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How do I check boat and houseboat availability?
Checking availability via e-mail is nearly impossible. The inventory fluctuates from minute to minute. Your best bet is to select a vacation date and fill out the on-line request form. You will NOT be required to pay a deposit at that time. Please note, we submit your request as soon as it is received. We must wait for a hard copy of your reservation before we are able to send you a confirmation. Generally this takes a few days, however, unless you hear from us that your request is not available, a reservation was most likely secured for you and is being processed. Upon receipt of your request, you will receive an e-mail message acknowledging our receipt of your reservation.
If the boat is indeed available, we will reserve it for you. You will then
have approximately 10 days to provide a credit card to secure the reservation. If you do not respond, the reservation will be cancelled. Please note that all correspondence is generally handled via e-mail so we recommend you check your messages at least once a day.
Can you please explain the check-out/check-in procedures?
At Echo Bay Marina, stop by the lodge front desk after 7 a.m. with all
paperwork in hand and the full names of everyone in your party. If you have an early board, you may do this in the evening when you arrive. This is a good time to give your group a break as only the person whose name appears on the reservation (and those paying) needs to be present. The lobby is small and you do not want to bring your entire group with you. The front desk clerk will finalize your paperwork, which takes about 10 minutes -- more if there is a line. The staff is extremely competent.
Once you have completed this process, you will be directed to the docks and the houseboat rental office. Assemble your crew and head down the boat ramp.
You will be given a very brief safety discussion, along with a current weather report and which areas of the lake are accessible.
Then, you will be directed to your boat. The Captain and Co-Captain should leave the rest of the party at the houseboat to attend the houseboat operation class. While these individuals are learning to pilot the boat, the rest of the crew should be loading the houseboat. After the course, the Captain and Co-Captain return to the boat for final instructions.
If you have an early board, you will be assigned your boat that night and then attend the class the next morning.
Upon returning
from your trip, a responsible member of your party should again check the inventory (such as pillows, dishes, etc.). The houseboat must be unloaded, cleaned and fueled by 4 p.m. (and there is a charge for every 15 minutes beyond this time, so start early).Once a marina employee has checked the houseboat, you will be free to leave.
As a side note, small gratuities (a few dollars tip) go a long way.
At Callville Bay Marina, stop by the boat rental office at the docks
any time after 8 a.m. and prior to 10a.m. Be sure to have all your paperwork and the full names of everyone in your party.
Upon arrival, you will see a large, brick circular drive in front of a store/cafe, lounge, restaurant and administrative offices. The boat rental docks (where
you check in) are located to the left of this building where you will see a large number of houseboats lined up in a row. To the right are private docks and launch ramp -- you do not want to go there unless you are
launching your own boat.
After finalizing your paperwork at the boat rental office, you will be escorted to your boat. The Captain and Co-Captain will remain behind to attend a brief
instruction course. During this time, the rest of the crew should load the houseboat. Once the Captains have completed their course, a marina employee will give final instructions on returning the boat.
Your boat must be unloaded, cleaned and fueled by 2 p.m. (and there is a charge for every 15 minutes beyond this time, so start early). Upon your return, and
after your houseboat has been fueled, your boat should be unloaded and cleaned by your crew. A responsible member of your party should again check the inventory. Once a marina employee has checked your boat, you
will be free to leave.
As a side note, small gratuities (a few dollar tip) go a long way.
What about early boarding?
At Echo Bay Marina, you may board your boat between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. to sleep on board and use the generator, bathrooms, etc. Should you arrive
earlier than 7 p.m., and your boat is available and ready, you MAY be able to board earlier in the afternoon at the sole discretion of the marina. You MAY NOT
leave the marina. If this is an option you are interested in taking advantage of, you should book this as soon as possible.
Upon arrival, check in at the lodge front desk and complete your initial
paperwork. You will be directed to the houseboat rental office at the docks. A marina employee (or security guard if you arrive later in the evening) will take you to your boat and instruct you on the use of the generator and bathrooms. At 8 a.m. the following morning, you will follow normal check-out procedures.
