A bareboat yacht charter enables you to take the private boat onto the open water with no crew on board to assist. This means that you and your guests will be responsible for captaining the vessel, navigating, and managing everything onboard during your time at sea. To rent a bareboat charter, you will need extensive boating experience. You will need to be pre-qualified by the charter company prior to setting out on a bareboat. Some charter companies require a bareboat certification prior to allowing you to charter a vessel on your own.
Getting Certified to Charter a Bareboat Yacht
It goes without saying that to charter a bareboat, whether sailing or motorized, you will need extensive experience handling watercraft on open waters. Many charter companies require that you receive a bareboat certification prior to renting the charter. A typical bareboat certification requires 50 days of sailing history, at least half of those you must be the captain of the vessel. Of those 50 days, half must be on a vessel that is greater than 28 feet. Some yacht charters will require you to take a test prior to renting a bareboat yacht to ensure that your skillset is well suited for the boat you are looking to charter.
The U.S. Coast Guard has strict guidelines that must be adhered to for renting a bareboat charter. Experience and certifications for chartering this type of vessel vary greatly depending on the size and number of guests that will be aboard. Your itinerary will also need to be approved to ensure that you have fully planned out your trip. Putting this together and compiling all of the necessary provisions will be done by those captaining the vessel, but your charter company can offer input and direction.
Curious about renting a bareboat charter? Cruzan Yacht Charter offers both sailing and motorized bareboat yachts. Contact us for information on the requirements to charter a bareboat and discover all that life at sea has to offer.