Renting a motor yacht

Never been boating on a cabin motor yacht? And every time you see such a yacht with happy holidaymakers on board, do you think: I’d love to do that too, but it’s probably beyond my means? Are you an experienced charterer of pleasure yachts, but eager to try something new? Are you bound to a wheelchair and think a boating holiday would be great fun? Do you enjoy cycling and aren’t yet aware of the fact that a cabin yacht is the ideal holiday accommodation? Do you think piloting a motor yacht is difficult and that you will need at the least an eight hour instructional course to be able to set sail and moor properly? Or that a sailing license is mandatory?

No sailing license required
Frisian yacht charter companies rent out all possible types of cabin motor yachts – with a maximum capacity of 12 passengers – in every price range, no sailing license required. In the Netherlands there is no need for a sailing license to pilot motor or sailing yachts under 12 metres in length and with a maximum speed of 20 kilometres per hour. The charterer obviously does need to know, or be informed by the charter company about, the water traffic rules. These, however, are quite simple.

No distraction from commercial shipping
Albert Hendriks, director of bureau for tourism Friesland Holland and Boat Charter Holland, an association that promotes direct booking: “Its’s not surprising that the Dutch government doesn’t require a sailing license for the category of yachts described above. On most of the waters frequented by recreational yachters in the North- Netherlands, there is no commercial shipping. Neither are there strong currents in Friesland. The traffic on the water is very slow. Due to clear demarcation and signposting of the routes, the yearly number of collisions on the water and stranded yachts is negligible.“    

Yachting is easy
All of the charter companies associated with Boat Charter Holland employ an experienced intructor who can teach beginning yachtsmen the ropes in four to eight hours time. Hendriks:” Yachting isn’t difficult at all. You need to stay calm, especially during manoeuvres in harbours and in the lock. You have to forget the speed of your car. Most charterers need to find their bearings first: to get familiar with the quite different, restful atmosphere of a rural or small-town area, steeped in natural surroundings and history.”

Not at all expensive
At prices between €400,- a week for a two-passenger motor yacht approximately 8 metres in length, for example a Doerak, up to €3.000,- for a royal class yacht of 15 metres, the holiday you book in Friesland is the finest to be had in Holland. The prices depend on the length of the yacht and how it’s equipped and on the duration of the rental period. In any case, you set sail in a floating holiday home and stop wherever you want: a village of historical merit, an Eleven Cities town, a special event (Leeuwarden-Friesland   is the 2018 European Capital of Culture!) or simply in the middle of nature in Friesland, Overijssel, Drenthe or Groningen.

Unique boats
Not a single Frisian charter yacht is exactly the same as another because all steel motor yachts are custom-built. That is to say: the design and the interior decoration of the yachts is attuned to the wishes of the diverse categories of charterers, for example senior citizens or families with children. A new category is formed by 3G yachts. These are more spacious yachts, with three or four sleeping compartments and separate sanitary facilities; they offer a great deal of privacy and luxury for three generations: grandparents and their children and grandchildren.

Double fun: yachting and cycling
A boating holiday is twice as much fun when you take bicycles along with you. One of the great advantages of the four northern provinces is that most of the sights and attractions, many of which are ideal for children, are situated on or near the waterways. And with a bicycle at hand, no distance is too far! Most yacht charter companies, and certainly the members of Boat Charter Holland, have all sorts of bicycles for rent: bikes for children, folding bikes, tour bikes and even compact e-bikes. You’ll find the necessary water and road maps on board, as well as guidebooks with golden tips.

Professional sailing instruction
Of course you need a bit of experience to pilot and moor a motor yacht. However, a beginner can be made into a skipper in a mere day, or half a day, depending on the size of the yacht, by an experienced instructor. In no time, friendly instructors teach you the ins and outs of relaxed and safe sailing.
Based on years of experience, our instructors have a keen eye for your specific strengths and weaknesses. So no time is wasted: the instruction is personalised and therefore effective.

Take your time
If you can drive a car, then piloting a boat is a cinch if you take this one condition into account: take your time! Consider the recreational waterways in and around Friesland to be nautical promanades: enjoy the fantastic views and jauntily greeting people whilst moseying about on a fine yacht at a speed of about 10 kilometres per hour. The world on water is truly something completely different.