Hiring a Boat in Spain: What to Ask With or Without a Skipper

The short answer: do not book until you know the arrangement and its limits

A nautical charter makes a vessel available to the customer for a period of time, in exchange for a price and for sporting or recreational purposes. Spain’s Maritime Navigation Act provides for two arrangements: without crew and with crew. This difference is not a commercial detail: it determines what each party must provide or check before departure.

A charter with a skipper may suit a group looking for a leisure trip that prefers the company to provide the crew. For an uncrewed charter, the company must check the charterer-skipper’s qualifying certificate and provide the mandatory documentation. Therefore, having a licence or certificate is not enough as a general answer: the specific vessel, its propulsion, length, intended area and, where applicable, sailing endorsement must be checked.

Before paying the booking fee, ask for a written answer to two questions: “Is the charter with crew or without crew?” and “What documents, area and conditions apply to this vessel and this date?” This will prevent you from basing your choice on the mistaken assumption that all motorboats, RIBs, sailing boats and companies operate under the same requirements.

Section references: Ley 14/2014, de Navegación Marítima — arrendamiento náutico ↗ · Arrendamiento náutico sin tripulación ↗ · Real Decreto 875/2014 — titulaciones náuticas de recreo ↗

• With a skipper: confirm who makes up the crew, who is named as skipper and which conditions remain the customer’s responsibility under the contract.
• Without a skipper: submit the requested qualification in advance and verify that it authorises exactly the proposed navigation.
• If it is a sailing boat, expressly ask whether you need the relevant sailing endorsement.
• If the vessel is flagged in another country, ask which qualification rules apply to the skipper: the rules for a Spanish vessel do not automatically transfer.

With or without a skipper: compare the whole plan, not just the price

The right option is not determined solely by the advertised cost. A day trip with inexperienced people, a swimming plan or a route unfamiliar to the group may make it advisable to ask about the crewed arrangement. If considering an uncrewed charter, the starting point is to check that the charterer-skipper holds a qualification valid for that vessel and navigation.

The privileges of leisure boating certificates vary by case. The PNB, for example, authorises vessels up to 8 metres in length and navigation up to 5 miles from the coast; the PER extends to vessels up to 15 metres and 12 miles, subject to the relevant regulatory requirements. These are references for understanding why the company must assess the specific case, not an invitation to infer that any certificate covers any boat or route.

Section references: Ley 14/2014, de Navegación Marítima — arrendamiento náutico ↗ · Real Decreto 875/2014 — titulaciones náuticas de recreo ↗

• Do not compare two bookings without asking whether both include the same crew arrangement, timetable, fuel, cleaning and insurance cover.
• Do not assume that a motor endorsement is equivalent to a sailing endorsement.
• Ask the company to identify the length, propulsion and authorised navigation area of the vessel offered.
• A skipper using a leisure boating licence or certificate must carry the document on board when going to sea.

Qualifications, area and capacity: three checks that do not allow assumptions

Before booking a route, ask for the authorised area and compare it with the actual plan: departure port, destination, planned anchorages and return. Navigation areas are not merely a tourist description. As a regulatory reference, zone 4 extends up to 12 miles from the coast and zone 5 up to 5 miles from a shelter or accessible beach. In addition, for CE-marked vessels, the design category and safety equipment affect the areas in which they may navigate.

Also ask about authorised capacity, not the number of places the deck appears to have. The maximum number of people authorised for the vessel must not be exceeded. Count everyone in the group, including minors, before finalising the booking and before setting off. If someone joins at the last minute, do not assume there is legally room for them.

Confirm the handover and return times, as well as the port or meeting point, in writing. These details are essential for assessing whether the plan fits within the booked time and for avoiding disagreements over delays. Carry out the same check for fuel, cleaning, the deposit and payment methods: the law allows the parties to agree the terms of an uncrewed charter, so these items must be found in the booking conditions or contract.

Section references: Ley 14/2014, de Navegación Marítima — arrendamiento náutico ↗ · Real Decreto 339/2021 — equipo de seguridad y prevención de la contaminación ↗

• Request: the exact vessel, length, propulsion, authorised capacity and authorised area.
• State whether children or babies will be travelling and check that life jackets suitable for their weight and size will be available.
• Ask whether fuel must be supplied and returned under a particular condition, and how this is recorded.
• Read when the deposit is retained, returned or deducted, and which payment method is accepted.
• Keep the version of the conditions you accepted together with the booking confirmation.

