Sailing in the Mediterranean is wonderful. Beautiful routes, good food, a relaxed atmosphere: enjoyment guaranteed. But before you leave, there are some practical things that are handy to know. Like having a sailing license – what exactly is that? What do you need and why? In this blog we explain it to you.
Each country has its own rules and insurances. Boats registered in, and rented out from, a particular country are subject to those rules. Therefore, the requirements of Greece, for example, differ from those of Croatia or the Netherlands. For example, in Greece you need your Boating License II, and in Croatia you also need the Basic VHF certificate.
All yachts you can rent through us are all-risk insured, with a relatively small deductible – that’s the deposit you pay. Should damage occur – to the boat, to other yachts or to people – and the costs exceed the deposit, the insurance covers it. Of course, that chance is small, but it is important to be on the safe side and be insured for this. And this is only possible if there is a skipper on board with the proper papers.
In addition, you run the risk of hefty fines without the proper certificates… And of course, we all want to avoid that!
Some companies say you can rent a boat without the proper papers, and so they agree, but in practice you are sailing around uninsured. If something really goes wrong – we hardly ever see this, but it’s always possible – and damage occurs that is higher than the deposit you paid, for example personal injury or serious damage to your boat or someone else’s, then you are not insured, but you are liable. We want to prevent a situation like this, so with us you can only rent a boat if you have the proper papers.
Yes, even though you may have a lot of sailing experience, and know what you’re doing, the rules really do apply to everyone. You may have experienced that it was different before: that may be true. The rules used to be a lot less strict and you could also go sailing without papers. But as the rental market continues to grow, some rules are tightened or more strictly enforced, to keep everything safe for everyone.
To sail and rent a boat in Greece, you need a Small Boating License II (KVB2). You can get this boating license (equivalent to the International Certificate of Competence) very easily from the CBR. You register online and take a theory exam on location. Important to know: to get your KVB2 certificate, you also need your Limited Certificate I (KVB1). Don’t have that yet? Then you can take both in succession. If you do, you’ll spend about 120 euros (KVB1 is about 50 euros and KVB2 60 euros + a certificate of about 12 euros). It’s a small investment, but one that will benefit you throughout your life: in fact, the certificate remains valid indefinitely.
Are you going to sail in Croatia? Then,
Of course we can help you on your way and assist you to get it! And if you don’t have a sailing license and don’t have the time or inclination to get one? No worries, a sailing vacation is still possible! At Portokali you can also choose to have a skipper on board. ๐.
