Our History
Your Experience
Our Team
Pictured left to right: Captain Nick, Captain John, Molly, Captain Chris
Captain Chris
Captain Chris Connor has been boating for over 40 years on a myriad of both power and sail boats. He has been on Lake Michigan for over 20 years, and the passion has not waned one bit.
A licensed Master Captain rated to 100 tons, he approaches every charter with the same spirit that is best expressed by this quote: “I wish every person could experience the feelings I have every time I get on a boat.” Chris brings his love for being on the water with him on every cruise.
Molly Gates
Molly has been with Knock Out Charters since 2016 starting as a dedicated boat washer. Now, she handles all the administrative and operations sides of this company. She’s the one to answer any questions you may have as well as help you get on board the day of your cruise.
Molly’s recommendation to make your charter experience even better is to book it at the time of sunset: “There is nothing better than seeing the sun fall behind the buildings from out on the water!” Her favorite thing about her job is making each guest’s experience a little more special, whether it be by serving the guests their food or drinks, taking pictures, or even helping plan surprises on board.
Captain John Dolan
Captain John is as authentic to Chicago as the city’s cheesy delicacy. That’s why we call him Captain Deep Dish. He loves showing off the city and knows the best views are on the water. He is constantly amazed at Chicago’s beautify and always excited for the adventure that awaits every cruise.
Captain Nick Boin
Living in Hawaii for five years, Captain Nick fell in love with boating and the water. After coming back home to Chicago, he is excited to show off the city from the water and give tourists some insider advice on how to do Chicago right. His favorite thing about being a captain is connecting with the customers and making sure they have a good time!
- When making a reservation, you book by the hour.
- Onboard, we offer a large raft to put out while anchored, as well as noodles and lifejackets.
- We provide plates, napkins, cups, silverware, etc. and coolers, ice, and bottled water.
- If you have any special requests, please let us know and we can try our best to make it happen.
- We are BYOB and BYOFood.
- We have plates, napkins, cups, silverware etc. on board. As well as coolers, ice, and bottled water is provided. The rest is up to you!
- We recommend towels if swimming.
- Please no glassware on board. We allow champagne & wine bottles as well as glass beer bottles if needed, but we ask to refrain from glass cups/champagne flutes.
- There is to be no smoking on board. Cigarettes ruin our decking and although marijuana is legal in Chicago, we are on federal waters. Please do not bring drugs of any kind onboard.
- Unless you have spoken to us beforehand, we will ask that you remove your shoes & socks before coming onboard.
- There is a bathroom on all of our boats.
- Ask about our nicer harbor bathrooms before coming on board if you’d prefer those!
- We are located at Dusable Harbor, Dock D 111 N. Lake Shore Drive
- If driving, use the destination Columbia Yacht Club in GPS to arrive at the circle at the end of Randolph where we will meet you to deliver a parking pass. Call 312-613-9799 upon your arrival for us to meet you. Please arrive 30 minutes in advance to be on time for your scheduled departure.
- We provide plates, napkins, cups, silverware, etc. and coolers, ice, and bottled water.
- If you have any special requests, please let us know and we can try our best to make it happen.
- Our parking lot is relatively difficult to find, so we have all of our customers that are driving meet us at the circle at the end of Randolph St (Destination Columbia Yacht Club in GPS gets you exactly where you need to be). There, we hand off parking passes and tell you where to go to park.
- Our cancellation policy is simple. If you cancel 24 hours in advance then you will be issued a full refund on your deposit.
- We are also happy to accommodate date changes prior to 24 hours in advance. If you do not cancel within 24 hours of your charter, you will be charged the deposit fee.
- Weather-related cancellations may occur. We will speak to each charter closer to the date if weather conditions do not seem ideal.
- We allow our customers to reschedule, but please do so at least 24 hours in advance if it’s not weather related.
