Business Spotlight: Choose Your Boat Day Adventure with Ocean Runner!

Good Morning, Good Morning!  Today, I want to share with you all a bit of info about a charter boat company that has been on St. John since 1994 and evolved exponentially over the years.  A company that offers a vast array of charter options, from minimal bare boat rentals to all-inclusive luxury power yachts.  A company that, in recent years, has merged with the premier diving operation on St. John.  A company that makes it exquisitely easy for you to get to your boat for the day with a private dock and complimentary on-site parking and flexible pick up locations.  You know them and you love them, but let’s take a deep “dive” into the updates and expansions at Ocean Runner….Pun intended 🙂

 Ok, so, for those of you veteran Love City visitors and residents out there, you will likely remember the small fleet of powerboats that was situated in front of High Tide for years and years.  You would meet your captain at the bar to fill out your paperwork and ready yourself and your team for a day of adventure.

Ok, let’s start with the basics.  I get SO many messages asking about renting bareboat vessel for a day of solo adventuring.  And, in recent years, there haven’t been many options on St. John AT ALL for this type of experience.  Well, if you are looking for a day of minimalist self-exploration around St. John’s North Shore, you are in luck!  And these aren’t small dinghy rentals.  No, at Ocean Runner, you’ll have your choice of a 15 or 16 foot Boston Whaler for the day, complete with a Bimini for shade and a cooler full of ice!  These center console, self-captained vessels can accommodate four or five people and are absolutely perfect for reaching the inaccessible-from-land beaches of Caneel Bay, snorkeling at Henley or Waterlemon Cay or simply zipping around until you see a deserted beach where you can enjoy the afternoon in peace.

But, self-captaining a Whaler may be a bit more responsibility than you’re looking for in your day of leisure…So, maybe take it up a notch with with an experienced Captain to get you from point A to point Zzzzzzoom!  Ocean Runner boasts several vessels that can accommodate a party of up to eleven or twelve guests with a ice filled cooler, fresh water rinse, snorkel gear, drinking water, beer, sodas and a licensed, knowledgeable captain to guide you throughout your day at sea.  While you can still charter the classic Contender for the day, the Ocean Runner fleet now includes a World Cat and three brand new Axopar vessels!

Island Escape, Isla’s Quest and Island Soul are all designed with the ultimate comfort in mind and execute a smooth ride even on the choppiest of days on the high seas.  The Axopar boats have ample seating for 11 passengers and include a lounging sun bed in front and dining table with swivel seating. The expansive hard top makes for added shade when you are in need of a break from the sun, but retracts for additional sunshine.

Now, before I get into the luxury all-inclusive motor yacht charters (yes, you can take another step up in luxury!), I want to touch on the re-branding of the company, designed to encapsulate the luxurious feel of these new vessels.  First of all, you’ll likely notice some correlations between the colors and design feel of Ocean Runner and her sister company, Low Key Watersports.  The new oceanic blues and greens of the two companies have merged to form one eye catching palate…A welcome contrast to the previous lime green of Ocean Runner!  The sleek lines of the new designs mimic the sleek lines of the new and luxurious vessels, creating an eye catching, yet calming, effect.  I think the new look is absolutely gorgeous and love to see the feel of these two companies merging under the new ownership which took over in 2014.

Ok, enough of my nerding out on the design 🙂  I mentioned those all inclusive charters, right?  Ok, well, two ADDITIONAL boats make up Ocean Runner’s repertoire that will leave you wanting for absolutely nothing during your day of leisure and adventure!  These boats add to one of the newest and well-maintained charter fleets on St. John with their VIP level service and elegance, expansive lounging areas and indoor living quarters.  And, each of them are operated by both a professional captain AND crew member for the day.  So, you won’t even need to worry about mixing up your own Painkiller 🙂  Let’s take a look at these elegant motor yachts!

First, Grateful Ted is a 60′ Sunseeker with two full bathrooms, three luxurious cabins to enjoy if you need a break from the sun and a motorized swim platform that makes getting in and out of the water an absolute breeze.  Fun floats, snorkel gear, an epic stereo system with Bluetooth enabled speakers and towels are all included for your day on the water.  (More to come…Keep reading!)

The second of these luxury motor yachts is Aiko; a 47’ Sea Ray Sundancer with absolutely fabulous amenities.  An air conditioned salon, a cabin below deck, sun pads on the bow and lounge in the shade on the back deck ensure that everyone in your party of up to twelve guests will be perfectly comfortable throughout your day at sea.

Oh, and in addition to these built in amenities, extensively professional and knowledgeable Captain and Crew AND all of the unbridled adventure you could ask for, these all-inclusive luxury charters also include:

Ok, so, by now you are probably already packing your bags and getting geared up for an adventure day with Ocean Runner, correct?  Right, but where do you go to do that?  Well, whether you are staying on St. John OR St. Thomas you’re in luck!  Because both of their pick up locations include FREE PARKING.  That’s right.  An absolute unicorn on St. John:  Free Parking.

On St. John, the Ocean Runner and Low Key Dock just in front of Drink St. John will be your meeting spot.  Simply drive up the hill between the Terrace and Low Key, park your vehicle, check in at the shop.  And you are off!  Oh, and another GREAT thing about this location is that you can pick up anything you might need for your boat day at the shop on site!  Forgot your Reef Safe sunscreen?  They have you covered!  Broke your sunglasses?  They have a great variety.  And don’t forget to grab an insulated cup before heading out for your boat day so your drink will stay cold and spill proof all day long.

Oh, and if you are staying on St. Thomas that’s no problem either.  Ocean Runner keeps several of their boats at Sapphire.  So, you can park at the property and head straight to the water!  Other pick up locations are also available upon request.

The multitude of trip options on this updated fleet of gorgeous vessels can be a it daunting while you are trying to decide the trip that is best for you, right?  Well, let me make it a bit easier on you…See below for links to the corresponding trips!