MILWAUKEE — With parts of the Milwaukee River cut off for security during the Republican National Convention, some businesses are pivoting their operations. That includes Milwaukee Duffy Boat Rentals.
The company plans to be open for business during the convention by operating its dock just south of the Milwaukee River.
To get prepared, Sara Padley took a Duffy Boat out on Milwaukee’s Inner Harbor. Padley is the company’s general manager.
“They are great for just cruising up and down the river,” said Padley. “They go about 5 to 10 miles per hour, so they are just awesome to take the family and your friends on, make some stops along the river and the patios.”
Padley said during the RNC they will be restricted from using the downtown part of the Milwaukee River.
She said they are fortunate because the public will still be able to rent Duffy Boats during the convention week at Boone and Crockett in Milwaukee’s Inner Harbor.
“We are going to have the paddle tavern that comes with a captain and it’s up to 16 to 26 people and we also have these rentals going out, so we are open for business the whole RNC and the south river docks work out really nicely for us,” said Padley.
Jacob Morrow is the co-manager for Milwaukee Duffy Boat Rentals. He said he is excited to offer the company’s services to people visiting the city for the first time.
“As a boat rental company, it’s a new way to see the city of Milwaukee,” said Morrow. “Yeah, you can go out downtown on streets or visit any bar or restaurants in the city but then when you are on the river, you get to see a completely different aspect of the city itself.”
While the Duffy Boats may not be able to go downtown for the RNC, Padley said there is still a lot to see.
“There is a lot of like little hidden gems along the river so it will be a big part of what’s new for us, maybe, to have up-and-coming events at our Summerfest grounds, which are huge and already host a bunch of cool events and concerts and stuff like that. So we are excited to see if this can build that up for us,” said Padley.
Both Padley and Morrow said they are ready to welcome visitors from all over the country. They also said they hope to be one reason people come back to visit Milwaukee again.