Charter is one of the most popular ways to travel on a yacht. Interparus will tell you about the features of renting a yacht or catamaran.
Receiving your charter yacht at the marina is a key part of your cruise. The peace and safety of the crew, as well as the safety of the invested funds, depend on your attentiveness. However, your boat cruise does not begin at the marina, but at home, at the stage of choosing a charter and its conditions.
What to look for before renting a yacht?
If you are just starting to dive into the exciting world of yachting, then you should decide on the type of boat. We recommend that you read our articles about the boat of your dreams and benefits catamarans for charter holidays. If your preferences are already known, then you can move on to the next point.

The next step is to choose a charter company. You will probably make your choice on the Internet or on the recommendation of friends. If you choose online, focus on customer reviews and analyze the company’s work.
Please also pay attention to the yacht insurance conditions. It is important to have insurance in case of sudden cancellation of the charter, which will save funds. Its cost usually does not exceed 5% of the total amount spent on the charter. Read more about the reasons for taking out yacht insurance in our article:
Crossing the border by charter boat
Some insurances do not cover claims that occur outside the country of registration. Before leaving the marina and before concluding a rental agreement, settle the issue of crossing the border on a yacht with the charter company.

Moreover, it is important to stipulate the timing of your trip to another country, if it is foreseen at all. Some charter companies do not undertake to insure yachts that are sailing to another country. Keep this in mind, and if your route passes through several countries, then choose a charter company whose insurance covers insurance cases abroad.
Check your skipper's license
Sometimes it happens that the skipper's license expires, and the skipper does not even know about it. In order to avoid such a situation, check the validity of the yacht management documents before packing your things.
The whole problem with the license is that charter companies cannot rent a boat to someone without a license. Only boat owners can sail without a license, but not renters. We wrote about why it is still worth getting a skipper’s license to operate a yacht in this article:

Don't forget that your skipper's license must also be valid in the country you are traveling to. For example, a Croatian license is only valid in Croatian waters, but not all licenses have this problem. In any case, make sure that your yacht license is recognized in your destination country, as you could be in serious trouble if you have an accident.
Home preparations
Let's say you've studied the specifics of the charter operator you've chosen, sketched out your dream route and checked your skipper's document. What else needs to be done?
Route planning
At this stage, the route of your cruise should take on tangible outlines: where you are coming from and where you are going, how much time you plan to spend at sea, what are the features of the coastline in the region, what difficulties may arise... All this must be taken into account before setting off to pick up the yacht.

If any of your planned destinations is a popular tourist spot, you should make marina reservations in advance. During high season, prices can be astronomical, and early booking will save time and stress.
Checking sailing weather conditions
The most important stage of preparation. Think about it if the weather changes suddenly and it finds you right at the equator of the cruise. What's the action plan? Create an alternate route and follow it in case of unforeseen circumstances.
Deposit insurance
The security deposit when renting a charter yacht is a fairly impressive amount that the yachtsman pays to the charter company before the actual rental. If after the charter the boat is returned to the company in poor condition, the charter company will withdraw part or all of the deposit.

Typically people lose their deposit due to an accident, theft, vandalism or natural disaster. In addition, this insurance covers negligence, captain's liability and subsequent financial compensation as part of a personal injury settlement. Deposit insurance should be taken out a week or two before travel.
Deposit insurance will help avoid serious financial losses in the event of an unforeseen situation.
Registration of a charter
Registration of a charter occurs in several stages. Depending on the company, this stage may differ, but in general terms the sequence is as follows:
- Arrive in the country where your boat is located.
- Appear at the company office.
- Provide identification, passport, charter agreement.
- Get a checklist.
- Check the boat.
- Sign the contract and accept the boat.
Let's take a closer look at what exactly needs to be done at each of these stages.
Early start
Traditionally, boats depart for charter on Saturdays. However, you can pick up a yacht on any day of the week, but the peak delivery period is on Saturday. On this day, marinas are especially busy: traffic jams may form at the gas station and when leaving the marina.

