DINE+WINE | on tap
The Party That Never Stops Moving What you need to know about Charlotte Cycle Boats by Sarah Quinn | photos courtesy of Charlotte Cycle Boats
Summer is in full swing, and after a global pandemic that filled last summer with social distancing, stay-at-home orders, and masks, we are all looking to make up for the lost time. You could get back together with friends, family, or co-workers. Or maybe you could spend some time out on the lake. Perhaps you could enjoy some drinks and some good music. Or maybe you just want to work out again. But what if I told you that you could do all these things at once? With Charlotte Cycle Boats in Davidson, you can! Charlotte Cycle Boats takes you on a 2-hour chartered cruise on Lake Norman to drink, listen to music, party, get together with friends, and, of course, cycle. Guests can bring their own snacks, beverages, wine, champagne and beer (grab your favorite selections from your favorite breweries ahead of time!) Note: No liquor is allowed on board. We sat down with founder and owner, Rob Bennett, to ask some questions about his company Charlotte Cycle Boats. Responses are edited for clarity and space. CURRENTS: How did you get the business started? Bennett: I saw the idea online back in 2016 and I purchased the boat in 2017. The boat comes from Bend, Oregon. It was the 25th cycle boat in the country, and it was the very first cycle boat in North Carolina, at the time. CURRENTS: How often do you run the charters? Bennett: We have them available during the week for companies; any day is available. We do sunset cruises five days a week and then on the weekends, we do up to four cruises a day. CURRENTS: As for the age range on mixer cruises, what does that usually look like? Bennett: So, the mixers are always 21 plus, but I’ve had Bailey’s Glen retirement {homeowners}come out with us. They peddled more than these 20-year-old kids do. CURRENTS: What kind of different events do you guys do? Bennett: We have done some 80’s themed rocker cruises. And I’ve done bat mitzvahs, I’ve done birthday parties, [and] we do a lot of bachelorette parties, obviously. Our big push this year is that I’m really trying to promote companies reuniting their employees. Everybody’s been apart for a year. Two hours out on the lake, kind of the reunion cruise [that’s] getting everybody back together, whether it’s families or companies.
Charlotte Cycle Boats is a great setting for bachelor/bachelorette parties.
58
LAKE NORMAN CURRENTS | JULY 2021
CURRENTS: What should people know before they make a reservation? Bennett: They can book individual mixer tickets on their own or they can book the whole boat. What they can bring is beer, wine, snacks. It is a pedal-powered boat, it does require some peddling but it’s not something that somebody would have to [over] exert themselves [with].
