Pet Friendly
At Hamble Point Yacht Charters we are happy for you to bring your pet along with you for your trip or holiday (a small additional cost is payable to cover extra cleaning)* so the whole family can sail together and you don’t need to worry about the additional costs of kennels or pet care.
We understand that your dog is part of the family and you shouldn’t have to leave them behind. Exploring new places and having adventures is what dog owners and dogs love, so you should all be able to do it together.
Here are a few tips and things to think about to prepare yourself and your dog for your next sailing adventure!
Safety first
Life jackets are essential when sailing with your dog. Your dog may be a strong swimmer, but they’ll eventually get tired. If your dog were to fall overboard or got too excited and decided to jump in, it could take time to manoeuvre the yacht back. Life jackets also make it easier to lift your dog onto the boat or out of the water if they have a lifting strap/handle on the life jacket.
- You can purchase Life Jackets for dogs in advance. This helpful guide gives some more information on sizing, style, and where to buy these Life jackets.
- When moving around marinas and on pontoons, keep your dog on a lead to keep them safe and to prevent any unwanted jumps into the water!
- Moving around and getting comfy on board can also be quite tricky for dogs. Try using a bathroom mat with a non-slip coating on the back to allow your dog to sit and move around more comfortably.
Sun, shade, and water
It comes as a surprise sometimes, but England can get very hot and very sunny in the Summer! To protect your dog from the sun, use some doggy sunscreen.
Make sure there are enough cool, shaded areas on board and that you have plenty of water. Try using a dog bowl with a rubber bottom to stop it from sliding around. If you plan on sailing with your dog a lot, we recommend investing in a Buddy Bowl!
Medical
Dogs can get seasick just like humans. Consult your vet before your charter on anti-sickness remedies for your dog.
Toilet break
You may find that if you’re sailing around the Solent you’re stopping quite regularly to see the sights of the South Coast. If not, we recommend bringing a patch of artificial grass and a tray that will encourage your dog to use that. These are easy to clean and avoid having mess roll around on the deck!
Paperwork and vaccinations
If you are planning on heading further afield you should check if you need anything additional in the way of paperwork for your pets. The RYA have some great information that may help you if you do head outside of UK waters. It is important to ensure you have all the necessary paperwork and vaccinations required.
If you’re taking your pet sailing for the first time, a little extra love and comfort will go a long way. We suggest finding a safe corner in the saloon so that they can curl up and feel safe.
So the next time you’re planning your charter, don’t worry about leaving that vital member of the family behind. Follow these tips with man’s best friend and it will be smooth sailing!
- information on our optional extras can be found here
WHAT CLIENTS SAY
This is truly a 5 * service. The team really looked after us both ashore on arrival and also while at sea. We were a relatively inexperienced crew but always felt the team ashore had our backs. Thoroughly recommended.
I just wanted to say Thank-you very much for the weekend charter. It was exactly what we were after (albeit cold!) plus Andy was an awesome teacher and great company. We’ll definitely be keen to book again soon!
We had a fabulous four days. Marina is ideally placed for the Solent, boat was in great condition, well equipped and a joy to sail. We were well briefed and the shore side team including the dog very friendly.
We charted one of the sailing yachts for a fantastic weekend cruise in the Solent. The boat was in superb condition and well equipped, the staff was very helpful explaining how things work on the yacht and there was also a video available with all the important information. 10/10 would recommend!
Had a fantastic week chartering Blue Otter, Alex was incredibly helpful and sent loads of information and date checking prior to booking. There was a handover video and both the handover and return were really smooth. The boat was lovely and well maintained and Lee was really helpful in recommending places to visit (and helping identify the steering issue as an autopilot takeover - doh!). Definitely will be back and would fully recommend!
Just back from a lovely week in the Solent. Great service from HPYC from first inquiry through to return handover. Very straightforward to deal with, and the yacht was in excellent condition. We've chartered from many companies in the UK and abroad and the attention to detail (and flawless inventory!) was second to none. Everything about the yacht and equipment had clearly been well looked after and was in immaculate condition. Great service, will use again.
Always very friendly service, and well-maintained yachts. Easy check-in and checkout. Will be back...
We had a great time and were very happy with everything. Your team were genuinely friendly and were very helpful when we needed it. Is a big contrast to many charter companies I have dealt with in the past.
Watching the sun go down with a glass of bubbly on the deck of a sparkling yacht was unbelievable. What a treat, and a much needed change of scenery in these troubled times. We will be back for sure
Fab service, nothing too much trouble, including my daft questions. I'll be a repeat customer for sure!
We had a great time sailing with Lee for a few days at the beginning of September. Hamble Point Yacht Charters supplied us an impeccable 45 ft Hanse yacht, which was handled with complete mastery by Captain Lee. It was a privilege to sail with Lee, who is clearly a highly skilled professional taking great pride in his work ... but who is also a fantastic character with a great sense of humour and plenty of fun stories to keep the whole family entertained. He balances the serious side of safety and learning about sailing with a whopping dose of amusement and good cheer. We sailed the Solent in some decent seas, visited Bucklers Hard on the banks of the Beaulieu River and learned lots about British nautical history. Our boys started somewhat of a fishing trend catching bass off the back of the boat in Portsmouth and we would love to sail with Lee again in the future. The man truly knows his stuff, maintained the boat impeccably and went to every effort to ensure that we had a great time. Many thanks to “Shippers” and Hamble Point Charters. We’ll be back.
Chartered bareboats with HPYC on numerous occasions most recently in Sept 2020. Always helpful and accommodating. Highly recommend.
We had a fantastic weekend sailing on Loxley B. Boat in super condition and spotlessly clean, Alex. and the team very thorough and always on hand to answer any questions. A great experience. We will be back. Thank you!
Lots of information from office with a friendly service. We selected a one of the cheaper yachts and was please with find everything work and was cleaned and tidy. We will definitely be back
This was the first time we had tried chartering and as experienced racing sailors we didn't know what to expect. Covid has closed down all our events this year so this was a chance to get afloat at least once in 2020. What a great experience and Alex and all the Hamble staff could not have been more friendly or helpful. We had a great three days and we will be back !! We would have no hesitation is recommending Hamble Point Yacht Charters.