Who Borrow A Boat Is For

We're Borrow A Boat. Since 2017 we've been helping people book yacht charters and boat holidays : 50,000+ boats across 65+ countries and 800+ locations worldwide, with our deepest inventory and operator relationships in the Mediterranean and Caribbean. The team is based in Berlin (BAB GER GmbH).

This page exists because yacht charter is confusing and most charter websites don't tell you who they're actually good for. So here it is, honestly: who we work well with, who we don't, how our process works, and two real client cases.

Our service is right for you if:

• You're planning a week-long yacht charter for 1 to 12 people : most commonly family or a group of friends. We also handle romantic getaways, day rentals, and events on boats, but week charters are our focus and deepest inventory.
• Your destination is in the Mediterranean or Caribbean. Our strongest coverage is Greece, Croatia, Turkey, Italy, Spain, the British Virgin Islands, Bahamas, and Martinique. We also cover Northern Europe, Thailand, the Seychelles, French Polynesia, and the US (Miami, Florida Keys) : but those two regions are where we go deepest.
• Your budget starts from ~€1,500 per week and goes to €50,000 and beyond. We serve the full spectrum : entry-level sailboats in shoulder season, mid-market catamarans for families in peak summer, and fully crewed luxury yachts, gulets, and superyachts at the top end. We try to find the maximum amount of boat for whatever your budget is.
• You want either bareboat, skippered or crewed. If you hold an ICC, RYA Day Skipper, or equivalent, you can bareboat. If you don't, we arrange a skipper. Fully crewed (captain + hostess/chef) also available on the right boats.
• You're a first-time charterer and need guidance on boat type, license requirements, destinations, routes, and what to realistically expect : OR you're an experienced sailor who just wants a fast, competitive quote without sifting through hundreds of listings yourself. We handle both equally.
• You want flexible booking terms. Deposits can start as low as 15% where operators allow it (versus the 50% many brokers ask for). Custom payment plans and installments are available on request. Rescheduling options. Charter periods that aren't locked to Saturday-to-Saturday.
• You want transparent pricing with no surprises. Every price is listed upfront : including the total cost to get the boat on the water. We show costs paid at the base directly (tourist tax, transit log, fuel, final cleaning, etc.) alongside what you pay through us, so you see the full number before you book.
• You want to speak to a real person. Every inquiry is assigned to a named agent (Fred, Eray, Nicolo, Vicky, Christianna, and others) who builds your booking, negotiates with operators, and stays reachable Mon to Sun, 8am to 8pm CET.
• You want a fast first response. During business hours, expect a custom quote within 1 hour of inquiry.
• You can also bring us last-minute requests. We handle next-day bookings and peak-season last-minute inquiries. We call operators directly to find late cancellations or negotiate availability.

Our service is not right for you if:

• You're looking for peer-to-peer rentals from private owners. We only list boats from professional charter companies. This is a deliberate supply standard : we don't do P2P.
• You specifically want a flotilla-style holiday : lead boat, set routes, daily group briefings, scheduled socials. We do partner with Sunsail, Moorings, and other operators who run flotillas, but our focus is private charter: your own boat, your own itinerary. If flotilla is what you want, you'll get better support booking directly with the operator who runs it.
• You want a 2-hour boat rental at your local marina. A global marketplace is overkill. Go directly to the nearest operator.
• You want to buy a boat, go into fractional ownership, or join a timeshare. We focus on charter holidays. We have partnerships for ownership inquiries but it's not our core service.
• You want the cheapest possible C2C rent-a-dinghy option. Our supply tier starts above that.

If you're a boat owner wanting to rent OUT your boat:

That's our partner program at bmt.borrowaboat.com, not this page. Listing and the fleet management tool are free for registered charter businesses.

Here's how the process actually works

Within 1 hour of your inquiry (business hours): Your assigned agent makes contact and starts a discovery conversation : dates, group size, budget, destination, experience level, special requirements, anyone in the group with a license.

Days 1–7: Your agent researches availability across our 50,000+ boat inventory and partner network, then sends 2–3 curated quotes that match your brief : not 50 listings for you to sort through. If inventory is tight or you're booking late, we call operators directly to find late cancellations or negotiate on your behalf.

Booking confirmation: Once you pick a boat, we secure it with a deposit : as low as 15% where the operator allows, otherwise whatever the operator requires (still often lower than the 50% standard). Custom payment plans and installments available on request. We then start building in extras : skipper, marina transfers, provisioning, itinerary suggestions based on local knowledge.

Pre-departure: Final balance due. Document check (skipper license if bareboat, crew list, insurance). Direct contact details for your boat operator. Briefing pack for your destination.

During your charter: The charter operator running your boat is your primary contact. They have professional support staff at the marina and the operational authority to handle anything that comes up on the water. Our team stays reachable in the background for escalations : we deliberately don't pretend to be something we're not while you're actually on the boat.

After your trip: Debrief conversation, feedback, loyalty offers for next season. About 40% of our customers rebook with us, which is the honest metric that tells us this process works.

Three real client cases

Case 1: Sardinia, peak season: skipper fell ill mid-charter

Who: A group of 8 had booked a 50ft sailboat in Sardinia with a skipper arranged through us.

The problem: Partway into the week the skipper became ill. No local replacement was available through the normal channels operators use.

What we did: We sourced a replacement skipper from outside the region, booked him onto a flight, and covered the €500 flight cost ourselves. He was on board the next day. The group stayed one extra night in the marina waiting for him to arrive.

The result: The client sailed the full remaining planned itinerary with only that one extra marina night. We didn't invoice the flight cost or the lost sailing day. The client has since rebooked.

Case 2: Canaries, peak season: last-minute booking in under 30 minutes

Who: A couple, small budget, looking for a charter in the Canary Islands.

The problem: They contacted us 5 days before their intended departure. Canaries inventory was mostly sold out in peak season and their budget was tight.

What we did: Eray, one of our agents, called operators directly instead of relying on standard availability feeds, found boats within budget, and confirmed the booking in under 30 minutes from first call.

The result: Confirmed booking inside half an hour, within budget, for a departure 5 days later.

Case 3: Greek marina, peak season: on-the-ground welcome for a first-time family

Who: A family of 6 with two teenage kids, first-time charter, booking a 45ft catamaran in Greece for a week in peak season.

The problem: First-time charterers often arrive jet-lagged and a little nervous: there's paperwork, an inventory check, a technical briefing on the boat, provisioning logistics, marina fees, and most of it in a language they don't speak. Operators run their briefings professionally, but at pace. For someone stepping onto a boat for the first time, that can be a lot.

What we did: Every high season we identify the marinas that handle the highest volume of our bookings and place one of our own team members on the ground there for the busiest weeks. Vicky was at the marina the morning this family arrived. She walked through the check-in with them alongside the operator, translated the technical handover into plain language, pointed them toward a taverna she trusted for their first evening, and left her number in case anything came up during the week.

The result: The family sailed the full week with zero support calls. Feedback after the trip specifically called out the marina welcome as what turned a nervous first booking into a confident second one: they rebooked for the following high season while still on board.

Some facts worth knowing

How to get started

Send an inquiry at borrowaboat.com with your dates, destination, group size, and rough budget. A named agent will respond within 1 hour during business hours. The quote is free and non-binding.

Phone: +44 20 3318 3641 (Mon to Sun, 8am to 8pm CET)