Tonka Boat Rentals joins Wayzata Chamber of Commerce

We’re honored to officially join the Wayzata Area Chamber of Commerce—and to celebrate, we recently had our ribbon cutting ceremony at the Wayzata Depot on July 9!

Chamber members and community supporters joined us for a sunny welcome and a chance to share our story. As longtime friends and co-owners, we (Eric Hartman and Jeff Simpson) founded Tonka Boat Rentals with one goal in mind: to make Lake Minnetonka more accessible to families like ours—without the cost or commitment of traditional boat clubs.

“We just wanted to be able to get people out on the lake,” Eric shared during the event. “It was such an important part of my family’s life during Covid, so it was something we wanted to be able to share with our community.”

Tonka Boat Rentals began four years ago as a passion project—driven by decades of friendship, summers on the water, and a shared belief that boating should be easy and approachable. With one of us a union pipefitter and the other a high school math teacher, we’ve built this side business with our families—two of our kids even work with us each summer!

We’re proud to offer affordable, hourly boat rentals, free water sport equipment, and a delivery-based model that helps everyone—from visitors to longtime locals—enjoy the lake on their own terms. Whether it’s at the Wayzata Depot, the Port of Excelsior, or your VRBO dock, we bring the fun to you.

This past summer, we even had the chance to offer free boat rides during the Wayzata Art Festival—a reminder of why we do what we do: create joyful, multi-generational memories on one of the best lakes in the country.

Thank you to the Wayzata Chamber for welcoming us into such a vibrant local community. We’re excited to continue building relationships, supporting events, and making lake life more accessible for all.