KnockOut Charters

Went on a cruise during the America’s Cup with knock out last weekend for a bachelorette party and it was nothing short of amazing! Captain Chris and Captain Lee were so accommodating and fun. Their boats are great and spacious– I didn’t feel overcrowded at all with the amount of people we had. I would highly recommend doing a charter with them with a large group of people. I had such a great experience-​that I’ll be going on another one of their charters next weekend. Thanks knock out for being so amazing!

Wow! Engagement experience of a life time! I booked our charter to propose to my girlfriend. Capt Lee and Matt had the boat ready to go with champagne, a go-​pro camera, and one hell of a professional looking Nikon camera. They made the whole trip about us and made us feel comfortable making the boat ours. With the combination of an awesome crew, a great boat, and the beautiful Chicago skyline we could not have asked for a better experience. To top it all off She said Yes!!! Thank you for an unforgettable engagement experience!

CAPTAIN CHRIS ROCKS. Him and his co-​captain (Costa?) really helped put the final touches on my marriage proposal. They were total experts in helping devise the plan on how we would make the whole event a total surprise – even despite the fact I was surprising her during the afternoon with a private boat charter, they helped set the scene so nothing seemed suspicious until I dropped to one knee. The boat had plenty of space to walk around, relax, have a drink, and enjoy a beautiful afternoon on Lake Michigan. Chris helped my engagement get off to a great start, and I owe him and his co-​captain a great deal of gratitude for it. TIP: Chris is running this operation by himself, so at times he’s not incredibly responsive by email/​phone, but he will get back to you and his customer service skills are on point. You may just need a little patience or plan well in advance.

Captain Chris is amazing! We rented the yacht last night for my husband’s birthday and everything was simply great. A very clean, comfortable and cozy yacht. Even though it was 50 degrees out we had the best time. I would highly recommend you experience a nighttime chicago skyline tour. Love love love!!! :)

The best time I’ve ever had. Lee was an amazing captain and made all of us feel very comfortable. We could not ask for a better day.

Captain Chris and Captain Jeff were the best and most flexible charter company — I’d recommend them to anyone looking to cruise the area!

The boat and Captain Chris were great! It was a bachelor party and all had a blast. The boat was comfortable and clean and Chris was a pleasure to work with from the moment we first spoke. We spent a few hours on the water — some swimming and some cruising around with beers and eats. Ice and coolers were onboard for us to use and the stereo was perfect for blasting tunes from our phones /​ipods.

Captain Chris made our trip around Lake Michigan the best! Me and my girls brought along some wine and fruit and layed on the deck of the boat taking in some sun and checking out the views of the city. Captain Chris was the best, making sure our glasses were full at all times. In fact, we drank all the wine we brought, and Captain Chris went into his own stash to make sure the drinks kept flowing. We cruised from Dusable Harbor up to the Playpen, back down to 31^st Street Harbor and back to DuSable Harbor. His pricing is reasonable, and you can book for short trips after work if you want. Captain Chris has 2 different boats, one that holds about 6 or so and one that holds about 12 or so. The one for 12 is nicer and mroe upgraded, but we only had a small group, so we took the 6 person boat and were not disappointed.
I’ll definitely use them again, hopefully before the season’s out.

Our group of 5 booked the fireworks cruise with Captain Chris on a recent visit to Chicago. Since we were downtown on a Wednesday, we opted for the sunset/​fireworks cruise. The August weather was ideal with calm waters and a warm day although we were glad we brought along light jackets.
The cruise started out from DuSable harbor and was a short walk from our hotel in River North. We just walked along the river walk and came right to our departure point at Dock D, slip #1. After a quick safety briefing we were off. For the first part of the 2-​hour cruise you hug the shoreline watching the sun set behind the city and all of its lights pop on. Once we reached the museums we headed back north along Navy pier all the while snapping pictures of the skyline.
Chris made sure to take his time and it was such a beautiful night we mostly sat up front on the bow of the boat relaxing. As the time for fireworks approached (9:30 pm) he had positioned the boat perfectly in a spot that was about as close as the harbor police would allow and one where our boat was virtually alone. There are tons of big boats out there and parts of the lake looked like a freeway at rush hour so it was nice to be alone.
You can bring any food and drink along that you want on the boat too.
I highly recommend trying this out whether for fireworks or any of his other daily excursions. It’s a great way to see the city.

I took my wife out for her birthday with Chris on Knock Out Charters. We had a great time. Our charter was for 3 hours and did a little cruising before heading over to the «Play Pen.» We hung out there and were able to go swimming and jump off the boat! Chris is one of the most gracious hosts I’ve ever experienced. Anything we wanted, he was able to take care of. I would absolutely recommend KO charters for anyone looking to have a great boating experience in Chicago.

I used KO charter for my husbands birthday and it was an awesome experience! Captain Chris was very helpful from the very beginning till the day of the event. The boat itself is gorgeous and fully equipped with everything you need, Just bring the food and drinks! We had captain Yohei and he made our boat experiences even better! It was a great way to celebrate friends and just to enjoy the beautiful city of Chicago! We did the afternoon cruise so we were able to jump into the lake. The boat had foam loungers and other fun tools to use in the water as well. Thank you again to both captain Chris and Yohei for such a wonderful experience! We will definitely be back!

Carole the first mate was amazing! She made the experience fantastic. We loved the tour of the city and Carole provided detail. Around what we saw and also made sure we were comfortable the entire time. Chris was pretty great too. We will definitely be back.

