Cruise boats begin to launch in Madison lakes, eager for higher tourism season

MADISON, Wisconsin (WMTV) – In another sign of a more normal summer in Madison, tour boats are back in the water.

Captain Rob Sutherland, Master Captain & General Manager of Betty Lou Cruises, launched a 52-foot yacht into Lake Mendota this morning. Captain Sutherland said launch day is always exciting for his crew, but this year it meant even more to them.

“Got excited. It seems like people are starting to look forward to being out and about, and it also seems like it’s going to be a good boating season overall,” said Captain Sutherland.

They only saw a third of their typical customer volume in 2020 due to the pandemic.

“We had to adhere to all CDC guidelines, social distancing and the like. People were still afraid to come out, ”said Captain Sutherland.

Captain Sutherland stated that this will be a summer to make up for lost revenue for Betty Sue Cruises. They usually have two boats on Lake Mendota and two on Lake Monona, but this year they will only be doing tours on Lake Mendota. They expect to be back at full strength next summer.

Customers don’t have to mask themselves on their cruise as long as they provide proof of vaccination. your public and private cruises starts on Friday June 18th and lasts until October.

Most of the company’s public tours last two hours and serve food and drink for adults and children.

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