fr smith & sons marina

My family (my husband and I and our three young sons) and I just spent the weekend in Lake George, NY. We had a great experience renting a boat (nearly brand new, very well maintained) and waterskiing equipment. The lovely people at FR Smith were extremely helpful in terms of telling us different parts of the lake to visit for waterskiing and swimming. This was our first trip to Lake George, so their guidance was invaluable. Also, the marina was right next door to the Sagamore, our hotel. We rented the boat for various parts of three days and each time we showed up to pick up the boat and then return it at the end of the day we were greeted with smiles by everyone who worked there. I am so happy we stumbled onto this marina and highly recommend it.

Rented a small Ebb Tide 19 footer with a Yamaha 115HP outboard motor. The lady in the office was very friendly and helpful and offered many recommendations and tips to make the most of our time on the Lake. It's about 25 min south to Lake George Village on the water. We look forward to renting a boat from them in the future!

I have patronized other marinas in the area over the years and have been happy overall. Today was the first time that I tried to rent from FR Smith and Sons and due to the unfair way I was treated, I will probably not try again. As is standard with marinas in the area, hourly rentals are advertised to be given on a first come, first served basis. Only full day or more rentals are allowed to be booked in advanced. So, when I called from about 20 minutes away to see if any pontoon boats were available, I was not surprised when the pleasant rental lady on the phone informed me that they had two left at that time and that they were first come, first served. We drove to the marina to take the chance. Leaving 6 other family members in the car, I waited while two other groups of customers were being served, one of which was renting a pontoon boat from the woman that I spoke to on the phone. Seeing that there was more than one pontoon boat in their boat house, I figured it was worth waiting until they were ready to help me which ended up being about 15 minutes. When they were done completing their paperwork and the woman completed her commendably thorough boating safety review, I told the woman that I had called a little while ago and asked if there was a pontoon available. She asked me if my name was So and So and I told her no and that I had not given her my name when I called. She explained to me that the general manager had authorized Mr. So and So to reserve a pontoon boat at 12:40pm which was a few minutes away. I suggested to her that this was unfair but understandably, since this was obviously her boss's call and not her call, she basically just shrugged-off my suggestion. So, I waited a little longer and sure enough Mr. So and So showed up at 12:51 and got his pontoon boat. Completely unhappy at this point, I walked in to their other office, asked a gentleman who the boss was and he acknowledged that he was. I explained to him what had transpired and how it was a terrible way to maintain a business rapport with customers if first come first served doesn't apply to everybody. He first indicated to me that Mr. So and So was in earlier in the day and left a credit card deposit. I said that was nice for Mr. So and So but that I should not have been told over the phone that there were two pontoon boats left when one was already spoken for, albeit under unfair circumstances. He was pleasant about the whole thing and said that he was sorry to which I said I was sorry too as I walked away. I left out that I was sorry that I intended to write a negative review about my experience with them and that I would not likely try to rent from them again, despite how nice they seem to be.

My wife and I have been camping on the Lake George islands for 35 years. For all of that time we have rented boats every summer for two weeks at a time at Smith's. Our most recent trip was in July 2014 and our experiences at Smith's were very positive.The staff who rent headed by Sue are very customer friendly and helpful whether it is gassing up the boat, pulling the canoe out of storage or providing a clean and well functioning rental boat. This year we used a pontoon on the lake with 12 people. The pontoon was brand new and quite comfortable and serviceable.Smiths is quite convenient to downtown Bolton where campers can buy their necessities at the local Tops supermarket or from Ron's Hardware store or have lunch at Frederick's, a local restaurant. Smiths is one of our necessities and highlights on Lake George.

Smith's has been servicing and storing our boat for ten years. They have been efficient, reliable and I highly recommend them.

Hi my name is Mark and I have been using F.R. Smith and Sons now for nearly 20 years as a Diver with a Boat. Some years I have stored it up there over the winters. I can say firsthand that Scott the Manager is always trying to help us and Scott in the Parts Department has an exceptional and positive, winning attitude. In addition Adam the Service Manager always gives us several options on repairs which we truly appreciate. Now as the head of a nonprofit Divers Association in NJ that goes on trips to Lake George I recommend them to everyone. I look forward to seeing everyone in a few days!Best,Mark R. McNultyFounder, Hire Divers Association

We come to Bolton Landing every year and rent a boat for a week, and someone recommended FR Smith and we're so glad we used them! Their boats are unbelievably clean and in great shape. They accommodated us with a rental for 6 people even when they were booked solid.. We've been back and their prices are better than other marinas we compared them to. Sue the manager is very professional and we will continue to use them every time we visit...

Thank you for the review we are very happy that you had an enjoyable time on Lake George!We will definitely take more care to be sure the anchor storage compartment is cleaned out - we apologize for the unpleasantness. We will look into the canopy - it has been a difficult thing to manage - it seems simple! but it can be a source of constant frustration and repair. Thank you for giving us an opportunity and for providing useful feedback!

