Island Time Charter

Island Time Charter is a private boat charter business owned and operated by Captain Chet Zoltak, running cruises around Sarasota Bay and out into the Gulf of Mexico since 2014. The charter departs from Centennial Park in downtown Sarasota, a public dock about a two-minute drive north of Marina Jack, with Captain Zoltak meeting passengers at the floating dock on the south side of the park facing the Van Wezel.

The boat itself, named Island Time, is a 25-foot Worldcat catamaran that comfortably accommodates up to six passengers, a size that keeps the experience feeling like a private outing rather than a crowded group tour boat. Catamaran hulls tend to offer a smoother, more stable ride than a standard V-hull, which matters for passengers who might be prone to seasickness or simply want a more comfortable cruise on choppier days.

As a single-captain, single-boat operation, Island Time Charter offers a genuinely personal experience where the same captain who owns the business is the one actually running the boat and interacting with passengers on every trip. That kind of direct, owner-operator relationship is increasingly rare as more charter businesses in tourist destinations scale up to multiple boats and rotating crews.

Trips cover both the protected waters of Sarasota Bay, good for sightseeing, dolphin watching, and sunset cruises, and runs out into the open Gulf of Mexico for passengers wanting to get further offshore. The company serves the greater Sarasota and Bradenton area, with Centennial Park as its primary Sarasota departure point.

Given the boat’s small six-passenger capacity, private charters here tend to book up during peak season, so reaching out ahead of a planned visit is a reasonable idea for anyone hoping to secure a specific date and time.

The floating dock on the south side of Centennial Park, facing the Van Wezel, has become a familiar meeting spot for several small independent charter operations working out of downtown Sarasota, prized for its easy access without the need to navigate a larger commercial marina. A six-passenger catamaran keeps the experience intimate, which tends to suit small families or groups of friends looking for a private outing on the water rather than joining a larger group tour boat.

A single-boat, owner-operated charter naturally caps how many trips can run in a given week, but that limitation is also what keeps the experience personal, with the same captain who built the business greeting every group at the dock.