Northernaire Houseboats On Rainy Lake

Friendly and helpful staff. We rented boat 32 (princess) it was just what we were looking for, nothing super fancy but comfortable, clean and everything worked like it should. It was the perfect cabin on pontoons for exploring the lake. We ventured as far as we could all the way to the kettle falls channel. 4 days in we were running low on beer, ice and bug spray so we radioed in a small list and it was delivered with a smile all the way on the other end of the lake! Our family had decided to make this a new yearly tradition. Can’t wait to go back next summer!!!

We rented the Statesman at Northernaire for a long weekend Thursday to Sunday and had the best time. The boat was beautiful, perfectly equipped with everything you need (grill, equipment, coolers, etc) and the service was outstanding. The fishing was amazing. They made it easy. We will be back. Thanks all.

Kevin and Vonette are great hosts. We have had wonderful trips and beautiful memories made every time we go out on one of their well maintained Houseboats. I highly recommend a voyage with Northernaire

We LOVE National Parks and the outdoors... this was a FANTASTIC way to experience Voyageurs - unique and the most relaxed vacation we have been on. Our kids don't complain too much as we explore parks through hiking... but they welcomed the idea that this wouldn't be a hiking trip; simply ride and relax, fish, build bonfires and enjoy their surroundings. I spoke to a few rental outfits - both were informative, but there was just something about my initial conversation with Vonnette that made me seek more information with what they could offer. Vonnette was great to work with and patient with a 'newbie Houseboat renter'. She and I were able to easily converse through phone call or email - many times laughing or sharing life stories that brought them to the point of running this business. Through those conversations I knew we would be well cared for. Our experience upon arrival and loading was great. We were the first voyage for the Aurora this season. We had 4 of our 7 kids with us... so 6 total people. We could've done another boat, but I wanted 2 bathrooms, Queen size beds and the ability to steer the ship from upper deck. This boat provided a great space for us. There are other companies with newer boats, but the Aurora was well maintained and ran well for us. Blane was great with instruction and steered us out and then stayed a bit while we took over the 'driving'. We were off on our adventure - after bestowing my husband his Captain's hat! ;) Voyageur's provided breathtaking views, sounds of nature and also quiet. I love vacations where we are disconnected from the world... this certainly provided that! I will say, having our older boys along was very helpful for docking and leaving each houseboat site. I'm sure if others needed to do those tasks we could have, but having their strength was certainly a blessing. Would I go again... YES. There are other parts to discover. This was a great introduction to the park... houseboating... and a great company and personnel to work with. Please note, when it's a busier time of boats going out and coming in, remember to be patient with the process. You may have to wait as other boats are tended to. This is just part of the vacation, so plan your days of arriving and departing accordingly. Northernaire Houseboats gets 5 stars from us... and I tend to be pretty picky. Well done Vonnette and crew!!!

We had a wonderful time and the staff is excellent to work with. We booked a week in late August and the fishing was great. Our thanks to the staff at Northernaire.

Friendly owners and staff as well as a welcoming committee of two very sweet dogs set the tone for what turned out to be a very relaxing and fun trip. While fancy houseboats were available, houseboat number 6 was akin to a cabin on pontoons; which is exactly what we were looking for. No frills and no fuss. However, I was very much looking forward to a shower with pressure by the end of the trip. The scenery was spectacular, the fishing exceptional and the wildlife sightings did not disappoint. Can't wait for a future trip

We had a great experience renting a houseboat! We had a blast exploring the park and spending family time together. Vonette was great to work with and answered all of our questions from phone to email, and they have the cutest four legged greeters ever! I would definitely recommend to anyone exploring the NP to consider the houseboat route, and to book with Northernaire! The only thing I don’t recommend? The mosquitos! 0/10 😂

Had a wonderful experience and hosts and Staff were very helpful. Especially enjoyed the check in and check out process with Blain Damaged. The pre package info was very helpful in planning a secluded cove to hide in. Mornings and evenings filled with loons.