Let me explain the real story here - 3 young ladies reserved a rental boat for 3 days. It was explained to them over the phone and while two were present at the rental desk that under no circumstances can our boats be used to go to Log Bay Day (Log Bay Day is held the last Monday of July every year. It is an out of control all day drinking party. It is heavily patrolled by police and many, many tickets are issued). It is our marina policy NOT to rent boats on that day for a single day use. If customers request multiple day rentals that include that day they are given the same information - DO NOT GO TO LOG BAY under any circumstances.Sue, our rental manager, explained this on the phone and the again in person when they were completing the paper work. One girl eagerly signed all documents including a special document titled "Log Bay Day Disclosure Statement". This document includes this very clear statement: "I understand that participating in any events connected with Log Bay Day will be considered reckless and unsafe and will result in the cancellation of the rental with NO refund."During the check out process one of my staff overheard one of the girls stating that 'her father was so mad at her for spending so much money to go to Log Bay Day'. At that point, he reported the conversation to our rental manager who immediately cancelled their rental contract. She stated that she would have to speak to the General Manager about refunding the deposit. Since that time we have received several very unfriendly, demanding and very loud phone calls. I have since instructed my employees to not engage in conversation with anyone who yells.Had someone asked to see the documents that were signed, I would have happily faxed or emailed a copy of the two documents indicating the conditions for forfeiture of the rental deposit.Let me be clear that it was FR Smiths that cancelled this rental contract and not the reverse.I am sorry that this very unpleasant exchange has been brought about in a public manner.We are a very solid business who spends significant time treating our customers with courtesy.

Let me explain the real story here - 3 young ladies reserved a rental boat for 3 days. It was explained to them over the phone and while two were present at the rental desk that under no circumstances can our boats be used to go to Log Bay Day (Log Bay Day is held the last Monday of July every year. It is an out of control all day drinking party. It is heavily patrolled by police and many, many tickets are issued). It is our marina policy NOT to rent boats on that day for a single day use. If customers request multiple day rentals that include that day they are given the same information - DO NOT GO TO LOG BAY under any circumstances.Sue, our rental manager, explained this on the phone and the again in person when they were completing the paper work. One girl eagerly signed all documents including a special document titled "Log Bay Day Disclosure Statement". This document includes this very clear statement: "I understand that participating in any events connected with Log Bay Day will be considered reckless and unsafe and will result in the cancellation of the rental with NO refund."During the check out process one of my staff overheard one of the girls stating that 'her father was so mad at her for spending so much money to go to Log Bay Day'. At that point, he reported the conversation to our rental manager who immediately cancelled their rental contract. She stated that she would have to speak to the General Manager about refunding the deposit. Since that time we have received several very unfriendly, demanding and very loud phone calls. I have since instructed my employees to not engage in conversation with anyone who yells or is disrespectful.Had someone asked to see the documents that were signed, I would have happily faxed or emailed a copy of the two documents indicating the conditions for forfeiture of the rental deposit.Let me be clear that it was FR Smiths that cancelled this rental contract and not the reverse.I am sorry that this very unpleasant exchange has been brought about in a public manner.We are a very solid business who spends significant time treating our customers with courtesy.

This is the last review from the same party regarding Log Bay Day boat rentals. The story is the same. We have policies in place to protect our business assets. Unfortunately this incident went completely against our policy. The result was a forfeiture of the rental deposit which is clearly discussed and documented on the rental contract and the special Log Bay Day Disclosure document.

This is an awesome review but I think you meant to post for the Smith family that owns Lake George Camping Equipment! And by they way, they are really nice people!It is very easy to confuse since there are 4 marinas on Lake George that are owned by 4 Smith families - none of which are related!

We apologize to Mr Eastman for dropping the ball on this service request. He did in fact email our service manager, Adam, who admits that he dropped the ball on this. Things happen during a busy season but this is no excuse. We thank Mr Eastman for point out our deficiency in handling his business. While have no expectations, we would love to make it up to him in the future as at some time.Robin SmithOwner

They may not be the cheapest marina around but you can count on them to do what's needed and not more - unless you ask.They care more about your boat than you do.

I was sorry to read the review of FR Smith & Sons by reviewer Patty K - the issues cited by her were due to a complete misunderstanding. Let me explain. Patty K called my marina last week to discuss storage and winterization options with my Service Manager, Adam. Adam outlined a set of options to Patty which included: shrink wrapping, drive oil change, engine winterization, bottom wash, chemicals (fuel stabilizer etc), and pick-up and delivery to her location. This price was quoted at 545.00 including tax. The following week, Patty called back and asked for my General Manager, Scott, by name. Scott was unaware of the conversation that Patty had with Adam and continued to quote her the full menu of options INCLUDING storage at our facility. This additional option bumped the total price to 867.77 (including tax). Late Friday when Adam was available - he and Scott - discussed the situation and planned to call Patty back on Monday when we returned to work, as we are closed on Sat and Sun this time of the year. I would like to add that Patty indicated that we were "gouging her for more money because of the upcoming hurricane. Adam in no way indicated to Patty that we would be able to get her boat late Friday before we closed for business that day. As another note, FR Smith & Sons has a very regulated policy and reservation system for winterization. We send out storage and winterization sheets so that our customers can indicate what services they want and what date they wish their boat to be pulled. It is a signed contract with our latest pull date of November 1. We handle over 400 boats between Oct 1 and Nov 1. While Patty called and was clearly in a jam by not having arranged winterization services this late in the season, Adam and Scott were willing to try to help her out. Patty is not a regular storage customer but we are always willing to add new storage customers and especially to help people in need. We are quite sorry that Patty felt she was ripped off - fortunately, all this can be attributed to misunderstanding and hastey reactions. Sincerely - Robin Smith - president and principle owner