Therapy-IV is the deep sea fishing boat most visitors to Miami have already heard of, a big 58 foot custom sportfisherman out of Haulover Marina that has run the Gulf Stream for decades under Captain Stan Saffan and his crew. It is a genuinely strong operation: a fast, comfortable boat, experienced captains, and a long run of reviews that praise it for finding fish and looking after first timers. It lands just below the top of the port for one honest reason, a complaint that recurs often enough to name, around hard-sell pressure to buy a mounted replica of your catch.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 7.8 Therapy-IV is a strong choice and the second ranked boat in Miami, narrowly behind Sea Cross on the consistency of the experience off the water rather than on it. The fishing and the boat are top of the port. What pulls it back is value and transparency: the recurring report that the crew pushes taxidermy mounts, with crating and freight charges that surprise people, plus a fuel surcharge added on the day. Book it for a comfortable, productive day on a large boat with a captain who knows the water, and go in ready to say no to the upsell. You can weigh it against the field on the Miami ranking.
The boat
The Therapy-IV is a 58 foot custom sportfisherman with twin diesels, an air conditioned cabin, a private head, and a galley area, and it is the strongest hull in the port for a long day offshore. It carries up to 6 anglers in comfort and makes the run to the Gulf Stream quickly. The operator markets a second 58 foot boat alongside it, though the booking listings show only the one vessel, so treat the fleet as a single proven boat rather than two. Reviewers describe it as clean, roomy, and well equipped, and the size makes it a steadier ride than the smaller center consoles in the area when the wind is up.
The fishing and what you target
Therapy-IV fishes the same close-in Gulf Stream as the rest of the Haulover fleet, trolling and live baiting for sailfish through the cooler months, mahi mahi from late spring into the fall, blackfin tuna and king mackerel through the year, and wahoo in the fall and winter. It also targets sharks, which feature in a lot of the photo-heavy reviews, and bottom fishes the reefs. The captains match the trip to what is running, and reviews regularly credit them with putting people on big- game fish, including sailfish and sharks, rather than just a box of small reef catch.
Trips and prices
The whole-boat rates published on FishingBooker are $850 for a 4 hour half day, $1,250 for a 5 hour three quarter day, and $1,600 for an 8 hour full day, each for up to 6 anglers. Two extras matter here. A fuel surcharge of $50 on the shorter trips and $100 on a full day is collected by the captain on the day, and the mate gratuity is on top. Tackle, the fishing license, and fish cleaning are included. The operator’s own site does not post a rate table and asks you to call, so the clear numbers sit on the booking platform. Our cost guide sets those against a shared seat, and the party boat versus private charter guide weighs booking the whole boat against the Miami head boats.
The crew
Captain Stan and Captain Mike, with mate Chris, draw strong and steady marks for local knowledge and for teaching beginners, and the FishingBooker record runs near the top of the port across more than 200 reviews. The weakness sits in the sentiment too, and it is specific: a recurring strand of reviews, mostly on the open platforms, reports pressure to mount the day’s catch, with replica and shipping costs that ran higher than people expected, and a few describe the captain’s manner as brusque. Against an overwhelmingly positive rating these are a minority, but the mounting upsell comes up often enough that it is worth knowing before you board.
Booking and what to know
Book by phone direct or through FishingBooker, which lists free cancellation with three days’ notice. Bring your own food and drinks and a soft cooler for your fillets. No license is needed, since the boat covers it, and the crew cleans your catch at the dock. If a crew member offers to mount your fish, ask for the full crating and freight cost in writing before you agree, given the recurring complaints about that charge.
How we scored it
Therapy-IV scores 7.8: the best boat in the port and an experienced, family- friendly crew with a deep positive record, marked down on value and transparency for the recurring taxidermy upsell and the day-of fuel surcharge. Boat and equipment is its strongest factor; value and transparency is where it slips. See how we scored this boat, and compare it with the rest of the Miami boats.