At the time of this writing, the fee for early boarding is $200 or more. We highly recommend this option.
At Callville Bay,
you may sleep board your houseboat the evening before your departure. Rates vary from $200 to $400 (plus tax) depending on the model of the houseboat. You MAY NOT
leave the marina. If this is an option you are interested in taking advantage of, you should book this as soon as possible.
Upon arrival, check in and complete your initial paperwork. At 8 a.m. the following morning, you will follow the standard check-out procedures.
A limited amount of early boards are available on a first come, first served basis and reservations must be made in advance. We recommend you reserve
this option before you pay your deposit.
Can anyone pilot a houseboat and is there a special license required?
All rental boats are designed for ease of operation and durability. You must
be 21 years of age for both Echo Bay and Callville Bay and present a valid driver's license. A foreign or International driver's license acceptable, but a passport alone is not enough. No special boating licenses or skills are required.
Upon checkout of your boat or houseboat, an experienced instructor will be
assigned to you for an orientation session. This individual will show you how to operate all equipment on your vessel. Also, you will be shown how to pilot the boat.
How long will our orientation be?
At Echo Bay, orientations range form 1-2 hours, depending on how many questions you have and how much houseboating experience you have.
Orientations for your trip are on a first come/first serve basis starting at 7 am during summer season and 8 am during value season.
What amenities and equipment are provided on the houseboats?
All Lake Mead houseboats are fully stocked with all eating utensils provided
for the maximum capacity allowed on the boats, e.g. if you have a houseboat with the capacity for eight passengers, you would be provided with all necessary eating utensils required for eight people. We strongly urge you to bring disposable utensils, plates and napkins.
Cooking utensils provided include bowls, pots, pans, cheese grater, cutting board,
cutlery, pitcher, coffee makers and filters, toaster, microwave, can opener, blender, hot pads, ice pick, ice chests and wine opener. We recommend you bring your own plastic storage containers.
Also included on each boat is a broom, dustpan, mop, bucket, fly swatter, garbage cans, garbage bags, toilet paper, toilet bowl brush, soap, dish
drainer and mat, dish rags and pot scrubbers.
Additionally, at Echo Bay, you will find paper towels, hammer, anchor stakes and ice buckets. At Callville Bay, you will find paper
towels, hammer, anchor stakes and ice chests.
Echo Bay boats DO NOT have swim slides.
Outdoor equipment and supplies include two anchors and lines, deck
chairs, captain's chair, ash trays, 2 built in ice chests, hammer, anchor stakes, personal floatation devices (life vests), and gas grill.
All houseboats have a stove and range, shower and bathroom, window coverings, air conditioner, dining room table, interior and exterior lights, as well
as stairs to the roof of the houseboat which is fully accessible by you. Please note, you cannot ride on the upper deck while the boat is underway.
Echo Bay houseboats have 1 propane refrigerator. The Grand Sierra has 2 propane refrigerators
All boats have at least one bathroom with shower, the Grand Sierra has 1 and 1/2 baths.
Callville Bay 59' and 65' houseboats have one propane refrigerator and one electric refrigerator. The 70' Millennium offers two baths; the 59'
houseboats have 1 1/2 baths and the 50's houseboats offer one bath.
Are linens and bedding provided?
No, linen packages are no longer available at Echo Bay or Temple Bar. You must bring your own. At Callville Bay, linens are
provided for each bed on board the houseboat, but not for the boat maximum capacity.
If the houseboat's capacity is 12, what do we do with the extra passengers in our group? Do infants count toward the number
of passengers?
Infants, toddlers and small children all "count" toward the number of people on the boat. At Echo Bay and Callville Bay, toddler life vests
are provided, but infant life vests are limited to availability. You should bring an Coast Guard approved personal flotation device for your infant. Please request toddler life vests when checking out your
houseboat.
At Echo Bay, you may exceed the capacity for an extra charge of $25 for each extra person. We DO NOT recommend this as houseboats become crowded
and uncomfortable. At Callville Bay, you may not exceed the houseboat capacity.