One of the most amazing experiences we have ever had! With the help of Captain Chris and Carole, I was able to propose to my fiancé in such a special and memorable way. Chris was extremely nice and accommodating from the very first phone call. Once we got on the boat he helped me coordinate the proposal with Champagne and pictures. Chris and Carole were genuinely involved in the process and did everything they could to make our night enjoyable. The boat is awesome and the skyline tour is beautiful. It was much more than we expected and we’re very grateful to KO Charters. Chris and Carole are really good people and we will be back!

Captain Chris with KO Charters is a 5 Star + Adventure
This guy knows how to Rock customer service. He was right there to help us out in EVERY WAY possible. He did an AMAZING job catering to our EVERY need, request and desire to make sure we enjoyed our time on his boat.
I highly recommend him to anyone wanting to experience Lake Michigan when in Chicago. I know we will definitely be returning for another adventure when we return.
The birthday girl said this was the BEST Birthday she ever had, and you were a HUGE part of that. The five of us all loved the evening.
Those reading this and considering this as an entertainment option… Go and Enjoy, It’s so worth it!
Thank you Chris, though you don’t need it… we wish you continued success with great adventures for many years to come.

We took a charter with Captain Chris and Caroline on Sunday, 8÷25÷13 and I could not write a more raving review about these two individuals and the service they provided to us.
The six of us opted for a 2-​hour cruise around Lake Michigan. The Dock was easy to locate and the boat came with all of the amenities that we needed for the day. Our hosts were gracious enough to fill up the sink with ice (to keep our champagne and mimosa ingredients chilled!) as well as take photos at every request. They were incredibly affable people who possess a wealth of knowledge about living in Chicago and traveling, dining and boating around the world.
I highly recommend KO Charters as you will come across a very professional team who place a huge priority on safety while also insuring that your passage is fun and memorable. Hats off to Capt. Chris and Caroline for allowing me to end my last weekend in Chicago with a bang before moving out of state! Our only regret is that we did not sign up for a longer tour :)

Phenomenal experience.
Captain Chris is an excellent businessman and a fantastic guy. I was working on an international TV production and we needed some great shots of the Chicago skyline and views of the city from the river. Our director loved the architectural boat tour that I took him on when we did our site visit & he wanted to replicate the experience for our shoot.
Captain Chris completely understood our needs and worked with us to get the best shots we could possibly get. He’s captained the boat for many teams who have shot everything from big to small-​budget productions, so he knew how to make our morning efficient and effective. We were able to set up our camera & sound equipment on both the back and front of the boat to get a variety of different angles, and we could relax inside the cabin between takes. It was great to have such precise control over the speed and location, too — we got exactly what we needed.
We lucked out with gorgeous weather plus one of the few days where they raise & lower the bridges to let the sailboats go in & out of their river docks. It was a very cool experience & a memorable one for our production team from Europe!
I would HIGHLY recommend KO Charters for a fun afternoon on the water or for a production. Captain Chris has definitely earned his 5 star Unilocal rating!

Chris helped make a engagment proposal truly memorable. He was very laid back, quick to respond to phone calls, very personable, and professional. He played along great with the «story» i made up to get my soon to be fiancé on the boat. After we were out of the harbor, it felt like it he wasn’t even there. We enjoyed our time on the bow of the boat, very relaxing, smooth ride, and great views of the skyline. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect way to propose, well maybe being out on the charter longer than I agreed to, but that was my choice. Chris will even buy champagne and whatever else you want beforehand (and not charge you through the roof) to make a proposal even more perfect
When I thought of the idea of proposing on a boat, I did some reserach into places. KO Charters was the only one that offered a 1 – 1.5 hr charter as all of the other sail boat companies wanted a 3 hr minimum. This worked out perfectly for what I wanted and wasn’t going to cost an arm and leg.
I can’t wait to get some friends out next year and take a longer charter with Captian Chris.

I can’t agree with the other reviews more. It was an amazing experience and Captain Chris is wonderful. Very laid back and personable, who took plenty of pictures of my fiancée-​to-​be and I while we were enjoying the ride. I even made up a little story to throw her off so she wouldn’t be suspicious that it was just us two on the boat and Chris played along like a professional actor! When we stood up and I got down on one knee he was snapping away taking pictures discretely to capture the moment.
Chartering the yacht was much less expensive than I had anticipated, and the experience exceeded my expectations significantly!
I think we will definitely have to get some friends together and charter the boat again sometime in the future for a fun filled time on the lake!

I am a fan of the Chicago skyline.
I am a fan of Lake Michigan.
And I am a huge fan of Captain Chris!
My sister, her hubby, my brother and my parents set sail for a 1.5 hour cruise at sunset on a gorgeous Friday evening. Captain Chris arranged discounted parking for us and even left the harbor 10 minutes before our slated start time as we arrived early. The boat is well-​maintained and the perfect size for a group of 6. You’re allowed to bring your own food and drink on the boat — BYO boating? Yes, please!
My parents raved about their experience all weekend long and touted it as the most memorable part of their visit to Chicago. Not only did our hard-​to-​please parents see Chicago from the most beautiful of perspectives, but we emerged as hero children. What’s not to love?
Did I mention this is a BYO journey? Oh, right. Repeat with me again: BYO!
Elegant and fun — we’ve already decided on making our family cruise on KO Charters an annual gig.

6 of us redeemed a Unilocal deal last week and must say, absolutely loved every minute of the 1.5 hour cruise on Lake Michigan.
Captain Chris was super nice, super flexible, and super chill. We sat out on the helm of the boat throughout and pretty much took in the breath taking skyline from all the different angles we requested.
The boat was clean and shiny and looked well maintained! The bathroom was clean. It was a BYOB cruise. It was super duper fun!