Weather & Cancellation Policies

Weather & Cancellation Policies

Please call (320) 852-7575 to cancel your reservation. Cancellations will not be taken via e-mail, text, Facebook or any other form of social media.

  • You may cancel your reservation at any time.

  • If you cancel with 14 or more days notice there will be no penalty.

  • Any cancellation with less than 14 days notice, for any reason, will result in a $50 fee.

  • Cancellation within 48 hours or a no-show on the date of the reservation will result in the customer being charged full rental fee.   

  • If you're late to your rental reservation, you will forfeit that time on the water. The boat still needs to be returned at the scheduled time. If the boat is returned 15 to 60 minutes late, a $50.00 fee will be charged.

  • If you are more than one hour late, you will be charged for a 4 hour rental or subject to the following renter's bill if there is a rental immediately after your rental time.

  • We have the right to refuse a rental to anyone who appears to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Your rental will be forfeited and no refund will be given.

  • There are no refunds due to late check-ins, early return, change of plans, illness, weather, or car problems. 

  • We reserve the right to cancel any rental at any time due to extreme conditions deemed unsafe.

  • Severe weather is defined as weather where there are unsafe conditions, a warning of severe, high wind advisory or tornado as defined by the National Weather Service (NWS). If there are severe weather conditions in the Alexandria area prior to departure time then the rental reservation will be postponed . Subject to the severe weather policy; you will be able to reschedule the reservation without re-booking fee during the same rental request (weekday rental for a weekday rental) within a 30-day period and depending on boat availability. If weather conditions are overcast, cold, cloudy and rainy, but no warnings are issued by the NWS, your rental still stands for the day. If the weather turns severe while you are on the lake, return to the Marina if possible. You must always be weather aware, and start heading back as soon as the weather looks bad. If you are unable to return seek a place of safety such as a cove or a protected shoreline and call us immediately. Anchor the boat at the bow (front) into the wind. We will not give refunds for time not used during a pop-up storm. 


Reservation Information

Reservation Information:

You must be 21 years old and possess a valid, United States issued drivers license. Renter is responsible for learning and obeying all local, state and federal laws pertaining to operating the rented craft. Please go over the Minnesota Boaters Handbook before you come to have an idea of the boating rules and regulations. Read the MN Boaters guide here.

We will take down your credit card info at the time you make the reservation. As long as you show up for your rental, return the boat damage free, clean, and on time, you will not be responsible for any charges over the rental fee and fuel. 

Once you are finished with the paperwork you will go outside where our staff will assist you on getting set up on the boat- this takes less than 10 minutes. They will give you a quick session on how to operate the boat and navigate the lake, so it is important that anyone driving the watercraft is present for instructions!

You will inspect the boat along with one of our staff and sign off before leaving the dock.

Once your rental time is up, you will return the boat to the gas dock for it to be fill up with fuel and checked over for damages. This will take about 10 minutes, and then you will be directed to the office to pay for rental, fuel and/or damages. You can pay with cash or credit card.

When to arrive:                                                                                                        Arrive 15 minutes prior to your reservation time in order to fill out all of the paperwork so you are out on time. On weekends, arriving 30 minutes in advance is encouraged. The Marina gets busy, so you do not want to be late. Arriving at your departure time will not allow you enough time to get out, and you will miss out on part of your rental. Arriving at least 30 minutes in advance allows you extra time in case you get lost, can’t find parking, have a lot to unload out of your vehicle, have to use the restroom prior to your rental, paperwork, and instructions.

Late Policy:                                                                                                                  We have a 30 minute hold time for reservations. If you are running late you must call and notify us or your reservation will be erased and you will be charged for your rental in FULL.  If running late you will still be charged the full rental price of the original rental, and you will forfeit that time on the water. The boat still needs to be returned at the scheduled time. Once you are out on the water, late returns will be charged if needed.

Damages:                                                                                                                Damages will be your responsibility. Please keep a lookout for logs, rocks, and shallow spots. These will damage the propeller and the ladder if it is left down. See cost breakdown below.

Damaged prop: $40-$135 (depending on level of damage)

Overloading Fee (over capacity): $100

Damaged canopy: $200.00

Missing PFDs: $15.00 each

Ladder damaged: $75.00

Ladder lost: $150.00


Rules & Fees

Rules & Fees

These are not meant to keep you from having a good time on the water, but to keep our boats in the best condition as possible. We want everyone to have fun, and these were put into place to help insure that.

Cleaning Fee                                                                                                                   A cleaning fee will be charged if the boat is not returned in the same or close to the same condition it was in when it was rented. If the boat is returned in a manner in which it will require extra effort to clean than usual (extra amounts of mud, worm dirt, food, trash, etc.) there will be a charge of $50.00. 

Pets                                                                                                                                No pets are allowed (registered service animals are the exception and you must show proper paperwork.) PLEASE be respectful of other renters. If you decide to sneak a pet on the boat, we will catch you, and you will be charged a $200 fine plus a $50 cleaning fee along with any damages. Trust us, it isn’t worth it.

Trash                                                                                                                                If you leave trash on the boat you will be charged $10. Please take your trash with you and dispose of properly.

Chewed Gum                                                                                                                  If we find chewed gum on any part of the boat there will be a $25 fine. Gum bakes in the sun and is difficult to get out. 

Stains                                                                                                                               If there are any stains from clothing, etc left on the seats or carpet, it will cost a minimum of $50. If we can't get the stain out and have to replace the entire seat you are looking at about $200. Please be careful and aware of what you are wearing!

Overloading                                                                                                                   It is against the law to overload the boat past maximum capacity. You are not only risking getting a ticket, but you will be fined $100 from us. 

Alcohol Consumption                                                                                        Operator of the watercraft is NOT allowed to consume alcohol - same rules apply as if you were on a road. Please be responsible and have a designated driver. No kegs are allowed. If you are pulled over by law enforcement, caught by us, or we get calls from other boaters on the water about your conduct you will immediately be brought back to the Marina and your rental ended. You will NOT be refunded or given a time credit. We do NOT tolerate any unsafe and disorderly behavior of any kind!

Service Fee                                                                                                                  You will be charged a $30 service charge plus parts if an employee is required to come out to help you if the issue is not the fault of Lake Carlos Marina. This includes running out of fuel, so please keep an eye on your gas level by actually looking in the tank.