On the pontoon
Governing: Decreto 44/2025 arts. 4, 9 and 13 (BOIB 102, 2 Aug 2025); Salvamento Marítimo guidance for renters. Builds on: Module 1.
What the law asks of the rental firm
In the Balearics, boat hire is regulated by Decreto 44/2025. For the renter, three parts matter:
- Title check (art. 4.2). The lessor must verify that the person who will helm holds a sufficient title and must not sign the contract otherwise.
- Documents and insurance (art. 9). The boat must be declared to the Govern and insured: third-party liability plus accident cover for the people aboard.
- Good-practice briefing (art. 13). The lessor must tell you about good navigation and anchoring practice, the ban on anchoring on Posidonia, the protected areas and marine reserves, and the need to check the weather every day. The contract records that this was done.
A good firm will do more than the minimum. A poor one will hand you a key and a laminated card. Ask the questions below either way.
Before you sign
| Check | Why |
|---|---|
| Name on the contract is the person who will helm | Only a qualified helmsman may take the wheel |
| Area and limits written down | The contract may be tighter than your title |
| Return time, and what happens if you're late | Daylight limits are legal, not just commercial |
| Fuel: full-to-full or charged by the hour? | Avoid running dry chasing a refund |
| Insurance and deposit | What damage you pay for, and what the excess is |
| Emergency number for the firm | You will want it before Salvamento, for a breakdown |
Walk the boat
- Life jackets: one per person, the right sizes for children, and know where they are stowed.
- Engine: the kill cord (engine cut-off lanyard) is present and works. Clip it to the helmsman's wrist or life jacket, every time.
- Fuel: gauge or tank checked, not just promised.
- Anchor: there is one, it is shackled to line or chain, and the end is made fast aboard.
- Bailer or bilge pump, a paddle, a whistle or horn.
- Communications: a charged phone in a waterproof pouch at minimum; a handheld VHF if provided, and a quick check you know Channel 16.
- Hull and bungs: no water sloshing inside before you leave.
CAUTION — Crew briefing is your job Once you cast off you are the patrón (skipper). Show everyone where the life jackets are, keep hands and feet inside when coming alongside, and nobody goes in the water near a running propeller.
Salvamento Marítimo's advice
Spain's coastguard, Salvamento Marítimo, gives renters short, blunt advice: use recognised, reliable firms; act as if the boat were your own, only more carefully; check the insurance covers you; point out any defects to the lessor; and don't hesitate to walk away if you are not satisfied, reporting the problem to the maritime authority if needed.
A sensible personal standard
The 2024 Capitanía de Palma rules for licence-free boats (lesson 1.2) are a reasonable yardstick for a first day on a small boat, even if they no longer formally apply:
- wind no more than Force 4, waves under 1 m, good visibility;
- stay within about 1 nm of the shore;
- keep 50 m from anchored and moored boats.
TIP — Photograph the boat A minute of photos of the hull and the engine leg before departure saves an argument about the deposit.