To avoid the hassle and crowds of boaters, consider negotiating with the charter company for an earlier or later boat pickup. Inquire about the possibility of getting a boat early.
Where do we park?
Even if you get to your destination by plane, parking your car can be a problem. For example, if your charter company is located in Croatia, then you will still have to travel by car to the company’s office due to the lack of a large number of airports.
Some marinas offer free parking, while others charge a fee. The average price for parking is around 10 euros per day, so it's worth looking for options with free parking.
We are looking for a charter company office
Charter company offices are usually located within the marina or nearby harbour. Standard operating hours are from 8:00 to 16:00 or 17:00. If this is your first time at the marina, don’t hesitate to ask a local where the charter company’s office is located.
Sometimes the office may be located not only on the other side of the marina, but also in another city. In this case, you will have a short walk.
Check in and inspect the boat
The charter company will ask you to present your passport and the charter agreement, which the company will send you in advance. You will then receive a checklist and will be allowed to inspect the boat. Inspecting a yacht is a crucial moment to which you need to pay maximum attention.

In general, the entire registration process takes an hour or two. A thoughtful inspection of a yacht is not the fastest thing, so be patient. During high season, charter companies rent out 10 or more boats per day and they are very interested in renting out your particular boat as quickly as possible.
Resist the temptation to “quickly sign everything and go to sea.” This approach is, at a minimum, irresponsible, and at a maximum, you will receive serious fines or even cancellation of your deposit due to your inattention during the inspection.
Features of receiving a yacht
Inspecting the yacht before acceptance is important because it allows you to find and record existing problems with the boat - this will allow you to avoid cancellation of the deposit and even the imposition of a fine for the damage you allegedly caused to the boat.
The charter company employee should inform you about all the features of the boat you will receive. The employee will also show you how to start the engine, lower or raise the swimming platform, where lifeguards, automatic switches and switches are located.

The three most important points for receiving a boat are:
- Check for any structural defects that would interfere with the control of the boat or sails.
- Notify the charter company of any problems found and request that they be added to the checklist - this will be proof that you and your crew did not cause the problems.
- Record any potential problems - take photos of scratches, dents and defects as evidence in case the company accuses you of damaging the boat.
Defects in the underwater part are also grounds for loss of the collateral (deposit). Check the underwater part too! Also check the fuel tank - it should be full. Otherwise, indicate the condition of the tank on the registration sheet.
Only after a complete check of the boat, its performance and integrity, can a rental agreement be signed.
What should the crew do?
While the skipper is running around the boat and bustling around with the charter company employee, the crew can make good use of this time by making final preparations for the cruise instead of languishing in the heat.

The team can go to the nearest store to do some shopping. We're not just talking about provisions - all sorts of consumables like toilet paper, napkins and other things. The main consumables are as follows:
- plenty of drinking water
- the already mentioned toilet paper and napkins
- salt, sugar, tea, coffee, spices (if you didn’t take it with you)
- bottle of oil (edible)
- cheeses and cold cuts for snacks
- zdoba (remember that baked goods can quickly spoil due to sea moisture)
- onion and garlic.
Discuss gastronomic preferences and dietary requirements with the crew before arriving at the marina. Part of the team can be sent for supplies, and part can be sent on a colorful trip to the nearest supermarket or market for provisions.
Take newbies for a walk
If your crew has inexperienced cabin boys who are new to the marina, send them on a promenade along the piers. Let them look at other yachts, look into the repair area - not intruding, but studying the process from afar, and see the boat and its underwater part.

An experienced crew member can give youngsters a tour, explaining what each piece of equipment on the yacht does and how it works.
If by the end of the excursion the skipper is still busy, and provisions have already been purchased, the marina has been explored, and all theoretical knowledge has been learned, it’s time to refresh your memory and practice tying sea knots. Our channel has a whole playlist with video instructions for weaving knots.
Preparing to go to sea
Before you start the engine and begin your trip, make sure that the boat is not plugged into an outlet at the dock. Many boaters accidentally rip out this cable, resulting in fines. Also check the water and fuel levels in the tanks.
If there are people on board without experience, be sure to brief them and the entire crew on the basic rules of conduct on board before leaving the marina or port.
When all the preparatory issues have been settled, you can hit the road. Ahead of you is a week or even more time spent on a pleasant journey across the sea under sail. Remember the need to observe safety measures and vigilance for the safety of not only the boat, but also the entire crew.
New video on the Interparus channel 🎥
If you upgrade, do it only with your soul! In a new video on the Interparus channel, Sasha Goron will talk about how we customized the Dufour 530 and what came of it. Enjoy watching!
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29.06.2024
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