My husband & I rented a Suncruiser for a weekend (3 nights). Of course, the area is beautiful and really fun to explore. Neither of us had ever been to the area so it was a treat. We got lucky with good weather, which was a bonus. The overall experience was awesome, but more due to the area than the boat. I loved the beauty and peace & quiet that surrounded us each day. The staff is friendly and helpful, although disorganized and struggling to communicate. We waited about 1 1/2 hours for someone to give us our orientation to the boat so we could get underway. When someone finally showed up, he said no one had radioed him we were waiting, even though we had checked in and sat around in the lobby for a long time. The orientation we got was helpful and we felt pretty much ready to head out. But it was a lot of info and we were both afraid we were going to forget some of the details of an hourlong overview. There is a book on board with some of the info repeated; if they could add to it, that would be really helpful. The boat itself had definitely seen better days. Lots of damage and general wear & tear. Thankfully, though, everything worked as expected and we had no problems. The kitchen is well-stocked with dishes, glassware, pots/pans, toaster, coffee pot, etc. The refrigerator is powered by propane, as is the drinking water, which was good because we didn't want to run the generator all the time due to the noise. There was also a microwave and a propane stovetop. The boat we actually requested was supposed to have an oven but they gave us a different boat, without explanation. It would have been nice if they had provided dish soap and hand soap; thankfully we did bring our own. They charge a lot for gas when you bring the boat back in, along with a "convenience fee" which is frankly ridiculous. It's not like there was somewhere we could have stopped along the way to fill it up ourselves, like you do with a rental car. Would we do it again? I'd love to be back on the lakes and exploring the islands again, but the total bill came out to over $500/night for the smallest boat they have. That's probably too much to warrant a repeat.

We rented the Aurora for a week in 2020. There were 4 families, we put the kids on air mattress's in the galley. We all had a great time however, we were very, very disappointed with the boat and the owners. The ad says 2 FULL size frig's. WRONG!! Both of the frig's together MIGHT make 1 full size frig. They are approx 2 ft. wide and 1 ft. deep. A 3 lb. marg. tub filled the top shelf. One frig did not work very good and halfway thru our week we had to throw food away because it spoiled. We were in a cabin behind the showers. Both bedroom floors carpets in back of the bathrooms were wet all week from leaks in both showers. They took 1 shower curtain liner and cut it in half for both showers. It didn't even reach the sides of the shower. Plus the showers leaked from underneath. There are no hooks on the walls of the cabins to hang anything, no bars for hangers, our bags were under the bed and our clothes were wet by the middle of the week. The ad said NO dogs, which is great with us. But that should include THE OWNERS dog too. We were putting things away and they just let their dog roam our boat. We were trying to figure out the frig situation and set a pan of macaroni and tuna salad on top of a cooler. Their dog came in, pushed the lid off the pan (disposable pan) and started eating our tuna salad!! We had to throw away food before we even started our trip. And we had to keep chasing the dog out. The man who was showing us the boat did not apologize and did nothing to stop that darn dog. And when they came out to bring ice or pick up garbage that dog was along and would jump onto our boat and try to eat anything we had out. We all want to take a houseboat trip again, but I'm pretty sure we will be looking for another company to rent a boat from. The radio didn't work half the time, the boat was full of flies and mosquitoes. We spent over $7000 between all of us. Way too much for this kind of service.

We had a fun week exploring Rainy Lake with the Wanderer Northern Aire houseboat. The owners Kevin and Vonette were very professional and helpful with information about Voyageurs National Park and navigation advice. The boat was basic but very clean perfectly equipped for a week on the lake. Boat ran fine and had good equipment for tying to shore. Highly recommended.

Kevin and Vonnette the new owners are so helpful in providing information that will make a houseboat vacation a memorable experience. Love the new upgrades in quiet 4 stroke motors and installing onboard GPS Lake chip navigation systems on all the boats. That's huge!

Although I liked the previous management, I have to say that the current new owners, Kevin and Vonette, have brought a new spirit and hustle to an old business. Although the fleet had aged a bit, the new owners are committed to improving everything. The day that they took delivery of completely new Yamaha motors for a number of the boats was a sign of things to come. If you want to see how much improvement ownership can make, come back to Rainy Lake and Northernaire.

New owners are attempting to put lipstick on a pig. The new motors on some of the houseboats are still too small, it takes forever to get down the lake. The competition houseboats were passing us all day. The dockage is in need of replacement, and everything on the boats, including bug screens, refrigerators, heaters, water pumps, battery systems, etc are all right on the edge of breaking down at any moment. In fact, our radio never worked right the entire trip, with spotty cell service on the lake; the fridge pilot wouldn't light, the starter battery bank died and we had to have a couple spare batteries brought out, the brand new GPS units kept cutting out, and were essentially nonfunctional most of the trip, the floor in the sleep area was soaked the entire trip, (water line leak?). And the mosquitos ate us alive every night, we couldn't keep them out with bug spray or duck tape. We ended up coming in a day early because of the dead battery issue, we were afraid we wouldn't be able to start the motor when it was time to come in. Positives: the boat didn't sink. The owners offered nothing for the poor service, just a shrug of the shoulders and an "Oh well". I'm sure the boat was sent right back out with none of the issues addressed. My advice? Shop elsewhere.

