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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a right type of the boat for my vacation?

It depends from how many persons will be on board and what type of vacation you prefer, here are the main characteristics of each type of the boat:
  • Sailing boat – if you like spending your vacation in a dynamic and active way,
  • Catamaran – if you are looking to relax, going on a vacation with your family, expecting comfortable and spacious common areas, large cabins and open cockpit that offer the possibility to enjoy the advantages of sailing in all moments,
  • Gullet – for those who love the sea but can’t say no to comfort; gullets will take you away from mass tourism that you usually encounter if you stay in a hotel; it comes with a half board/full board or all-inclusive offer; perfect for larger groups,
  • Luxury yachts – for those who like to have a full comfort on board; travels fast; professional and discreet crew; well-kept interiors that offer a relaxing and high-level stay for those looking for a "high class" type of holiday.

Is it necessary to have a boat license to book a boat?

If you requested a skipper service you don’t need to have a boat license.

If you want to be a skipper on the boat you intend to rent:
  • For some destinations it is required to send your sailing curriculum with relevant past experience in sailing (where you should indicate types of boats you’ve used as a skipper in the past, for how long and destinations where you’ve sailed);
  • For the Mediterranean area you have to have a boat license and it has to be accepted from the port authorities of the country you are sailing in;
  • Other destinations that also require a boat license are: Thailand, Seychelles, Madagascar, Brazil, Sweden, the Caribbean islands…
  • In some destinations, such as Italy and Croatia, other than boat license it is also mandatory to have a VHF certificate;
  • In other destinations and in general for the  boats of a certain size (bigger boats) it is requested to send, other than your boat license, also your sailing curriculum;
  • In Greece, other than a boat license of the person who will act on board  as a skipper, it is also requested to fill in a document/statement of sailing experience of another crew member that will be on board.
If you have any doubts about these requirements you can contact us and we will check with the local charter company seeking a confirmation regarding the qualifications and requirements necessary for the destination of your interest before booking the boat.

Can I book only one cabin on board of the boat?

No. All the boats offered on this website are for exclusive use only. This means that the boat will be completely at your disposal and you can embark with your family or friends, according to the number of cabins and berths that the selected boat has (which is indicated on the page of the each boat on our website).

Are the published prices for weekly rental?

Published prices are on weekly bases for periods from Saturday to Saturday which means that if you’ve selected a period of 2 weeks the price you see is actually a price for the whole period you’ve selected. The price indicated includes a rental for a period of 7/14/21… days with check in on Saturday evening (usually around 6pm), mandatory return of the vessel on Friday night, overnight on board and disembarkation on Saturday morning (usually around 9am).

What is included in the price?

Price includes the use of the boat and its equipment, cooking utensils, navigation maps, safety equipment, the tender (auxiliary dinghy for going on shore) which is generally included for boats over 35 feet, and in most cases (but there are some exceptions for some destinations) the mooring of the first and last night in the port where the boat is moored.

What is excluded from the price?

Unless otherwise specified, the prices do not include: fuel, final cleaning, galley, transfer costs, any tourist taxes, entrance to marine parks, mooring costs (with the exception of the first and last night in the port of departure which is usually included), the cost of the services and optional equipment, the cost of the skipper and hostess service and their food.

There are usually some mandatory accessory costs, such as the transit log or final cleaning, the details of these costs can be found on the each page of the boat and are indicated separately because in most cases these are paid separately on check in while the price for the rental of the boat is paid in advance. Also, keep in mind that the boat is delivered at check-in with a full tank of fuel and must be returned at check-out with a full tank of fuel.

How much is spent on fuel?

The cost of fuel varies depending from the boat chosen and how much the engine is used during your vacation. For sailing boats and catamarans, if the sails are mainly used, the cost is very low, starting from 100/150 euros per week. For motor boats, the cost is variable as it depends on the model and the power of the engine but it is possible to make an estimate based on the standard consumption of engine liters/hour (usually indicated by the manufacturer) and the fact that the usual time spent in navigation per day is 2-4 hours.

How much does the berth in the port or marina cost?

The price varies according to the size of the boat and the sailing area and can vary on average between € 50 and € 250 per day. Usually the mooring for the first and last night is included in the port of departure where the boat is located.

Whose are the boats?

All boats offered are owned or operated by certified local charter companies carefully selected in order to provide a service up to high quality standards.