Insurance, excess and inventory: separate what is mandatory from what is contracted

Compulsory third-party liability insurance covers personal injury and property damage to third parties within its legal scope, but it should not automatically be confused with insurance for damage to the vessel itself: the latter is excluded from that compulsory cover. Nor is it advisable to interpret the existence of a policy as meaning that every incident involving occupants is covered without limit.

For certain commercial uses, accident insurance for the death or bodily injury of all persons on board is required in addition to third-party liability insurance. For uncrewed charters included in the State procedure, the company declares third-party liability insurance and accident insurance for people on board. Even so, the customer should request the contractual documentation applicable to their booking and understand its limits.

Additional cover can be agreed freely. Ask the company to identify the excess, exclusions, assistance, own damage, supplied equipment and the procedure for reporting an incident. The general and specific insurance conditions must be clear and precise; limitation clauses must be highlighted and specifically accepted in writing.

Section references: Arrendamiento náutico sin tripulación ↗ · Real Decreto 607/1999 — seguro obligatorio de responsabilidad civil ↗ · Ley 50/1980, de Contrato de Seguro ↗ · Real Decreto 186/2023 — Reglamento de Ordenación de la Navegación Marítima ↗

• Ask what amount is subject to an excess and in which situations it may apply.
• Check whether assistance is identified and how an incident is handled during the charter period.
• Ask for visible existing damage or missing equipment to be recorded before accepting handover.
• Do not accept a verbal explanation as a replacement for the policy, its conditions or the applicable contract.
• Do not navigate without the appropriate certificate when it is required: compulsory insurance includes exclusions related to a skipper without the appropriate certificate if the circumstances provided for by the rules are proven.

Weather and cancellation: decide before an adverse forecast arrives

Weather should not be treated as a formality for the day itself. The rules establish that vessels must not navigate in waves and wind exceeding those of their design. Check AEMET’s official marine forecast for the relevant coastal or offshore area; its service provides coastal information in both map and text formats.

Before paying, find the clause governing an adverse forecast, the decision not to depart, a date change, refund or voucher. Do not assume that all companies will apply the same solution: fuel, cleaning, deposit, timetable, handover, return and cancellation are conditions that should be agreed and retained in writing.

If the forecast worsens, do not try to resolve the issue by unilaterally extending the area, delaying the return or continuing with a plan that is unsuitable for the vessel. Contact the company through the channel stated in the contract and keep the messages and response received.

Section references: Ley 14/2014, de Navegación Marítima — arrendamiento náutico ↗ · Real Decreto 339/2021 — equipo de seguridad y prevención de la contaminación ↗ · Predicción marítima ↗

• Check the marine forecast before departure, not just a general land weather forecast.
• Relate the forecast to the authorised area and the vessel’s design limits.
• Check what happens if the booking is cancelled due to weather conditions and who makes that decision under the contract.
• Confirm the return deadline and the company’s contact channel in writing.

Handover: a short checklist to leave with enough information

The handover is the last practical opportunity to align what was booked with what is received. In an uncrewed charter, the company must provide the charterer-skipper with the mandatory documentation. Ask where it will be kept on board and check that the applicable certificate or licence will also travel with you.

Carry out a visual, documented inspection without dismantling items, performing invasive technical checks or carrying out risky manoeuvres on your own. Walk around the vessel with the responsible person to inspect its visible external condition, the inventory and supplied equipment. If you spot a difference, ask for it to be recorded before accepting departure.

Locate the life jackets and count one for every person on board. When children or babies are travelling, they must be suitable for their weight and size. Also confirm the maximum authorised capacity before everyone boards. This simple check prevents two common mistakes: discovering too late that essential equipment is missing or exceeding the authorised number of occupants.

Section references: Arrendamiento náutico sin tripulación ↗ · Real Decreto 875/2014 — titulaciones náuticas de recreo ↗ · Real Decreto 339/2021 — equipo de seguridad y prevención de la contaminación ↗

• Mandatory documentation on board and the applicable certificate or licence.
• Confirmed return port, time and conditions.
• Visible condition and inventory recorded before departure.
• One life jacket per person; life jackets suitable for minors when they travel on board.
• Maximum authorised capacity respected.
• The company’s telephone number or contact channel located.