I wish I could give this place 0 stars because this is the worst experience I've ever had when it comes houseboats. I was excited to spend some time with family and friends for a week but I can't even tell you how much I hate this place. My dad booked a trip here for July 29th- August 5th of this year, and so far so good when myself, my dad, his girlfriend and my best friend and his younger brother got there on Friday. We unpacked everything and were able to get out on the lake right away. Although the problems start when my dad called and told them we'd be late they said that's okay and they even called when we were still driving up there that they're ready to take us now which was about noon. We didn't get there till sometime after 4, but they started getting upset because we weren't ready well we had to get some quick groceries and then fishing licenses and bait. Eventually we got out on the lake just after 6 and things were going good up until dinner time. My dad got steaks for the first night to grill which turned out really well but the grill itself basically caught on fire and burned off some of the handles they didn't even test it before sending us off. The lights on the front and back of the boat didn't even work nor did the fridge or stove work properly. They were extremely confusing to start as certain parts didn't work at all. Everything else as far as the boat was fine no other issues and no issues with the rowboat or anything. The real problem occurred was the next day when we had to pick up my sister and her fiancé who were coming in from Vegas the day before so they couldn't come up when we did. My dad even informed the resort that we'd need to take 2 trips for them and then my brother and his girlfriend on Monday. They said the there'd be no extra charge then tried saying it'd be $150 per trip. Anyways when we're going to pick up my sister and her fiancé we got a little bit lost I tried helping my dad with directions and the resort was getting frustrated with us and once they finally located us they were not happy at all even though we weren't too far from the base. Once we docked and started loading they tried to accuse my dad of drinking and driving the boat asking him to do a breathalyzer test but he refused. Keep in mind this was our first time here we don't know the area completely and it's a huge lake at not everything that's marked on the map they give you is marked on the GPS. It got to the point where they refused to let us continue the trip that it's over because my dad was drinking and driving, but he called the cops, took a breathalyzer test and it said 0.0, so I'm glad we didn't stay at that place they were not very welcoming at all and their attitude sometimes was just horrible I would never ever go back here again it was a miserable experience. Myself, my friend, my brother, and my dad all love to fish and we've been doing these yearly trips for about 7-8 years now and we've never had an experience as horrible as this. I highly recommend that you avoid this place at all costs and for us it was a 10+ hour drive coming from Illinois

We just returned from a week long trip to rainy lake . We rented a houseboat from Norternaire houseboats. There were eight people, four of whom were children. The scenery was spectacular. The houseboat however, was junk. The owner was rude, condescending, and a liar. The boat leaked, the batteries and the solar charging system were wired wrong, and both times we tried to move, the rightside (starboard) motor wouldn't start. Thankfully we had cell coverage so we could call them because the batteries were so drained the shipboard radio didn't work. In the end we ended up cutting our vacation short by a day rather than risk being stranded and being charged for an extra day. I would love to go back to Rainy lake someday, and even do another houseboat trip, but never, ever would I do business with Northernaire houseboats again. Do not trust your vacation to this outfit.

Thank you Northernaire Houseboats for the best family vacation ever!! It is so relaxing and wonderful to spend quality time with the family. Rainey Lake is such a beautiful lake and thanks to you (New owners) and your amazing staff, we did not have to worry about anything! We can not wait for our next vacation!! Thank you!!

We have rented houseboats here for several years but no more. And that makes me really sad. The owner does repairs on the boats (when pushed) but do not apparently do maintenance on the boats. Our most recent time renting, the water pump was running and running when we were still at the dock and we asked about it - they said that was normal, of course it wasn't normal. When we got way out into the lake, the water pump ran just constantly and we were worried about it depleting the battery. Finally, my husband took everything apart and found the filters totally clogged and when once cleaned out, everything worked fine. Another time they forgot to fill the propane tanks. When we were far away on the lake, we radioed them that there was no propane and the response was "that's impossible". But there was no propane and no heat and fortunately, my husband was able to hook up the BBQ propane tank to the rest of the system until they were able to get propane to use (with the wind, it was a few days). My husband has made many repairs on their boats while away from the dock and most recently, he asked for a $100 discount for spending time doing repairs on his vacation. Instead of being so grateful for his help, Dick proceeded to literally THROW a $100 bill at my husband. Incredibly rude. We have not been back nor will we go back while Dick still owns the business. It's very sad because the lake is gorgeous and I grew up there in the summers. I am hoping that we will find a new place.

