Before booking a yacht or boat cruise of one or more days, it is important to know that there are various charter formulas in Italy that provide different levels of protection for passengers.
When on vacation, outside your own borders, maximum protection is desirable in case of cancellations, mishaps or worse, accidents.
Yacht charter over 10 mt (33 ft), the safest
The greatest protection for the passenger is offered by vessels over 10 meters (33 ft) officially registered as charter units.
In Italy, companies such as ours, owning and operating fully licensed charter boats and yachts, are registered in the trade register with Ateco code 50100 “Maritime and coastal passenger transport”.
The crews are trained according to international standards (STCW: Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers) for safeguarding human life at sea and for operating the vessel. This means that personnel are also trained in lifesaving and BLS (Basic Life Support).
The technical and safety requirements of Charter Units are higher than those of a private yacht. The maximum number of passengers that can be carried by licensed charter boats is 12 people or less due to technical limitations. For maximum protection of passenger safety, 1 crew member for every 6 passengers is mandatory.
The determining but not sufficient characteristic to recognize a vessel engaged in the business of professional chartering, complying with the above canons, is the plate number placed on the bow and stern of the unit consisting of two letters, four numbers and two letters. The charter activity is regulated by an appropriate contract that must always be on board, read, accepted and signed by both the owner and the passenger before departure. The units must be insured with appropriate limits; the passenger always has the right to view the insurance certificates.
In reality, boats with the above authorization are the minority, about 30% of the total. Professionalism and passenger protection come at a cost, hence higher prices, but safety at sea is priceless.
Boat rental under 10 mt (33 ft)
Chartering can also be done with units smaller than 10 meters (33 ft).
In this case, crews can only hold a normal non-professional boat license, are not certified, and are not even trained in lifesaving. The charter contract must always be on board but the insurance limits may not be satisfactory. Boats in this category do not have license plate numbers.
Many boats longer than 10 meters (33 ft) are cut off at the bow or stern and then rejoined by pins because the length measurement according to ISO standards is taken between the non-removable parts of the unit, so that they fall under 10 meters (33 ft). This makes it possible to have no professional crew on board, reducing operating costs at the expense of passenger safety, plus the watercraft always remains a “cut” and rejoined boat. Again, the license plate number is missing and the cut-off must be visible at the bow or stern or both ends.
Rental between private individuals (occasional charter)
Another method of rental is chartering between private individuals or “occasional chartering.”
In this case a private individual who owns a boat can charter it with limitation to 42 charters per season. In order not to exceed this limit, cash payments are often required so as not to leave a trail and evade the IRS. An untraceable charter is also a nonexistent charter for insurance purposes and having a claim from a private party in Italy is a very very long or impossible process.
Again, the crew is not specifically trained to transport passengers.
“Occasional charter” prices are probably the lowest because it is not a commercial activity and the tax burden is much lower than that applied to professional charter companies. In this case the license plate is present so the only way to find out how protected you are during a charter is to ask for the boat or crew documents or at least check if it is owned by a licensed charter company.
Professional crew licenses are always written in Italian and English and are marked “Yacht in commercial use.” Again, the charter contract must be on board and signed before departure by the passenger and the owner.
Large international platforms are plenty of “occasional charters”. Rates for occasional charterers can be lower than professionals and develop more sales at the expense of safety. In addition, platforms often have very high nonrefundable fees and tight cancellation policy. By renting directly from small local companies you will get better terms and rates, plus you will help small local businesses and not large international groups.
To summarize
- Be wary of boats on which you are not required to sign a Charter Agreement.
- Requests for cash payments at steep discounts are a red flag.
- Low prices are often a sign of irregularity.
- If something does not convince you, request documents and insurance before departure.
If you would like to receive information on chartering a yacht with an exclusive service, maximum safety and maximum security, please contact us, we will be glad to send you a personalised quotation.
Ask for a free quote.