What should I consider when hiring a Yacht or Boat?

The main points to consider are what is your budget, have you got the necessary sailing experience and qualifications to manage the boat if it's not going to have a skipper, whom you are taking sailing, where exactly you wish to go and what will the weather be like on the proposed dates of your trip.

Do you have to pay a deposit when hiring a Yacht in [location_name]?

You will typically pay 50% up front on booking the yacht hire and the balance on arrival. You will either pay a security deposit with your credit card on departure or can get insurance covering damage in advance. In some cases (such as the recent Covid situation) charter companies may be more flexible but this depends on the individual charter companies themselves.

What happens if my Yacht breaks down?

If you are at sea and in danger, call MAYDAY on VHF Ch16 or ring the coast guard on your phone if you have reception. If you have a mechanical fault and can make it to or are on a mooring you will be able to phone a help line number given by the boat charter company.

What should I think of before I hire a Yacht or Boat in [location_name]?

You should consider do you have the experience to handle the yacht charter or boat hire before you book and where do you want to go along with what the weather will be like. Bring warm weather and cool weather clothing if it looks like the weather can be cool as well as warm and remember at sea it can be cool on most evenings.

What Qualifications Do I need to hire a boat or yacht?

If you want to sail without a skipper then you will need relevant qualifications like RYA Day Skipper/International Certificate of Competence (ICC)/ASA 104 Bareboat certificate or the US Sailing Certificate. For small 'day boats' or if you choose to have a skippered on board your yacht charter you typically don't require licences.

Yacht Charter Follonica

Borrow A Boat is the leading boat rental and yacht charter marketplace worldwide with over 35,000 boat listings across 65 + countries worldwide, with boats of all types available for rental and including peer-to-peer boat listings.

At Borrow A Boat we're on a mission to make boating more accessible and to make it easier for you to get on the water. We believe boating should be available to everyone, and we can help the boating industry, boat owners, marinas, and everyone who wants to go boating by providing a 21st-century boating marketplace. Borrow A Boat is the best place to find and rent boats of all sorts, from a canal and riverboat across Europe to a sailing boat, motor boat, catamaran across North America, the Mediterranean, Caribbean and further afield, along with some of the world's most impressive superyachts and luxury yacht charters.

Boats or Yachts Available For Rent Or Charter

Where it comes to chartering or renting boats below is a list of the typical types of boats that you can hire on Borrow A Boat with a description of the boat type. If you can't find the individual boat charter you are looking for when you do a search in [location name] it's worthwhile searching nearby locations as your chosen boat type might be available nearby.

When searching a geographical area on Borrow A Boat you can filter by the below boat types. There is also the option to further filter your searches by price, the number of guests, cabins or bathrooms, what year the boat or sailing yacht was launched, the boat length and the boat manufacturer.

Sailing Yacht (Sailboat): From €120/£100/$135 a day up to whatever you can afford, monohull sailing yachts are fun to sail at all points of the wind and an affordable way to get around if your island hopping or finding your own secluded coves or sandy beaches along with longer cruises. Sizes range from those for a couple or small family to a full sized luxury charter yacht.

Catamaran: Luxury catamarans are stable and spacious, with quick sailing performance, and and have been gaining in popularity in recent years. Better for larger groups, they have lots of room for water toys, and are big enough for a little privacy. A catamaran charter is easy and comfortable for novices not used to heeling and are loved by families due to their extra space when compared to a monohull. Typically far more luxurious than a sailboat the larger catamarans have en suite toilets and showers in the staterooms as well as ample entertaining space in the saloon and on deck.

Power Catamaran: These types of boats are relatively new but have also been gaining in popularity as the two hulls keep the boat more stable when compared to a monohull. The wider beam also means more deck space and as they don't have sails or a mast, they have a lot more space on deck than a sailing catamaran rental or monohull. For a luxury catamaran charter, consider taking a crewed catamaran charter sailing vacation with an experienced skipper.

Luxury Yacht: Luxury yacht charters are available for either a sailing yacht (sailboat), catamaran or motorboat and will have a crew and host/hostess on hand to cater for whatever your needs are along with a skipper who will have a detailed knowledge of your cruising area. On a crewed yacht charter of this kind you get to create your own personal itinerary and will have far greater range than on other boats which allows for lots of variety in how you travel and what you do.

Superyacht: A superyacht or sometimes called mega yacht are boats which are least 24 metres (79 feet) in length up to 180 metres (590 feet) and can either be sailing yachts (sailboats) or motorboats. These types of boats are most frequently found in the Med of Caribbean and due to their size they will have a large chartering area and can typically pick you up from whatever location you require rather than you being required to get to a set marina to start your charter. They are fully crewed with professional staff who will cater for your every need along with a skipper who will have extensive knowledge of your chosen cruising areas.

Motorboat: This covers a wide variety of boats from a motor yacht with cabins to a private boat trip for a fishing trip but all of the these are comfortable seagoing boats with a kick of speed should you want to cover a bigger distance on the day.

RIB: Very much day boats for fishing and day cruising, RIBs are a lot of fun for a day afloat. They can be very quick and are great should you be in a town on holiday and fancy seeing the coast or finding secluded sandy beaches to get away from it all.

Skippered Yacht Charter or Bareboat

When it comes to boat hire or yacht charter you typically have two choices - bareboat yacht hire or skippered yacht charter.

When using Borrow A Boat you can filter all boat searches to be with or without skipper depending on what you are looking for and below we cover some of the main points to consider for your boat hire.

Skippered Charter: A skippered yacht charter gives you the advantage of being able to get afloat without having to invest in getting sailing qualifications before hand. For a monohull sailing yacht you will pay €120/£100/$135 plus a day extra for the skipper, as well as their food and a tip at the end.

When you get to a luxury yacht or superyacht charter with crew these prices will increase and costs also depend on where you plan to sail to along with the size and type of boat rental on your sailing holiday.

In some cases skippers will also be the yacht or boat owners (typically day trips) which means they will know all the best secluded beaches to show you the best that the area has to offer with their local knowledge.

For day trips you will often be able to use a skipper as well and prices will vary depending on the type of boat.

Bareboat Yacht Charter: For skilled sailors, a bareboat charter is cheaper and gives more privacy for you and your charter guests. Many sailors prefer to be helming the boat while choosing their own course, and provided you have the knowledge and relevant qualifications you can skipper these boats (typically up to 54 feet/16.5 metres in length) yourself.

Do You Need A Licence To Charter A Yacht

If you are on a gulet or skippered yacht charter you do not need a license to sail a yacht out of location. This is also the case where you are renting a small motorboat without a cabin for a day trip around the local islands or beaches.

You do need a license if you are on a bareboat yacht charter, here are some examples of sailing qualifications:

International Certificate of Competence: This is issued on request by your European sailing authority and you should automatically qualify with certain national sailing qualifications.

RYA Qualifications: If you have the following qualifications you will be able to take a bareboat charter out of location, these include Day Skipper (sail or motor endorsement), Coastal Skipper or Yachtmaster.

American Sailing Association (ASA): The ASA 104 Bareboat certificate is commonly accepted.

US Sailing: The International Proficiency Certificate is widely accepted and The Bareboat Cruising Certificate is also accepted in many cases.

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