The Floathouse floats right downtown near the Petaluma Turning Basin on the Petaluma River. Until new public docks are installed between River House and River Plaza (fall 2024), we will be linked to city docks on the downtown side of the river, near Water Street Bistro. GPS: Use 50 Water Street, Petaluma, CA.

On busy weekends, you can park in River Plaza (50 E. Washington Street) or on Weller Street (near The Yoga Post or Grand Central Petaluma) and walk through River Plaza (50 E. Washington Street) past TAPS and LUMA restaurants, over the Balshaw Pedestrian Bridge. Turn left and follow the gangway down to the river.

You can also park downtown or in the C Street Parking Garage and walk towards Water Street Bistro. Use 50 Water Street for your GPS. Follow the Water Street gangway down to the river.

Summer 2024 hours are Saturdays and Sundays, 9 am-5 pm, and by appointment for group experiences, group outings and private lessons,

Winter hours (November-April) are Saturdays and Sundays, 10 am-5 pm.

Yes. Rentals are our foundation, but we pride ourselves on designing meaningful and fun programs for the whole community. Check back often to see what’s new—under Classes, Camps & Outings or our Events page.

We also support community-led events like Witches & Warlocks on the Water, and our very own Bands on The Basin. If you’ve got ideas for programs or classes, please contact us.

We have the widest variety of rental watercraft available anywhere, enough to match the variety offered by the winds, tides and wildlife on the Petaluma River. As of Summer 2024, we have 16 different kinds of watercraft.

Kayaks:

Sit on Tops (SOTs) come in three sizes, 11’ or 12’ singles and 13.5’ tandems. Hobie pedal kayaks come in both single and tandem sizes too.

Stand Up Paddle/Pedal/Row Boards:

We have four kinds of boards: TAHE Fit SUPs, Hobie Stand-up Pedalboards, rowable Oarboards and the Megalodon SUP, which holds 4-6 adults (or more, with kids too: 1,000 lbs of fun).

Rowing Boats:

14’ Solo Whitehalls, 17’ Tango Whitehall Doubles, Captain’s Gig, Adirondack Guideboat, and the Yachtsman’s Dinghy (sail and row)

Water Bikes:

Hydro Bikes and Schiller Premium Water Bikes

Sailing Boats (available seasonally)

Yachtsman’s Dinghy (sail and row), El Toros, JY 9s, Lido 14, and Laser radio controlled sailboats

Electric Boats: (coming soon!)
CraigCat Electric Solar-powered 2-person catamaran, Duffy Old Bay 21’ 12-person passenger launch

Canoes:

Wenonah 17’ Canoe

Old Town NEXT single canoe

Children under 10 may accompany parents or legal guardians in most boats (passenger capacity is noted for each rental).

Those aged 10-15 may use boats on their own, with an adult on the water with them.

Those 16-17 may use boats on their own.

Everyone under the age of 18 must have a waiver signed by a parent or legal guardian.

Full Refund on our call: If we (The Floathouse) must cancel operations due to unsafe or unsuitable weather or conditions (as determined by our qualified staff), you will have your choice of credit or a full refund of your rental fee.

Full Refund with early cancellation: If you (the customer) cancel more than 24 hours before your rental appointment, you will receive your choice of a refund or credit.

No Refund: if you (the customer) cancel for any reason, less than 24 hours before your rental appointment, no refund or credit will be given. However, you may substitute another person, provided they meet any skill, experience or other requirements.

Yes, everyone must wear a life vest, which is provided as part of your boat rental. Life vests for extra passengers are available free of charge. We have a small selection of pet vests available, but feel free to bring your own.

Yes. Pets are allowed on board some of our equipment: hydro-bikes, paddle kayaks, canoes & SUPs, but they must wear life vests. We have a small selection of pet vests available, but feel free to bring your own. This is to protect both you and your pet in case you end up in the water.

Yes! It’s much faster to book online, even if it’s done on the dock a few moments prior to your preferred launch time, so you can sign your waiver online and be ready to go! We also take walk-ups, but expect to wait in line if it’s a busy weekend day!

Yes! Space permitting, you may launch your own people-powered boats or boards at The Floathouse docks, but please check with our staff, especially during busy weekends.

We welcome both local and visiting people-powered boaters. You can tie up with us while exploring Petaluma’s historic downtown, as well as its waterfront shops and restaurants.

HOW LONG IS IT? The Petaluma River stretches roughly 13 miles south from The Floathouse in the downtown Petaluma Turning Basin to the top of San Pablo Bay, which connects to San Francisco Bay and beyond.

WHY IS IT BROWN? The river is “brackish”—a mix of salt and fresh water, with suspended silt contributing to its brown/green color.

IS IT SAFE? Though many of our western rivers are considered “impaired” in terms of bacteria count due to runoff from animals and humans, illness from falling into the water is uncommon. As long as you don’t drink the river water, you should be fine!

WHAT ABOUT TIDES? Like the bay or ocean, the Petaluma River rises and falls with the tide cycle. Boaters should be aware of the tidal conditions when they go out; whether the tide is coming in or going out will affect your experience, and how far you can go in a given amount of time.

WHAT ABOUT WIND? Petaluma can definitely be windy, and the wind can affect your time on the water. The wind generally blows down river, away from downtown, towards San Francisco, usually when the fog clears in the morning, or when the coastal fog works its way back into town in the afternoon.

