Does it cover skippered and bareboat charters?

Yes. The template has a block for each; fill in the one that applies and strike out the other.

It is a starting point. Adapt it to your company and review it with a legal advisor before using it with customers.

Can it be signed digitally?

Yes. Sign it on paper, or generate the agreement from Solnow so the customer signs it on their phone when they book.

Boat Charter Agreement Template (Free PDF): Skippered & Bareboat

Boat charter agreement template (free PDF)

Skippered and bareboat: parties, vessel, period, price and deposit, insurance, licence, cruising area, return, data protection and a crew and passenger annex.

Download PDF template

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What the agreement contains

Parties: the charter company (legal name, tax ID, address) and the charterer (name, ID, phone).
Vessel: name, registration, length, departure base and maximum number of people.
Type: skippered (skipper's name) or bareboat (licence of whoever is in command).
Period: boarding and return date and time, and the return port if different.
Price, deposit and security deposit: amounts, payment method, and when and how the security deposit is returned.
Condition at handover: inventory, prior damage, fuel and engine hours.
Cruising area and conditions of use.
Liability for damage, fines and late return, and data protection.

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The clauses most often forgotten

Fuel: full-to-full, or charged by consumption or engine hours.
Weather: who decides to cancel, and whether the charterer gets a refund or a new date.
Late return: what each hour costs and what happens to the next customer.
People on board: the cap on the vessel's certificate, not the number the customer asks for.

The template assumes the vessel carries the third-party liability insurance your jurisdiction requires and leaves a field for the excess the charterer bears. For bareboat charters, record the licence of whoever is in command and check that it covers the vessel's length and the cruising area in the agreement.

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How to fill it in, step by step

01Enter your company and vessel details once; they stay the same for each boat.
02Tick the charter type (skippered or bareboat) and fill in the matching block.
03Record the handover condition with the customer present: inventory, damage, fuel and engine hours.
04Complete the passenger annex with everyone boarding.
05Both parties sign, and you keep a copy with the booking.

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From PDF to signature on the customer's phone

The PDF gets you started. In peak season, filling in every agreement by hand is exactly what delays departures: with Solnow the agreement is generated from the booking, the customer signs it on their phone before reaching the marina and it is filed with the booking.

DISCLAIMERThis template and guide are for guidance only and do not constitute legal advice. Before using the agreement with customers, review it with a legal advisor and check the requirements of your maritime authority and jurisdiction.