Thirty boats with and without a licence, from 6.6 to 31.7 metres, spread between Fuengirola, Puerto Banús, Marbella, Estepona and Málaga.
Every bar is a real boat, drawn to scale by its length. The solid turquoise ones can be taken without a licence.
Boat hire on the Costa del Sol comes down to one question: who holds the wheel. If you do, the boat has to be one of those that can be handled without a licence, and you stay inside a marked area. If you would rather not worry about it, a skipper comes with you and you need no licence and no sailing experience.
After that it is size that decides. From 6 to 8 metres you have small boats for a small group and a couple of hours. From 8 to 15, motor boats with a skipper for a full day out, which is what gets hired most. Above 18 metres you are into yachts with a full crew, and those are booked by the half day, the full day or several days.
Then there are the ones that are not motor boats: sailing boats and catamarans. You hire a sailing boat when what you want is to actually sail, with no noise and at another pace. You hire a catamaran when there is a group: with two hulls it barely heels and it has deck to spare, so people who are not used to the sea have a good time.
And the fishing boats, which are motor boats fitted out with rod holders, a live well and a sounder, and which go out with a skipper who knows the grounds. There the fishing licence is down to each angler: it is issued by the Junta de Andalucía and we do not provide it.
The fleet is not all in one marina. The small boats leave from the Puerto Deportivo de Fuengirola; the yachts, the schooner and the fishing boats are moored in Puerto Banús; there is a yacht in Estepona, a catamaran in Marbella and another in Málaga. When you book we confirm where to turn up, because Fuengirola to Puerto Banús is half an hour by car.
This is the first decision and it shapes everything else. Without a licence you can handle a small boat inside a marked area, after a ten-minute run-through on the pontoon. With a skipper on board you need no licence and no sailing experience, and the whole range of boats opens up.
The second option is the one people book most, especially in a group: for what the difference costs, you hand over the berthing manoeuvre, the choice of cove and the responsibility for the boat.
Two hours is enough to reach a nearby cove, anchor for a while and come back. It is the afternoon format and the one couples ask for most.
Half a day, four hours, gives you two stops and lunch on board without rushing. The full day, eight hours, is what to book if you want to reach Marbella or Puerto Banús and come back without watching the clock. For large groups the full day is almost always the better buy: the cost per person drops and the trip stops being a race.
Up to 6 people: a small boat without a licence, or a small motor boat. From 7 to 12: a motor boat with a skipper, which is the bulk of the fleet and runs from 8.1 to 15.2 metres.
From 12 to 15 at a higher level: a crewed yacht, in Puerto Banús or Estepona. Above 12 and up to 100: a catamaran. The rule of thumb is that the number on the paperwork is the legal maximum, not the comfortable one: to spend the day properly, take two or three seats off it.
The small boats, the ones you take without a licence and the motor boats under 12 metres all leave from the Puerto Deportivo de Fuengirola, which is the base.
The two yachts, the schooner, the three fishing boats and the sailing boat are moored in Puerto Banús. There is also a yacht in Estepona, a catamaran in Marbella marina and another catamaran, the 100-passenger one, in Málaga. The boarding point is confirmed when you book.
May to October is the natural season, with the water between 18 and 24 degrees and long days. July and August are the busiest months and also the ones with the most westerly wind in the afternoon.
June and September are the best months to be out and hardly anyone knows it: the same weather, a flatter sea, empty coves and boats actually available. From November to April you can go out perfectly well on the calm days, and that is when the best bottom-fishing days come.
Sun cream, water, a cap and shoes that will not mark the deck. The passport or ID of whoever signs the hire. And not much else: life jackets and all the safety kit are included and checked.
You can bring food, drink and a cool box. The one firm condition is no glass on deck, for an obvious reason: a broken bottle on a boat where everyone is barefoot ends the trip on the spot.
The fleet is not all in one place. Each marina has its own.
You steer it yourself. We run through the controls before you leave.
From 8 to 15 metres. No licence of any kind needed.
Set up for fishing, with a skipper who knows where the fish are.
No engine noise, and another pace altogether.
Steady and with plenty of deck. Made for groups.
From 19 to 32 metres, with a full crew.
If it is not here, call us: two minutes on the phone and it is sorted.
A catamaran. With two hulls it barely heels and the deck is far roomier, so people who are not used to the sea have a good time. The one in Málaga takes up to a hundred passengers.
Without a skipper you handle the boat yourself and stay inside the authorised area; the boat has to be one of those that allow it. With a skipper you need no licence and no experience, and he takes care of the route, the berthing and the safety.
Two hours or a half day are the commonest. Two hours is enough to run along to a cove, anchor for a while and come back. To get further you need the full day.
Yes, there are boats fitted with rod holders, a live well and a sounder, and they go out with a skipper who knows the grounds. The recreational sea fishing licence is personal and is issued by the Junta de Andalucía.
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.
