BOAT-COMPARATOR Guide
Which boat for your group? The guide by situation
Couple, family with kids, group of friends, stag/hen party, three generations: the boat type that truly fits each crew, with realistic capacities and budgets.
Most rental disappointments fit in one sentence: 'we took too small / too sporty / too complicated'. The right boat is not just about budget — it is about who steps aboard. A review, situation by situation.
As a couple
A small open boat or a license-free unit is plenty for a day out as a pair: nimble, economical (€100-300), and the intimacy of a cove all to yourselves. By the week, a 30-33 ft sailboat handles easily two-up — the classic first-cruise format.
Family with children
Priority to stability and shade: a motorboat with a bimini and bathing ladder, or a catamaran by the week (flat, spacious, nap-friendly trampolines). Children tolerate RIB chop badly beyond an hour. Confirm children's lifejacket sizes at booking, and read our guide sailing with kids.
Group of friends (6-12)
The 7-9 metre RIB is king of the day out with friends: fast, playful, 10-12 seats, €300-600 split several ways. By the week, the catamaran wins — four cabins, two 'wings' for night owls and early risers. Mind the legal capacity: 12 people maximum on most rental boats, skipper included.
Stag, hen, birthdays
Go skippered, without hesitation: nobody stays sober to watch the deposit, the skipper knows the party coves from the quiet ones, and the day ends well. Many operators actually ban festive groups on bareboat rentals — announce the plan, it is simpler.
Three generations
The skippered catamaran ticks everything: single-level living, stability for grandparents, trampolines for the kids, cabins for the cross-generational nap. For a single day, a roomy cabin motorboat does the same job. The deciding detail: the bathing ladder — check it on the photos, it decides who swims.