We rented The President houseboat. The area was great and we would definitely rent another houseboat but will look for another company. We had problems with one of the motors the first day so we had only one motor the rest of the trip. We were told that we should just spend the rest of our time at that spot because it was the nicest spot on the lake. The refrigerator did not keep the food cold. We ran out of propane on the grill. Then the other motor wouldn't run. It was low on oil. The owner had excuses why everything was our fault.

Our group rented the Aurora in June and had a fantastic time on beautiful Rainey Lake. The new owners, Vonette and Kevin are eager to please as they want you to have a great time on their boats. They were very helpful with all of our planning questions about the area, fishing and the boat. The Aurora was clean, the kitchen was well appointed, and the space was great for 10 people. We did have some mechanical issues -one which we were made aware of by the staff before we left the dock. However, Kevin made sure it was addressed without disturbing our vacation. As days past we had another issue but Kevin and his wonderful staff addressed it and we were able to continue an enjoyable time on the boat. No one can predict mechanical issues and I feel Northernaire supported us and did what they needed to resolve the issues -thus the 5 star rating. Thank you so much ! I definitely recommend using Northernaire!!

We rented a Northernaire Houseboat for a week. The boat was really showing its age. Motors are junk. All week we heard radio pleas from other renters for help because motors wouldn't start, or were running rough. We had trouble with our starboard motor losing rpms. We kept them way below the recommended 3500 rpms so engines wouldn't overheat. The beds are wooden platforms with a 2 inch think pad on them, so if you go, bring air mattresses or additional padding, or you are in for a week of sleeping hard. The screen door on the back was off the track. We fixed it, but there was still a half inch gap. THAT is a problem in mosquito land. You need to bring additional drinking water, as what is provided was 6 gallons for 4 people for a week. Everything else on the boat worked fine. Plenty of blankets, and the houseboat was clean. We had some really rough weather, but fishing was good, and the campsites we docked at (only 2 because of weather) were beautiful. It is truly a wonderful area, but I wouldn't do it again with this company. The boats are just too old.

Not a reliable outfit. They do not stand behind their equipment. If you can handle being left for days with a broken engine and no help, this is the place for you.

Our recent trip to Rainy Lake was extremely stressful and disappointing to say the least. Aside from the beautiful scenery of the area and company shared it was a nightmare schlocky operation to deal with. Upon boarding Northernaire an overwhelming scent of what smelled like propane was apparent, but we were told it was due to the gas tank being overfilled and would dissipate in time. The fridge did not work so ice was delivered a couple times throughout our trip at no charge. The Oven was found to no work the screens were sloppily done, the cording fell out leaving open gaps for mosquitos to enter. Dick delivered ice one morning, we again brought up the overwhelming propane smell it was so strong! We realized it was leaking from the space heater in the front of the boat he tried tightening a couple connections and said it was nothing we needed to worry about. We decided to continue on and make the best of the trip and would turn the propane tanks overnight as the fridge did not work anyway we wouldn't need it overnight. The very next day we ran out of propane! Dick said 2-100lb tanks should typically last this particular boat about a month we went through 2 in less than a week! This safety hazard was NEVER acknowledged to taken serious by Dick. A few days before the end of our week long trip we could now smell fuel and discovered a gas leak coming from the rear of the boat and noticed we were sinking! We had not hit anything we were aware of so were really bummed. We were able to drive the boat back to Northernaire as instructed by Dick. Ready to go home and call the trip done, to our surprise he told the dock boys to get another boat ready for us to take out saying "your on vacation right?". Dick said he would take it out and see what happened sometimes the seams leak and they just need retightening/sealing nothing that was our problem just maintenance, but he would take pictures if it was due to a hole we made by hitting rocks and charge accordingly. This was very nice, although we were hesitant on doing so because we knew we had not run into anything in addition to all the other issues that had occurred, we took up the offer anyway. Our tow behind boat, and luggage were moved to the new boat and we made out to lost Bay, moored the boat and sat there the remainder of our trip 1 1/2 days. This boat as well had a propane leak coming from 1 of the 2 space heaters. Propane was turned down for the night and the fridge never reached chilled temps. The morning came to leave, the motor would not start....dead battery...go figure, from all the other houseboat issues we had and overhearing other renters on the CB we weren't surprised. We tried calling it in on the CB and that failed to work. We ended up jumping the battery and returned the boat about 1/2 hour past check in time. Upon checking out Dick said the previous boat indeed just had leaking seems and it was nothing that was our fault. Thank goodness he was honest about that. We checked out and went home. We left with mixed feelings. We already knew we would not be returning again because the boats obviously need better maintaining, but we did feel that Dick and his crew were very nice and accommodating for the most part given the options at hand. But then..... This is where I fell different now about Dick and his operation. The next day I was looking over the receipt and noticed a second charge for a tow behind boat. There was already one on there for 5 gallon = $28 and then a second for 7.5 gallons = $44. I sent Dick an email explaining something must be wrong we don't understand how there could be a second as charge, it was the same tow behind boat, it was never refilled to our knowledge at the time we switched boats and after leaving with the new boat it was NEVER taken out! He then replied he basically did us a favor by not charging for the pontoon damage! What a terrible lazy businessman, what happened to that boat was maintenance issue nothing we did as he originally told us! How dare he act like he was doing us a favor. I would never recommend using Northernaire to anyone. We should have just gone with Rainy Lake Houseboats even though they were quite a bit more but I'm betting we would not have had these issues.

