What are the Procedures for Chartering a Sailboat?

Whenever you want to rent a sailboat, you will need to follow the steps in a process called “chartering,” Chartering is basically a term used to describe the process where one person or a business would borrow a ship from another person or a company.

For renting a sailboat, there can be slight differences in the steps to follow compared to other types of boats. To know more, here are the procedures for chartering a sailboat.

Understanding Different Types of Charter

If you are going to charter or rent a sailboat, a reputable chartering company like Globesailor may ask you if you are “bareboat chartering.” In case you don’t know, the term “bareboat” is used for a sailboat that will be captained by the renter himself or herself. 

So, a bareboat charter means that you will be the captain of the boat, and you won’t hire someone to sail the boat for you and your friends or family members. But, in order to avail of a bareboat charter, you will need to have qualifications to captain a boat, which should include a formal license and experience in sailing.

It is important to keep in mind that many companies that rent sailboats also offer “crewed charter,” which means that the sailboat you will charter already has a captain or a crew. If you want a hassle-free experience in using a sailboat for a trip, you may want to get the crewed charter, although it may cost more than the bareboat charter.

For a budget-friendly option, there is also a “cabin charter” where you can rent a large sailboat that is shared with other renters or groups. So, there are multiple groups in one sailboat that are accompanied by a captain (and sometimes a cook) when you choose a cabin charter. 

What’s great about cabin charter is that it is more affordable, although the trip would feel less private since you are sharing the boat with strangers. So, choose the type of sailboat charter that would suit your budget and preference.

Choosing a Charter Company

Picking the right charter company for a sailboat is essential if you want to have a great experience in chartering and using a sailboat for your trip. By choosing the best company for chartering, you will get excellent customer service before, during, and after your sailboat charter.

Fortunately, finding the best charter companies is very easy nowadays, as all the info you need to know about these businesses are readily available online. Start with finding the businesses that are nearest to your area, then check out their reviews online. 

These reviews are provided by their previous customers or clients, and it is through them where you will learn more about each company’s customer service and the quality of their sailboats.

You may also want to follow recommendations from friends or family members who have chartered a sailboat in the past. Recommendations are great since you know the person recommending a company to you, compared to reviews, which can sometimes include ones that are written by the companies themselves to boost their reputation.

Selecting a Sailboat

Once you have found the right charter company, you can then start selecting a sailboat from their collection. Here are some of the things you need to consider when choosing a sailboat:

• Size: The size of the sailboat should matter if you are going to bring family members or a group of friends with you on the trip. For trips with only one to two people, you can rent a sailboat with a monohull or one main body.Then, for larger groups, you can try chartering a catamaran (two hulls) or a trimaran (three hulls).
• Budget: Of course, you will need to charter a sailboat that fits your budget. Fortunately, many of the best charter companies offer budget-friendly options. While the sailboats are affordable to charter, they are still maintained properly and are still 100% functional. However, you shouldn’t expect high-quality amenities or features on these budget-friendly sailboats.
• Age of the Sailboat: The age of the sailboat will also matter, as this dictates its durability and how well it can handle trips in locations that have intense waves. Always inquire the age of the sailboat if it is not available in its description on the company’s website or documents.
• Brand: The brand of the boat doesn’t really matter to a lot of people, but if you want to make sure that it is safe and durable, you should choose a boat from a brand that has a good reputation in the industry. You can check online for the best manufacturers of sailboats in the market so that you will know what to look after once you choose a sailboat from a charter company’s collection.
• Safety Equipment: You have to make sure that the sailboat you will be chartering has every piece of safety equipment needed by you and your companions. The safety equipment may include life vests, fire extinguishers, whistles, bells, radar reflectors, radios, and flares. These pieces are needed in case of emergencies.

Attending the Charter Briefing

It is during the charter briefing that you will be able to know the routes you can take to your desired destinations using a sailboat. The best charter companies usually give out the best routes for their clients to save time and effort, although those who have experience in bareboat chartering may suggest other routes if necessary.

If you don’t know where to go yet during your trip to a specific location, the charter briefing may provide an itinerary of possible tourist spots that you can reach using a sailboat. These tourist spots will have ports or marinas where you can dock your sailboat in case you still need to walk to reach your destination.

Conclusion

So, these are all the steps or procedures that you need to follow in order to properly charter a sailboat. While chartering may seem easy at first glance, you will need to spend a lot of time figuring out which charter company to choose and which sailboat to charter to ensure that you have a hassle-free and comfortable experience.