Hot Tub Boats Launch on the Mississippi River This Summer
This summer, you'll be able to relax in a hot tub while floating down the Mississippi River in Minneapolis.
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board voted in favor of allowing the company Minnesota Hot Tub Boats to operate out of Boom Island Park.
Propane heats the hot tubs and an electric motor powers the boat. The company says you drive them yourself.
The company claims you don't need a boating license, however the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office says that Minnesota law requires drivers to be 18 years of age and have a valid watercraft operator's permit to either rent or operate a rental boat.
The rental company will offer 90 minute rides, and the boats are expected to travel at around 5 mph. They'll fit six people, according to owner Matt Witt.
Witt lived in Seattle, where he said he saw several hot tub boat companies.
"I tried the idea out there and loved it," he said.
Boaters will be able to travel between the Nicollet Island Railway Bridge and the Broadway Street Bridge.
The company hopes to start renting the boats by Memorial Day weekend and they'll be available until November. Witt says the watercraft can operate to temperatures just above 20 degrees, slightly extending the boating season.
"I think the hot tub boat will do a good job at expanding that season a little more," he said. "Now when it's cold you can still spend a little more time on the water."
The 90 minute rental starts at $300.
