
Retro Boat Rentals partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Red Dock Bar and RestaurantcoreRelated waterfront bar and restaurant at 219 N Union Street, Douglas, MI. Part of the same family of entertainment businesses. Pontoon boat rentals are located at this dock. Customers can purchase to-go drinks or food from Red Dock for their boat excursions.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Retro Boat Rentals competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sailo: Online boat rental and charter marketplace featuring sailboats, motorboats, and yachts in coastal and inland destinations. Comparable to Retro Boat Rentals as another marketplace channel for self-drive and crewed boat experiences targeting leisure travelers.
- MarineMax Vacations: MarineMax's vacation rental division offers powerboat, yacht, and bareboat charter rentals in U.S. coastal destinations. Comparable to Retro Boat Rentals as a multi-location boat rental operator serving leisure tourists with a curated fleet.
- Boatsetter: Peer-to-peer boat rental platform offering on-water experiences from yachts to pontoons with optional captain services. Comparable to Retro Boat Rentals in targeting tourist self-drive rental experiences across U.S. waterfront destinations, with overlapping customer segments.
- GetMyBoat: The largest online boat rental marketplace, connecting boat owners with renters for self-drive and captained experiences globally. Directly comparable to Retro Boat Rentals as both operate in the self-drive boat rental category serving tourists, with GetMyBoat serving as the aggregator platform that lists similar vessels.
Broad incumbents
- Carefree Boat Club: Established boat club with multiple locations across the U.S. offering unlimited use of a fleet of boats for a monthly membership fee. Comparable to Retro Boat Rentals' self-drive model but with a recurring-membership pricing structure rather than per-rental fees.
- Duffy Electric Boats: Manufacturer and direct renter of electric Duffy boats, popular in Southern California harbors and increasingly in inland waterways. Directly comparable via the Duffy product line that Retro Boat Rentals offers, and adjacent in spearheading the electric leisure boat category.
- Freedom Boat Club: Largest boat club franchise in North America with 350+ locations, offering members access to a fleet of boats via monthly dues. Comparable to Retro Boat Rentals as a recreational boating access model, though structured as membership rather than pay-per-rental.
Others
- Torqeedo: Leading global manufacturer of electric boat motors and marine drives, used in many recreational electric boats including retrofits. Comparable to Retro Boat Rentals as an enabling technology provider in the electric leisure boating ecosystem, with the company's 2020 fleet conversion relying on this category of motors.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Retro Boat Rentals social profiles
Digital presenceRetro Boat Rentals financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Retro Boat Rentals leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Retro Boat Rentals funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Retro Boat Rentals M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Retro Boat Rentals
What does Retro Boat Rentals do?
Retro Boat Rentals provides private, self-drive hourly and multi-hour boat rentals from two waterfront dock locations in Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan. The fleet includes vintage mid-century fiberglass runabout boats (1958–1963 era) retro-fitted with quiet electric motors, plus Pontoon, Donut, Duffy, and Tritoon boats for groups of up to 16 passengers, operating on the Kalamazoo River, Kalamazoo Lake, and Lake Michigan channels.
Is Retro Boat Rentals a public or private company?
Retro Boat Rentals is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Retro Boat Rentals founded?
Retro Boat Rentals was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Retro Boat Rentals based?
Retro Boat Rentals is headquartered in Saugatuck, United States, in the North America region.
How does Retro Boat Rentals make money?
One revenue line is on record: boat Rental Fees.
Who are Retro Boat Rentals's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sailo, MarineMax Vacations, Boatsetter and GetMyBoat. Broad incumbents are Carefree Boat Club, Duffy Electric Boats and Freedom Boat Club. Torqeedo is listed as an others.
Does Retro Boat Rentals have an API?
No public API is recorded for Retro Boat Rentals.
What industry is Retro Boat Rentals in?
Retro Boat Rentals's product category is Boat Rental Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THADAHAJ, Personal Watercraft (Jet Ski / Sea-Doo) Rentals, with a secondary code of THAEACAC, Boutique Small-Ship River Cruises. Its NAICS code is 532411 and its SIC code is 7510.