Please download this app for quick access to tide information.

View upstream and downstream charts including landmarks here.

You can rent our boats for 60, 90 & 120 minutes.

Roughly speaking, with a paddle craft, an average person can travel at 2-3 miles per hour, while with some of our pedal boats, you can travel at about twice that speed (4-5mph).

Heading North: Tide must be mid-level or higher—our staff will advise you. You can travel as far as the SMART Railroad Bridge: 1.5 miles/3 miles round trip.

Heading South: You can travel in this direction at any tide, but please stay to the right (western) side going away from the basin, and the eastern side coming back.

101 Freeway bridge/Petaluma Marina: 1.5 miles south/3 miles round trip

Through the S turns to the levee break: @3 miles south/ 6 miles round trip

Side trip: Between the basin and the bridge is the McNear Channel, which circles the Petaluma River Park peninsula, offering a nice 1.25 mile round trip.

CONDITIONS AND TIME: Your trip will be affected by environmental conditions, experience, and of course, how often you stop to smell the roses—or simply watch the river go by. Again, our staff will advise you on where and how far to go depending on these factors…

KEEP AN EYE OUT, and SHOUT: First and foremost, always keep an eye out for other boaters on the river. It’s best to assume that they don’t see you. Don’t be afraid to give a shout out to make sure they’re aware you are close by. “Have an eye!” or “I’m here!” or even “Look out!” will do.

STAY ON THE RIGHT: Just like the road, the river has traffic rules. Keep to the western side of the river when heading downriver (south), and keep to the eastern side when heading upriver (north).

BEWARE OF CROSS TRAFFIC: People-powered and motorized boats may cross over, so be aware. Always communicate! It’s your responsibility to be aware of crossing traffic and larger boats; yield to them!

CLUB TRAFFIC: There are several boating clubs that share the river with The Floathouse. Keep them in mind as you travel along the channel. Most boating clubs are active in the early morning, weekends, and evenings.

The North Bay Rowing Club and River Town Racers (a youth racing kayak club) launch from low docks next to Foundry Wharf on the west side of the river. There can be a lot of boat traffic coming and going here, particularly in the early mornings and late afternoons.

There are also three Hawaiian outrigger canoe clubs active on the river. He’e Nalu launches south of the North Bay Rowing Club. Lokahi and Kai Wai Northbay launch from the Petaluma Marina.

To learn more about these clubs, visit their websites or ask our staff!

To some degree, yes. Small craft are close to the water, so there’s a certain amount of splash-and-drip. You’re unlikely to get soaked, but your feet and rear end will probably get a little wet.

It’s possible, but not likely unless you try! With their high center of gravity, stand up paddle boards are the most tippy, but most others are less so. If you do capsize, most boats won’t fill with water, so it’s fairly easy to get back on board and continue on your way.

HOW DEEP? At a low tide, the middle of the river is 8’ deep. As tides drop, you should stay away from the mud and obstructions on the river banks. As you become more familiar with the river and the tides, you’ll begin to know just how deep the water is at various tides and in various locations.

DREDGING HISTORY

LATE 2000s: When we began planning The Floathouse project, no one would have believed that the dredging of our river would take so long to get approved and accomplished. 

EARLY 2020: The Army Corps of Engineers approved $9.78 million in funding for the dredging of the Petaluma River.

FALL 2020: The river was dredged, and it has made a huge difference not only to our beloved Turning Basin, but also to the channel leading out towards San Pablo Bay. 

TODAY: Yacht owners are visiting again, and those on small people-powered boats can paddle, pedal and row without worrying about getting stuck in the mud!

NEXT DREDGE & MORE: The Turning Basin will be dredged in October, 2022, followed by replacement of the public docks between Weller Street and River Plaza.

LIFE VESTS: We provide life vests.

DRY BAGS: We have an assortment of small dry bags to keep your keys, smart phones and wallets protected. For larger items, please bring your own dry bags.

WATER, ETC.: You should bring the rest: water (best in a reusable non-breakable water bottle), snacks, sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat with keeper cords.

COMFORT & LAYERING: Dress for comfort and movement based on the weather forecast. We suggest layering in quick-dry synthetics—avoid cotton; when it gets wet it stays wet, and you get cold.

FOOTWEAR? Barefoot is OK for most paddle boats, but pedal and rowing boats are best with footwear such as water shoes, booties, sport sandals or tennis shoes.

AVOID UV RAYS! For sun protection, we suggest hats and sunglasses with good retention straps. You may also want to have a change of clothing for afterwards, in case you get wet.

Before you come down to The Floathouse docks, please go through this checklist, especially on busy weekends or holidays.

Waiver: You should have received a link to our online waiver in your booking and reminder emails. Please sign it before progressing to the docks.

Sun protection & hydration: Water, snacks, sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat with a keeper.

Access and Parking: The Petaluma Transit Mall and SMART Station are close by, and we’re easily accessible by walking and biking from downtown Petaluma. Please park on Weller Street, because River Plaza is often crowded.

If you’re in a group: Wait for everyone to arrive before coming down to The Floathouse docks.

Restrooms: TAPS and Grocery Outlet (in River Plaza) have graciously agreed to let our customers use their restrooms.

Once you’ve taken care of the items on this checklist, come and join us—and let the adventure begin!