A boat for a hundred people cannot be improvised. These are the decisions to settle, and in what order, so that on the day of the event all anyone has to do is step aboard.
A corporate event on a boat in Málaga takes place on a 23.7-metre catamaran that carries up to 100 passengers and only goes out as a private event, with the whole boat for your group. There are five things to settle, in this order: the date, the number of guests, the catering, the passenger list and the boarding arrangements. The booking is made weeks in advance.
Catering on the Málaga catamaran is separate, so the budget for a corporate event on a boat has at least two items: the boat and the food. On top of that comes getting the staff to the harbour. The booking is arranged by phone with the Alquiler Náutico office in the Puerto Deportivo de Fuengirola, about 30 kilometres from Málaga.
Weeks, not days. Of the fleet’s boats in Málaga, the 23.7-metre catamaran is the only one in the fleet for a hundred people and each date belongs to a single client, because it only goes out as a private event. If the company has a particular day in mind, for an anniversary or a conference, the first step is to call and hold that date before agreeing anything else with suppliers.
An order that works for the organiser: first the date with the boat, then the catering and finally the guest list, which can be fine-tuned until a few days before. Prices are not published and are given by phone on +34 669 06 27 56, Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 20:00 and at weekends from 10:00 to 18:00.
The catamaran carries up to 100 passengers, and a boat’s maximum capacity is never exceeded, not even by one person. If the caterer brings waiting staff on board, ask when booking whether they count within those hundred places, because that decides how many guests you can confirm. It is better to settle the figure with some margin than to have to leave someone on the quay.
If the event is smaller, the fleet has other options. In Puerto Banús there is a 24.1-metre schooner for 36 people and two yachts, a 21.7-metre one for 12 passengers and a 31.7-metre one for 15, both with crew included. Puerto Banús is about 28 kilometres from Fuengirola along the A-7. For a board meeting of ten or twelve, one of those yachts fits better than a boat for a hundred.
Catering is arranged separately, with the company of your choice, and the first thing to tell them is that the service is on a boat. No glass comes on board: no wine glasses, no glass bottles and no plates that can shatter. A broken glass on a wet deck means a cut, so the tableware has to be made of something that survives being dropped.
Also ask them for a menu that can be eaten standing up with one hand, and that does not depend on keeping anything hot for hours. Before signing with the caterer, ask when booking the boat what time their staff can come aboard to set up and how much space they have. With those two details the supplier can adjust the quote without surprises on the day.
The list is the organiser’s main tool. It lets you check that you do not go over the hundred places, know who is on board before casting off and give the caterer the exact number of meals, with allergies and intolerances. When booking, also ask which passenger details are needed for boarding and how many days in advance they have to be sent.
If any children are coming, for example at an event with families, say so when booking so that there is a life jacket in their size. Life jackets are included, one for each person on board, as are the boat’s insurance and the safety equipment, which is checked before every trip. Children sit in the cockpit, never on the bow.
With time to spare. A hundred people do not board a boat in five minutes, so it is worth asking staff to arrive well before departure time and having someone from the company on the quay with the list in hand. Ask for the exact boarding point in writing when you confirm the booking, and send it to the guests with a map.
If the staff are setting off from Fuengirola or the western Costa del Sol, a coach saves a hundred cars hunting for parking. The invitation should mention three things: shoes that do not mark the deck, a soft bag instead of rigid handbags or briefcases, and a warm layer if the event ends after dark.
On this coast, from midday the sea breeze comes in, and with a westerly the water gets choppy in the afternoon. A catamaran of that size handles it well, but a hundred people standing, eating and holding a drink feel every movement. If some of the group get seasick, a morning trip is the calmest option.
For a corporate event, the slot that tends to work best is the last hour before sunset: the heat eases, the coast is lit from the side and the return to the harbour coincides with the end of the working day. If there are speeches or an awards ceremony, ask when booking whether the route includes a stop, which is the best moment for the speaker to be heard.
If the forecast does not allow a safe trip, the date is changed at no cost. For a corporate event that means having an alternative date in mind from the start and discussing it with the caterer, who will also have to move. The easterly is the wind that matters most here, because it brings a swell.
The official reference is the AEMET marine forecast for the coastal waters of Málaga, which is worth checking from a week before. The home page of the website also shows the wind, waves and water temperature off Fuengirola every half hour. With less than 15 knots almost everything goes out, and above 20 only the large boats sail.
If it is not here, call us: two minutes on the phone and it is sorted.
Yes. It carries up to 100 passengers and only goes out as a private event, so the boat is yours even if there are fewer of you. The price is given by phone.
No. On the Málaga catamaran catering is separate. Tell the supplier that the service is on board and that nothing made of glass can come aboard.
Weeks in advance. The 100-seat catamaran only goes out as a private event and each date belongs to a single client.
A life jacket for each person on board, safety equipment checked before every trip and the boat’s insurance. If the forecast does not allow a trip, the date is changed at no cost.
Leave us your number and we will call you. In July and August it is worth booking ahead.
Puerto Deportivo de Fuengirola, local 367. You can drop in and see the boats before you book.
At no charge. Going out to see what happens is never worth it.
Life jackets for everyone on board, included in the price.