The only thing that was enjoyable about this experience was the time I spent with my family and the natural environment around us. Service was horrendous which I will delve into in a little bit. For starters our toilet did not properly work the entire trip even after staff attention. The screens were virtually nonexistent on our boat. They were poorly installed and our back screen door was put on upside down. They had so many gaps in them that the mosquitos feasted upon us every night. I have been to the BWCA, and am an avid outdoorsman, so I have dealt with my share of bugs. I have never seen a more poorly maintained piece of equipment. Another issue that I had on this trip was our motor boat. Every time we wanted to use it we had to spend nearly half an hour bailing the foot of water that would fill the bottom due to its numerous leaks. This was an extreme safety hazard! Lastly, Northernaire had a deep disrepect for not only their customers and staff, but the environment as well. When someone radioed in with an issue (whether it was us or another customer) the owner would treat them condescendingly. The houseboat motor spewed fuel and we radioed Northernaire to have them come take care of it. They did fix their motor leak, but 6 or 7 gallons had already spilled into the lake. A better upkeep of equipment could have prevented all of our problems. The courtesy run on Friday was nice, but overall not worth dealing with the rest of the multiple issues. Seasonal employees were as helpful as they could be within their means. These small perks did not compensate for the above problems. We won't be returning!

LOVE Voyageur's & Rainy Lake, BUT....We reserved a houseboat for a week in Sept. for our big 25th anniversary, "trip of a lifetime" for us. Was that, but not how we'd planned.. First day just had to find somewhere for the nite as mid-late afternoon when we finally got underway, & had to be moored somewhere by 6pm. 2nd day the motor died on a huge bay of Rainy w/incoming storm/winds, so we had no control whatsoever..(islands, rock/wood pilings, shallows, etc) Tossed & turned, doors slamming back & forth (wouldn't latch closed), waves to 3' for 4 hours, felt like an eternity (very hazardous & scary), heading to Canada.. w/a radio that wouldn't transmit, only receive.. Tied white t-shirt up top as distress signal. Kept calling on cell phone hoping to get help. Finally found us around 7pm, getting dark, much off original course, towed to an island for the nite-that day lost..& not an experience we'd care to have again (& we're familiar w/Rainy, houseboats, etc). Instead of bringing another houseboat asap so we could enjoy the rest of our trip, he came about 12:30 pm the next day to fix the motor (lower unit)..Finally done at 3:15pm, and jumping on me about "bitching" about things when I was talking to my husband, not him.. (hubby's birthday..) about this experience, & we were both still understandably very unsettled & "recovering" from it. He was Very rude & condescending, total lack of empathy or "customer service/satisfaction/relations". So, 3rd day find somewhere for the nite again.. 4th day, still no radio transmission (whole trip, was never fixed, tried replacement 5th day, but still no trans.).. Tried getting a little further along, going to fix breakfast next a.m.-no propane...(almost laughable. probably leak from tossing & turning) Had to come back from 36 marker to 14 marker (more gas used) before cell phone would work, as still no radio transmission. So, appr 5pm that evening when he got there, so 6pm & weren't going anywhere again..Ended up staying at that end of Rainy the last few days we had, since we had no confidence in boat, no radio, & did Not want to try to go back thru Narrows, hazards, etc. at this point. We made the most of our last 3 days nearby before having to head in. We lost 3 days, good thing we reserved (& paid for) 7 along w/gas, etc..Never got toward where we'd planned. We'll never forget This anniversary! He did 'credit' us 'some' gas of all we paid for with the 'jaunt' back to get propane.. & 'let' us stay out til 3pm our last day vs 9am into dock, which he felt was worth a good bit. It helped some.. We paid for 7 days, got 3, & you read the rest. He felt he "more than compensated" us for the time/$ lost...(let alone the unforgetful experience) Needless to say, we won't be using them again. Poorly maintained, extremely poor 'customer service/relations'/attitude. We would've bent over backwards to improve things after customers had that/'castaway' experience. Was just the opposite