Are boats insured?

All boats offered are insured. But in any case, the charter company will ask you to pay a deposit which serves to cover accidental damage caused by passengers or the skipper and any contractual breaches. The security deposit is mandatory, must always be paid at check-in on site in cash or credit card and is refunded at the end of the trip in case there was no damage. Some charter companies may offer the option of reducing or avoiding the deposit with a non-refundable amount (damage waiver). The deposit is used to cover any damage done during the holiday. If the sum needed to repair the accidental damage exceeds the deposit, the ship owner cannot request any additional payments from the customer. It is also possible to take out additional insurance on the security deposit by signing a contract with an insurance company specialized in the nautical sector.

What is the time of check in and check out?

Charter companies offer weekly rentals from Saturday to Saturday to optimize their booking plans. Check-in takes place on Saturdays in the late afternoon (around 6pm). At the end of the holiday, it is necessary to return to the port of departure on Friday afternoon and disembark on Saturday morning (before 8-9am). This allows the charter company’s staff to make the necessary technical checks, any minor repairs and a thorough internal and external cleaning to prepare the boat for the embarkation of next passengers.

How does a booking with a skipper work? And with a hostess?

For customers without a boat license or for those who prefer to delegate the task of navigation, it is possible to request the service of a skipper. The skipper takes care of navigation and safety on board; the skipper doesn’t cook and doesn’t take care of the cleaning of the boat. The skipper's service has an additional cost added to the price of the boat of approximately € 150-€ 260 per day (weekly cost € 1050-€ 1,820).

For the preparation of meals (2 meals per day, usually breakfast and lunch), to tidy up the dishes and to clean the common areas of the boat, it is possible to order the service of a hostess. The hostess service has an additional cost to be added to the price of the boat of approximately € 100 -150 per day (weekly cost € 700 € -1050).

The weekly cost indicated above does not include the food for the skipper / hostess which is also to be charged to the customer; this means that the skipper / hostess will be able to cook their meals on board using the groceries bought or provisioning ordered by the customer. The payment for their service is generally made by customers directly to the skipper / hostess at check-in (in cash). The skipper / hostess sleeps on board with the customers and needs to have their own cabin and preferably, for greater comfort, a separate bathroom from those available on the boat, or to have access to a shared bathroom.

The skipper / hostess service must be ordered at the time of the booking request so that their availability can be checked and confirmed. The skippers / hostesses are assigned by the charter companies, but they are freelancers (they do not have a performance or collaboration contract with the charter company). They speak English and, sometimes, even other languages. If customers have special requirements regarding the skipper / hostess profile, it is possible to communicate it to the charter company in advance in order to check and assign a profile with the required characteristics. The skipper and hostess are assigned just before check-in and at the time of booking it is not possible to receive the details or contacts of the assigned profile.

What optional services can be ordered?

The cost of the mandatory and optional services that the customer wants to add to his reservation are to be calculated on the cost of the boat. The mandatory final cleaning or transit log service is always required and, sometimes, other services too (these might be indicated as starter packs, handling fees, consumables etc. - this depends on the boat but also on the area). The additional services (also called compulsory and optional extra / optional) are listed on the page of each boat and in most cases payment is made locally in cash. The reservation is made preferably upon confirmation of the booking (it is mandatory to reserve upon booking the skipper / hostess service to check the availability). Some optional services are subject to availability until exhaustion (e.g. early boarding, gennaker / spinnaker, SUP) so availability must be checked with the charter company at the time of booking. An important extra / optional is the outboard engine for the tender. In most cases it is not included and has an additional cost ranging anywhere from 80 to 150 euros per week, depending on the power of the engine offered. Bed linen and towels can be included in the mandatory package (final cleaning / transit log) or they can be an extra to be ordered on request (cost about € 15-30 per person).

What is APA?

For luxury boats, such as yachts or very large catamarans (25,000+ euros per week) the skipper or crew (skipper and hostess / cook) are almost always included in the price. The APA is provided for this type of boat. APA (which is an acronym for Advance Provisioning Allowance) is the sum that is paid in advance and used to cover the costs during the rental that will be managed by the crew, for example: guests' food, fuel, port or marina costs etc. It is usually an amount ranging from 25 to 35% of the boat's price. In addition to the APA, other additional costs such as final cleaning, the outboard engine can always be provided. Sometimes the skipper and hostess are required, but they are not included in the price and must be paid at check-in usually in cash. For boats of a certain budget and with mandatory skipper and hostess services, it is possible to receive in advance the information on the skipper’s and hostess’ profiles, the planned menu, possible itinerary etc...

