You and your friends will be soon chartering a yacht in few days or weeks maybe. You are certainly very excited about it. Right? But before you begin your sailing trip it would be better to know useful information so that you can organize your getaway on the water efficiently.
In this blog, you will find good advice about important yacht charter documents, what to pack, what not to bring, and many other interesting subjects. So without further ado, let’s get started with the yacht charter checklist right now!
Documents
- Passport – Visa- charter contract (3 photocopies of your documents and keep them separate).
- Driver’s license (If you plan to rent a car )
- Boat Certificate (If you want to navigate by yourself and be the captain, ICC is required in Turkey, Croatia, Spain, Greece)
- Radio license VHF (It is not required everywhere, check with your company)
- Contract copies of the boat (If you already have hired a yacht in the past or would like to show some abilities)
- Medical documents (If needed).
- Other boat training certificate (If you possess some, it is always useful)
- Cash – Travel check (For downtime entertainment)
Communications
- I-phone – Charger (Very helpful, work just fine on a boat and have plenty of uses)
- I-pad – Charger (Very helpful, works just fine on a boat, and have plenty of uses)
- Camera – Batteries
- Camera underwater (for diving in the beautiful ocean)
Essential things to pack
- Books of the regions you’ll be chartering
- Toiletry
- Clothes (Not too much, most of your time, you’ll be spending on the beach or sailing)
- Warm clothes (for the evening when it gets cooler)
- Boat shoes (To avoid slipping on the deck)
- Swimsuits (take 3-4 )
- Sunglasses ( 2 pairs)
- Hats (2-3 )
- Sunscreen
- Lips cream
- Mosquitoes spray
- Hand cream
- Sea-Band (To relieve any nausea, very useful and also suitable for children more than three years old)
- Snorkeling gear (Usually, any charter company possesses snorkeling gear on board, but some people prefer to take their own equipment with them. So it’s up to you!
Things not to forget
- Itinerary and contact details ( it is preferable to provide these details to close friends, family, and neighbors before you travel)
- Itinerary and activities to do ( Plan with your charter company, research on the internet, it’s a great place to find information)
- Room hotel (Most of the charter begins on Saturday and ends on Saturday. So they usually require being on Friday night in port to be ready. You can choose to stay on the boat, but generally, people prefer to have more comfort and book a room in a hotel; after all, you are on vacation!)
Things Not to Bring
- Nonwaterproof watch
- Valuable jewelry
- Blow dryer (depending on the boat, check with your agency)
- Towels
- Soap
- Shampoo
- conditioner
- Not too many suitcases (bear in mind that there is not a lot of storage area in boats and also most of the time you’ll be very busy)
Disembarkation
- Try not to forget anything, after packing, take a tour of the cabin to see if you have taken everything with you.
- If you were not so happy about something, you can report the complaints to the base operator. If it’s the case, then do it right away because it will be too late when you arrive at home! If you want them to have some proof, take some pictures and show them!
- Although all the boats are checked and verified before and after each trip, it is preferable to remove all food if need be.
- Tipping is completely voluntary. If you had a crewed yacht and were satisfied with the service, it would be nice of you to leave a tip 🙂
Before Leaving the Marina with a Bareboat Charter
- Although yacht charters possess all the required equipment, it is safer to see if something is missing before you start sailing, such as Fire Extinguishers, Flares, Life jackets, and first aid Kit. Verify if it’s working correctly.
- Do some tests with your portable GPS plotter and the Radio.
- Be certain that the passengers have the knowledge on how to use boating safety equipment, rules, and know how to swim.
- Take extra water and fuel
- Make sure to take enough money so that you can buy some provisions along the way.
If you want to enjoy your fleet vacation thoroughly, I suggest you not over pack, bring only what is necessary. Make it light, simple and have fun!
Do you have your own charter checklist? If so, please, feel free to share it in the comment below.
Daniella has been passionate about travel, the sea, and nature for many years. As a child, she frequently traveled throughout the Mediterranean and continued with her journeys throughout her adult life.
Her experiences have created the desire within her to share her love for traveling with other passionate and adventurers who want to discover beautiful horizons and new cultures.
