A small bag is enough for a day on a boat if what goes in it is well thought out. Here is the list, with what you can leave out and what people tend to forget.
For a boat trip you need to bring swimwear already on, a towel, a cap, sunglasses with a strap, water-resistant sun cream, plenty of water and light-soled shoes that do not mark the deck, all in a soft bag. You do not need to bring a life jacket: there is one per crew member, included, along with the safety equipment and the boat’s insurance.
Two rules decide what goes on board: no glass, and no alcohol for whoever is at the helm. On a skippered trip the skipper is at the helm, and also anchors the boat and is responsible for safety, so the group only has to think about their bags, the food if they want to bring some and arriving on time.
Swimwear on from home and, over it, light clothes you can take off in a moment. A thin long-sleeved T-shirt protects you from the sun in the middle of the day better than sun cream alone, and a sweatshirt for the way back is welcome even in summer: when the boat is moving, the air rushing past cools wet skin.
Footwear is the rule on board that people forget most. It has to have light soles that do not mark the deck, because the black soles of ordinary trainers leave streaks. You can go barefoot on board, and for the pontoon and the walk to the boat a pair of light-soled sandals is enough.
At sea the sun reaches you twice: from above and reflected off the surface. Water-resistant sun cream, put on before boarding and reapplied every two hours and after every swim. A cap with a strap or cord so the wind does not take it, and sunglasses with a strap, because anything that falls into the water while the boat is moving is usually gone for good.
With children, the rule is about size: the life jacket has to fit them, and for that you need to say when booking how many children are coming and how old they are. On board they sit in the cockpit, never at the bow. T-shirt on, cap on and water to hand for the whole trip, even if they say they are not thirsty.
The firm condition is that no glass comes on board: no bottles, no glasses, no jars. People walk barefoot on deck, and a broken bottle ends the trip there and then. Cans, plastic bottles and flasks do the same job. And water, more than you would drink on land, because the sun and the sea air dry you out without you noticing.
For food, the practical choice is whatever needs no cutlery and does not spill: sandwiches, fruit already cut up, nuts. A soft cool bag fits in more easily than a rigid one. On the large boats with a full crew things are different: catering is extra and is ordered with a written quote, as are fuel for long routes and berths in other marinas.
On a skippered trip the group does not have to show any boating qualification, because the skipper is the one in command. What you should carry is the ID card or passport of the person who made the booking. Any question still open is cleared up in the booking call, before the day of the trip.
Three cases need their own papers. To ride a jet ski without an instructor and outside the buoyed area, you need to bring the original licencia de navegación or a higher qualification, together with your ID. To fish you need the recreational sea fishing licence, which is personal, is issued by the Junta de Andalucía and is obtained online. And on boats without a skipper a deposit is left, which is returned in full.
A life jacket: there is one per crew member, included in the price, and the safety equipment is checked before every trip. Nor do you need fishing gear to go out on one of the fishing boats, which carry rod holders, a live bait well, a fish finder and a cool box, and have gear on board for anyone who does not bring their own.
You can also leave the hard suitcase at home, because rigid luggage gets in the way on a boat and a soft bag folds into any gap. And if the plan is water sports, the kit is included: for wakeboarding, water skiing and kneeboarding you are given the board, the skis, the life jacket and the helmet. All that is asked is that you can swim.
The ones explained before casting off, which are not up for debate. The life jacket is worn, not stowed in a locker. Children sit in the cockpit. Whoever is at the helm drinks no alcohol. And the boat’s maximum capacity is never exceeded, even if it looks as though there is room on deck for two more.
On a boat party two more are added: no confetti and no loose balloons, which end up in the sea, and the music is played from the group’s own phone. For any trip there are three numbers worth knowing: VHF channel 16, 112 and Salvamento Marítimo, on 900 202 202. With a skipper on board, the skipper handles them, but it is good for someone else in the group to know them.
The forecast and the clock. The home page of the website shows the wind, the waves and the water temperature off Fuengirola every half hour, and the official reference is the AEMET marine forecast for the coastal waters of Málaga. If the forecast does not allow a safe trip, the date is changed at no cost.
If the boat leaves from Puerto Banús, allow for about 28 kilometres from Fuengirola on the A-7, around half an hour by car, and in August the underground car park at the marina fills up. With everything ready the night before, on the morning of the trip all that is left is to pick up the bag. Any question about what to bring is answered on +34 669 06 27 56.
If it is not here, call us: two minutes on the phone and it is sorted.
No. There is one per crew member, included in the price, and it is worn throughout the trip. For children, say when booking how many are coming and their ages, so there are life jackets in their size.
Yes, as long as they are not in glass: cans, plastic or flasks. Whoever is at the helm drinks no alcohol; on a skippered trip the skipper is at the helm.
Light-soled shoes that do not mark the deck, or go barefoot on board. The black soles of ordinary trainers leave marks on the deck.
Yes. The recreational sea fishing licence is personal, is issued by the Junta de Andalucía and is obtained online. Alquiler Náutico does not issue fishing licences.
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.
