598 guides · page 26/29

Boat rental guides

Real prices, licenses, skippers, platforms, itineraries: concrete answers before you book.

• Lunch aboard: the perfect cool box for a day at seaWhat to bring, what to avoid, how to keep things cold for 8 hours: smart provisioning for a rental day, tested and approved by the regulars.
• Drones and photos at sea: what is allowed from a rental boatFlying a drone from a boat: regulations, no-fly zones (parks, beaches), respect for anchorage neighbours — and the alternatives for great images.
• Deposit, balance, security hold: how a boat rental gets paid30% at booking, balance before boarding, security deposit on the pontoon: the payment circuit of a rental, and the protections that come with it.
• Renting a boat last minute: what actually worksBooking the day before or the same morning: where the odds are real, the mistakes to avoid, and why last minute isn't always a bargain.
• The sunset outing: the day's best slot (and the cheapest)Why the 5-9 pm slot is the regulars' secret: golden light, fallen sea, empty anchorages — and rental rates to match.
• A dog aboard a rental boat: what you need to knowDo operators accept dogs, how to prepare the animal, canine lifejackets and heatstroke: a day at sea with your dog, stress-free.
• Sailing in marine protected areas: Port-Cros, Scandola, the calanques and beyondNational parks, reserves, Natura 2000 zones: what a rental boat can (and cannot) do in the Mediterranean's marine protected areas.
• The 300-metre band: France's 5-knot rule explainedWhy speed is capped at 5 knots near French shores, how to judge the limit, and what the hurried renter actually risks.
• Tender, beach landings and swim zones: the rules of the last metreHow to get ashore from a rental boat: tender rules, RIB beaching, buoyed swim zones — the last metre is the most regulated one.
• Fuel on a rental boat: understanding (and controlling) the real budgetFull-to-full, flat fees, hourly burn: how rental-boat fuel gets billed, and the reflexes that avoid the cold shower at return.
• Can you sail a rental boat at night?Sunset outings, late returns, night passages: what rental contracts actually allow, and why night changes everything at sea.
• Renting a boat on the Atlantic: tides and coefficients, painlesslyTidal range, coefficients, currents, high-water time: what the tide changes for a rental in La Rochelle, Brittany or Arcachon.
• VHF, channel 16 and safety: the renter's vital minimumHow to call for help at sea, what the rental boat's VHF is for, and the three safety reflexes every renter should know.
• Reading the marine forecast before your rental: wind, sea, and when to walk awayKnots, Beaufort, wind sea and swell, gusts: marine-weather basics for deciding with open eyes — and the honest thresholds for giving up.
• How many people aboard? Legal capacity vs comfortable capacity12 passengers maximum, design categories, children counted: understanding a rental boat's capacity — and why 8 seats never equal 8 adults.
• Renting from a private owner or a professional?Price, boat condition, flexibility, guarantees: what really changes between peer-to-peer rental and a professional operator — and how to choose for your outing.
• Boat and yacht rental online: the scams to avoidCloned listings, fake brokers, wire-transfer deposits, abusive security deposits, hidden fees: the warning signs that protect your boat or yacht rental.
• Chartering a yacht for the day on the French Riviera: how it worksFrom €2,500 to €8,000 a day: what a skippered yacht rental between Cannes, Antibes and Saint-Tropez includes — and what it doesn't.
• Renting a catamaran by the day: the perfect platform for 10The day-charter catamaran: for whom, for how much, with or without skipper — and why it is the rising format for groups and families.
• Chartering a sailboat for the first time: sailing résumé, checklist and watersWhat operators expect from a first-time skipper: the résumé that passes, the forgiving cruising grounds, and the traps of a first charter.
• Renting a motorboat or day-cruiser: comfort by the daySun pad, cabin, bathing ladder: who the motorboat suits best, what it costs, and the points to check before booking.