If you have "extra" bodies that you would like to bring along, we recommend renting a ski boat or personal watercraft. The extra people will
have to ride in this while you are moving on the Lake (the ski boat and/or personal watercraft cannot be towed behind with the riders in it). The advantages are many. You 'll
have an extra vessel for exploring, and making trips to one of the many marinas on Lake Mead. This allows you to establish a base camp with the houseboat and to explore the lake in vessels that travel faster than houseboats and are much more maneuverable.
Can we ride on top of the boat? Can we tow personal watercraft? Can we transport our personal watercraft on the deck of the
houseboat? Can we tow our rental boat?
You cannot ride on the upper deck while the boat is underway.
You may NOT tow rental
personal watercraft behind your houseboat. You MAY tow rental powerboats and an instructor will show you the proper method for towing. Personal watercraft are not permitted on the houseboats as they damage the houseboat deck. Any damage caused by putting a personal watercraft on the deck will be charged against the damage deposit. You MAY tow your own personal watercraft and your own boat as well, however, you will need to provide your own tow ropes.
How much fuel will we use on our trip? How much does it cost? Can we bring extra fuel for watercraft?
You MAY NOT
store extra fuel on your rental houseboat or rental powerboat. Fuel prices at Lake Mead fluctuate throughout the season. All rental houseboats discussed here use unleaded gas and not pre-mix.
Houseboats use approximately 6 to 8 gallons per hour depending on size of houseboat, traveling speed, weight and weather conditions. The two-cycle boat holds
200 gallons of fuel which a cruising speed of approximately 8 to 10 mph, consuming 3 to 4 gallons of oil. Every boat
has a generator (110 AC plugs/9-12.5 kilowatt) which will use approximately another 2 to 5 gallons of gas per hour, depending on use. Your generator powers your air conditioner, most lights, some electrical appliances and outlets.
May I take my boat or houseboat anywhere on Lake Mead and what destinations should I plan on visiting?
You may take your houseboat anywhere that is accessible on Lake Mead and any closed areas will be shown to you at the time of check out. Generally, areas are
closed due to submerged hazards. Marina employees can inform you of great fishing spots as well as more secluded areas of the lake.
Where do we dock at night? Can we anchor in the middle of the Lake? Are there beaches to camp on?
Lake Mead has many large sandy beaches which are perfect for overnighting.
Dropping anchor in the middle of the lake is impossible as it is several
hundred feet deep. You may drop anchor in the shallow areas of the canyons, however, a beach is more desirable.
If you wish to swim in the middle of Lake Mead, turn off your engines, wait till the boat stops moving and jump in. One person should remain on board.
NEVER operate the engines while people are in the water or using the slide. Please note, you should be out of the main traffic areas (main channel) before enjoying a dip in the lake.
Are slips available for overnight?
Slips are available based on the number of nights. Please e-mail for additional information.
Can we bring our household pets?
For Echo Bay, Lake Mead Marina or Temple Bar, you may bring your household pets (dogs, cats, birds and
turtles, etc.) on your vacation. Please note there is a $50 refundable deposit for pets in lodge rooms and an additional $10 room charge per pet. At Callville Bay, pets are not allowed.
What kind of refrigerators are on the houseboat?
At Callville Bay,
the 70' Millennium features a full-size refrigerator; the 59' and 65' houseboats have one electric and one propane, the 50' houseboats offer propane refrigerators. At Echo Bay, all are propane.
Unlike the one in your home, the 8 cubic foot refrigerator on board must be lightweight and operate on propane, not electricity. Because of this, the manufactuer uses less insulation; therefore, the refrigerators don't run as cold as your home unit.
When temperatures reach 95 F or higher, we recommend using ice chests with regular ice or dry ice (not provided) for products that are perishable, such as
meat and dairy products (dry ice not available at resorts). Be sure to use frozen ice packs (e.g. Blue Ice) or put food in ziplock bags to keep melting ice out of food stored in the ice chest.
We do not recommend bringing ice cream, popsicles or an products that require the use of a freezer.
We recommend that you use the refrigerator for other food products, such as fruit and vegetables.
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