Knot Tied Down runs deep sea fishing charters out of St Augustine, and it is the most capable private boat in the port for a serious offshore day. On the Atlantic First Coast, where the good bottom and the Gulf Stream are a long run from the inlet, that capability counts. It is a 40 foot sportfisher with an air conditioned cabin and an enclosed head, run by a father and son team with nearly 30 years on this water, and it fishes the full offshore spread out to an 11 hour Gulf Stream trip. For a group that wants the range and the comfort to fish far offshore, it is the first boat to call.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 8.1 Knot Tied Down is a strong choice and the top ranked boat in St Augustine, edging a tight top tier. It leads on the boat: a 40 foot diesel sportfisher with the range, the dry ride, and the air conditioned cabin that the smaller center consoles in the port cannot match. The honest limits are two. Its review record, while strong, is thinner than the deepest in the port, and at top of the range prices it is the most expensive private boat here. For the deepest customer record on a smaller, more affordable boat, MisStress Sportfishing is the pick; for a big offshore operation with a world record captain, Endless Summer is the call; and for the cheapest walk on seat, the Sea Love party boat is far less per person. The full field is on the St Augustine ranking.
The boat
The Knot Tied Down is a 40 foot Jersey sportfishing convertible, built in 1984 and running twin 440 horsepower Yanmar diesels, with an air conditioned cabin, a microwave and refrigerator, and an enclosed head. It is the most comfortable and capable hull in our St Augustine field. The twin diesels give it the range for the long offshore runs, and the cabin and the enclosed head make an 8 or 11 hour day workable rather than an endurance test, which an open center console cannot offer. It is an older hull, but a well kept Jersey convertible is a sturdy, sea kindly offshore boat, and the air conditioning is a genuine comfort on a hot Florida day far from the dock.
The fishing and what you target
Out of the St Augustine inlet the bottom holds gag, red, and scamp grouper in their open season, vermilion and mangrove snapper, black sea bass, and almaco jack, with cobia and king mackerel nearshore and blackfin tuna on the longer runs. The boat’s edge is range. The 11 hour Gulf Stream trip reaches the bluewater the smaller boats rarely run to, and the full day trips reach the better bottom that a long Atlantic run demands. Black sea bass carry the bottom much of the year. Atlantic red snapper are abundant off St Augustine but the federal season is very short and was closed by a court order for 2026, so confirm the status with NOAA Fisheries before you plan around them, and shallow water grouper, including gag and red, are closed January 1 to April 30 each year.
Trips and prices
Knot Tied Down runs a wide menu, all whole boat for up to 6 anglers: $900 for a 4 hour, $1,250 for a 5 hour, $1,600 for a 6 hour, $2,000 for an 8 hour, $2,400 for a 10 hour, and $2,600 for the 11 hour Gulf Stream trip. Rods, reels, bait, tackle, and the license are included and the crew fillets your catch, with a customary tip extra. These are the highest private rates in our St Augustine field, which the boat earns on size, range, and comfort rather than on the deepest reputation. For a group of six the per person cost is reasonable for a sportfisher, and well above a party boat seat. Our cost guide and the party boat versus private charter guide set those tiers side by side.
The crew
Captain Jerry Butler Sr. and Captain Jerry Butler Jr. run the boat, a father and son team with nearly 30 years on this water, so the local knowledge is first hand and runs deep. The sentiment is strong: reviewers single out the captains and crew for service, the comfort of the boat, and consistently successful trips, with a 4.8 rating and a high rate of anglers who caught fish. The one honest qualifier is volume. With around 70 reviews the record is solid and positive but not as deep as the few hundred behind MisStress or Rod Bender, so it is strong rather than exhaustively proven, which is what keeps the track record score a step below the customer favorites.
Booking and what to know
Book direct or through FishingBooker, and book ahead in summer, especially for the Gulf Stream trip, which depends on weather and fills early. The boat departs the Conch House Marina at 57 Comares Avenue. Confirm the trip length and the target with the captain so the plan matches the season, and ask which trips reach the bluewater if tuna or a Gulf Stream day is the goal. Bring food, drinks, sunscreen, and a cooler with ice; the boat covers the rods, tackle, bait, and license, and the cabin gives you somewhere out of the sun on a long day.
How we scored it
Knot Tied Down scores 8.1: the most capable private deep sea boat in St Augustine, a comfortable 40 foot sportfisher with the range for the long Gulf Stream run, held to the edge of the top tier by a thinner review record and a top of the range price. Boat and equipment and trips and access are its strongest factors. See how we scored this boat and the St Augustine ranking for the field.