FAQ
Yacht Charter Queries
We can usually “pencil in” a booking for you for up to a week while you confirm the details with your crew or other participants. We do appreciate you letting us know if you decide not to retain the booking.
Please contact us for up to the minute availability for any of our yachts, training or events, to make a booking, or for more information about any of our services.If you would like availability information then it will greatly help us if you can let us know
- your preferred dates
- the maximum number of people who will be on board
- preferred yacht length, type and number of cabins or preferred layout
- the skipper and crew’s level of experience
- any other particular requirements that you may have
Your booking will be confirmed when we receive a 25% deposit of the charter fee from you, along with proof of acceptable sailing qualifications for a bareboat charter and a signed copy of the charter agreement. The balance of the payment is due two weeks prior to the commencement of your charter.
We will require to have a signed and completed booking form and a signed charter agreement from you. For your first charter we will also ask for a copy of your sailing certificates or proof of experience, passport and driving licence.
For a bareboat charter our normal requirement is for the skipper to hold a Coastal Skipper Tidal qualification or equivalent experience, and for at least one other person on board to have the equivalent of Competant Crew level of experience. However, we can accept a skipper for our smaller yachts with the equivalent experience of Day Skipper Tidal if there are at least two people on board at that level and after we have had a chat with you to confirm that we are confident that your charter will be successful.If you do not have any formal qualifications but you have plenty of experience then our Fleet Manager will have a chat with you and determine whether he is happy for you to take one of our yachts.If there is any doubt about whether you are ready to skipper one of our yachts then we may suggest that you take one of our skippers with you for a day, and if all goes well he will then leave you to continue and complete your charter on your own.
Yacht Management Queries
Yachts in charter management must comply with the MCA Code of Practice for Small Commercial Vessels, otherwise known as the “Code”. A “Coded” vessel is inspected annually by the MCA and the managing agent to ensure that the yacht’s structural integrity and equipment continue to conform to the high standards required. The amount of equipment needed to bring a yacht up to coding level will vary depending upon what equipment the yacht already has, however, for a bare yacht with minimum equipment the cost could be as high as £6,000. A comprehensive inventory is essential, but we will be pleased to offer full assistance with preparation for the registration of your boat.
We will consider most yachts, but the ideal length is generally between 32 and 47 feet. A layout with three or more cabins allows for a much greater flexibility in chartering. Whilst new boats are preferred, we will certainly also consider slightly older, well-cared for yachts.
You can expect chartering your yacht to cover the majority of costs arising from yacht ownership and in some years may find that chartering provides you with an additional income. We do not make inflated claims and will happily show you the accounts of yachts on our current fleet most closely resembling the yacht that you are considering placing with us.
We thoroughly vet all prospective charterers to ensure that they are capable of handling your boat. If the charterer is responsible for any loss or damage then this is immediately rectified and the cost is deducted from the charterer’s security deposit.We pride ourselves on the standard of our maintenance. Yachts under our management follow a rigorous maintenance and cleaning schedule. Charterers are often surprised by the good condition of even the older boats on our fleet, which despite the additional usage, therefore tend to retain their value better than similar yachts of the same age that have not been chartered.
WHAT CLIENTS SAY
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.
From initial enquiry to handing the boat back, the service and attention to detail was fantastic. Very prompt service for the minor niggle we did have and with a wide selection of boats to charter, I'll certainly be back. One of the USPs of this business is they are right by the entrance to the Hamble so it's very quick to get out into the Solent compared to other marinas further up where it can take 30-40 mins or more just to reach Southampton water. Big thanks to Alex and the team, we had a great week on a very well kept boat
Professional, efficient and friendly. The booking and admin process was straightforward, the handover was well organised and Covid compliant. Most importantly the boat, a Sun Odyssey 37 was in great condition and very well equipped. We will definitely use this company again.
A short email to say thank you to you and all your team for a fantastic yacht charter and for all your help with our booking at such short notice. Apaloosa is a lovely yacht and very well equipped. Hamble Point Marina is a great base to explore from – and my first time sailing from there, although my husband has been a few times.
I would also like to praise our skipper, Dave. He was excellent company, very patient, great at explaining manoeuvres and very happy to involve the children so that they could learn too. Given the weather conditions and our rusty knowledge, it was very reassuring to have him with us. Dave was very happy to impart his knowledge and he ensured we made the most of our short charter. We would definitely request him again!
So, thank you once again, it was great fun, and have a good weekend.
One of the larger charter companies which means they have a large fleet and permanent office staff, a big plus. I chartered Loxley B (37ft Sun Odyssey). Boat was clean, well equipped, well maintained. Office staff was really friendly and efficient in answering questions quickly. Will use this company again.