How is the itinerary decided?

A sailing itinerary typically includes a tour of the islands or navigation along the coast of the chosen navigation area and includes a visit to the most beautiful beaches, coves and bays and a visit to the most interesting places with a tourist port. If you opt for the service of a skipper on board, the itinerary and navigation times are decided at the beginning of the cruise by mutual agreement between the customers and the skipper, according to an indicative program that reflects the customers' requests and guarantees safety in navigation. It is important to emphasize that the agreed itinerary is always indicative, it may vary during the cruise according to the requests of the customers and the decisions of the skipper, in compliance with the weather conditions (sea conditions and wind strength). For example, depending on the direction and strength of the wind, you may decide to visit a certain area of ​​an island so that the coast offers shelter from the wind. The final decision is always made by the skipper as he is responsible for safety on board. An indicative and not binding itinerary for a week foresees a navigation of about 100 total miles or an average of 20 miles per day which corresponds to about 3 hours of navigation depending on the winds and the sea conditions. The marinas where offered boats are moored are excellent starting points for more classic sailing itineraries and provide the possibility to reach the first island or bay of your itinerary already on the first day of navigation.

How is the sailing vacation organized?

Your vacation begins with check-in in the late Saturday afternoon when you board and place your baggage in the cabin. The galley is organized by shopping directly at the nearest supermarket or by ordering the provisioning service on board in advance. The first night is spent in the marina where the boat is based. The following morning, after having breakfast on board, we leave the port to start the holiday itinerary. The typical day on the boat includes a navigation of about 2-3 hours in the morning to reach the new location which was chosen together with the skipper; during navigation you can relax in the cockpit or, for those who feel like it, help the skipper by learning the basics of sailing. Once you reach the bay you can take a nice swim, explore the underwater world, swim to the shore, read a book, chat, rest and finally have a light lunch on board. In the afternoon we leave again and we reach the place where we spend the evening. When the skipper moors the boat we get ready to go ashore. We spend the night in port and in the morning we leave for a new day of sailing. For sea lovers and if you wish to try a unique experience, it is possible to stay anchored in the harbor in a bay even during the night, sleeping lulled by the sea and in absolute silence, waking up in the morning with a feeling of the unique relaxation: breakfast at board and morning bath. On Friday afternoon, we return to the port of departure and spend the last night on the boat; check-out and disembarkation are scheduled for early Saturday morning.

How do we plan the accommodation in the cabins?

Each has a maximum number of total berths (which includes berths in all cabins and berths in the central saloon of the boat) and a number of double cabins (double or with bunk beds) in which passengers can sleep. There can also be 1 - 2 single cabins, usually small, with basic furnishings, without bathroom and located in the bow (mostly used by the crew: skipper or hostess). The number of bathrooms is also indicated. The number of bathrooms may not correspond to the number of cabins, therefore a private bathroom is not always provided for each cabin. If there is this particular need, some recent models of sailing boats or catamarans have a bathroom for each double cabin. On some boats the bathroom can only be accessed from the inside of each cabin or, in some cases, the single front cabin can be accessed through one of the double cabins. When the skipper and hostess service is required, it is therefore necessary to keep in mind the number of total beds, the number and arrangement of the cabins and bathrooms in order to assign to them an exclusive cabin and preferably, for greater comfort for all , an exclusive bathroom or at least one of the bathrooms for common use.

Is it possible to cook on board of the boat?

The boats are all equipped with a kitchen with refrigerator, sink, gas burners, pots for cooking and dishes for dining. Usually breakfast and lunch are prepared on board, while in the evening many choose to go ashore to dine at the restaurant. When “galley” is mentioned it actually means the approximated expense for food to be made at the beginning of each boat cruise. Upon arrival, it is possible to shop in the supermarket closest to the port of departure or to order the provisioning service in advance (which consists of a list of the things to be purchased that needs to be filled for a charter company to do the shopping for you), a service now offered by most of the operators of charter and that allows you to have your shopping delivered directly to the boat. A well done galley certainly makes your vacation more enjoyable so it is important to keep in mind some considerations that will make life on board more comfortable. For example, provide for long-life foods (pasta, rice, tuna ...), do not overdo it with fresh foods (the on-board refrigerator is not comparable in size and cooling to a refrigerator in a real kitchen, to be provided for about 2 days maximum ), buy spices and condiments (oil, salt, vinegar, sugar), salty snacks, some fruit, some vegetables to be eaten raw (salad, tomatoes ...), cold cuts, eggs, lots of water, drinks and everything else you might need for breakfast (milk, coffee, biscuits, etc.). In short, everything you need to cook simple and light meals. If you forget something or you need more of something, it is not a problem, in the stops in the ports during the itinerary it will be possible to find a small supermarket or grocery.

What should I bring on the boat?

If possible, do not bring a trolley on board because it takes up a lot of space, better a foldable bag that can be stored in the appropriate spaces. Spaces in the cabin are limited and also things need to be well arranged so that they cannot fall and roll around while sailing. The clothing depends on the destination and seasonality, but if you wonder how much stuff to bring it is better not to overdo it, since most of the time it is spent in swimsuit and shorts. So you can bring some light clothes for the day, something light with long sleeves and pants for the evening, a water and wind proof jacket, a sweatshirt, clean flip flops for the boat, hat and sunglasses, bathing suits and towels...

Can I use and charge my electronic devices on board?

For your phone, tablet, PC or other electronic devices (for example hair dryers and electric razors), it is better to choose a boat that is equipped with a generator so that they can be recharged at any time. Alternatively, it is possible to request a boat with an inverter that will allow the appliances to be recharged with the engine running for a few hours a day. Without the generator on board or the inverter, electricity can only be used when moored on the quay inside of a port.

How does the boat bathroom work?

Unless you are on a luxury yacht, space in the bathroom is small but well organized. The sink has the appearance of a common household sink and fresh water from the tanks comes out of the tap. Since the water reserves are subject to consumption until the next refueling in port (unless the boat has a water maker – which is not a mandatory part of the equipment for most boats), it is advisable not to waste the water. The toilet does not have a flush but a pump that can be manual or electric for flushing. In larger boats and catamarans, there is a real shower in the bathroom; in smaller bathrooms the shower is the pull-out sink faucet that can be used to wash from head to toe. The water that accumulates in the shower or on the bathroom floor is drained by activating the bilge pump with a button. Perhaps the most pleasant shower is the one you can take outdoors in the cockpit at the end of the day while watching the sun set on the horizon. When mooring on the quay in the equipped ports and marinas, the water tanks are refilled and it is possible to use the ports’/marinas’ toilets and showers.

What should I do if something does not work on the boat?

For each boat and owner, the contacts of the staff responsible for check-in and assistance in navigation 24h/day are provided. Should anything serious or unforeseen happen while sailing, do not hesitate to call the emergency contact using the VHF channel and notify the charter company immediately. The assistance after your call will be as quick as possible.

What to expect if there are children on board?

Don't forget to bring a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, anti-mosquito cream, sneakers or non-slip shoes. It is also a good choice to protect children from the sun by clothing them in a simple white cotton T-shirt. The floor of the boat, if teak is not provided, can be a bit slippery when wet, so get some rubber shoes for the sea (in summer they are available in all supermarkets). The children on board will have a lot of fun like little explorers in search of adventures, jumping into the cockpit, competing in diving, learning to be little sailors or little fishermen with a fish hook and a line. Pay attention to the appearance and functionality of the cockpit and always choose a boat with a sun awning (bimini top). Plan short itineraries that include places with beaches, where you can buy ice cream for the children and let them run around. You can bring with you colored pencils, paper, sketchbooks, playing cards for moments of greater tranquility. Finally, it is possible to request the installation of a safety net for a fee, which will be mounted on the lifelines of the boat to guarantee total safety even with small children.

Can we bring our animal friends on board?

On most boats it is also possible to bring our small and medium-sized pets on board at an additional cost of approximately € 150 / € 200 or double mandatory cleaning fee. It is advisable to report the presence of the animal on board before booking, in order to check the possibility to bring it with you with the charter company and the expected additional cost. It is possible to request for a fee the installation of a safety net that will be mounted on the lifelines of the boat to ensure total safety for your animals.
This information is generic and has been written for informational purposes only. Each charter company can apply its own conditions and rates depending on the boat and the chosen navigation area.
 

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