A half day at sea gives you what a short trip cannot: time to anchor, swim and have lunch on board before heading back.
A half day is about four hours on the boat, and on some motorboats three and a half. It is the length that turns a trip into a proper outing: there is time to reach a cove, drop anchor, swim several times and have lunch at anchor without keeping an eye on the time to head back.
With a skipper, the half-day rate includes the skipper and fuel; on the yachts, fuel for long routes is extra. If you take the boat out yourself on your licence, fuel works differently from the hourly rates: the boat leaves with a full tank, it is topped up when you return and you pay only for what you used. Since the engine burns nothing at anchor, the more hours you spend stopped in the cove and the less you move from place to place, the less fuel you pay for.
You can do it with a skipper or take the boat out yourself with a licence. A lifejacket for each person on board, the safety equipment and the boat’s insurance are included, and if the forecast does not allow a safe trip the date is changed at no cost.
Half-day boat hire in Fuengirola means about four hours, enough time to cruise west as far as Marbella or east as far as Torremolinos with two stops. One of them can be the long swim and the other lunch at anchor. The course is decided that same morning by looking at where the wind is coming from, to find the most sheltered cove.
Compared with a two-hour trip, what the half day gains is time stopped. There is room to choose a sheltered cove even if it is further away, to stay there while the water is inviting and to come back without speeding up.
Almost the whole fleet. The Puerto Deportivo de Fuengirola, which is the base, is home to the 4-metre boat and the 6.6 to 6.9 metre motorboats that you take out with a licence, for up to 8 passengers, as well as motor boats with a skipper, whose boarding marina is confirmed when you book. In Marbella marina, the 11.5-metre catamaran for 12 people is hired by the hour or by the half day, and it is the best choice when the group wants a comfortable lunch: resting on two hulls, it does not heel and you can stand without holding on.
The yachts in Puerto Banús and the one in Estepona, from 21.7 to 31.7 metres, also go out for half days, with crew included. The fishing boats, moored in Puerto Banús, have their own half day of four to five hours leaving at first light, between seven and eight, which is enough to work one technique properly.
Without a licence, with a skipper: he steers, picks the cove according to the wind of the day and handles the manoeuvres. With a licence, the 4-metre boat requires at least the Spanish navigation licence, which covers daylight sailing up to 2 miles from the coast, and the 6.6 to 6.9 metre motorboats require at least the PNB, Spain’s basic skipper licence. Since 1 October 2026 every hired motor boat requires one of those licences from the person at the helm.
A half day taking the boat out yourself calls for more confidence than an hour. You need to anchor over sand, let out enough chain, check that the anchor is holding while you eat and come back in daylight. Before leaving we spend about ten minutes explaining handling, anchoring, mooring, the equipment and how to call for help, and you leave a deposit that is returned in full.
Bring whatever you like in a cool box: sandwiches, salads, fruit, cans and water. The only firm rule is that no glass comes on board, neither bottles nor tumblers: cans, plastic and hard cool boxes work just as well. Lunch is laid out with the boat at anchor and the engine off, which is also when no fuel is being used.
On the yachts with a full crew there is service on board and catering is booked separately, with a written quote. On the other boats the food is up to you, and with half a day ahead it is worth bringing more water than seems necessary when you set off.
In the morning the sea is usually flatter and you can find room to anchor without crowding another boat. From midday the thermal breeze comes in and, with a westerly, a chop builds in the afternoon. A morning half day lets you reach the cove on calm water and start back just as it begins to move.
An afternoon half day has the low light in its favour, although the return is usually made with a bit more sea. If the sea forecast is getting close to 15 knots, it is better to move the trip to first thing in the morning or change the date, which costs nothing when the forecast does not allow a safe trip.
As well as swimsuit, towel, cap and sun cream, reapplied every two hours, a half day calls for food, plenty of water and a long-sleeved layer for when the sun beats down on deck. Shoes that do not mark the deck and everything in a canvas bag, which stows more easily than a hard suitcase.
If you are taking the boat out yourself, bring your original licence and the ID card or passport of whoever signs. For children, give us their lifejacket sizes when you book: they sit in the cockpit, never on the bow. Whoever is at the helm drinks no alcohol for the whole trip, lunch included.
If it is not here, call us: two minutes on the phone and it is sorted.
About four hours. On some motorboats the half day is three and a half hours, and on the fishing boats in Puerto Banús four to five, leaving at first light.
With a skipper, yes, except on the yachts. If you take the boat out yourself on your licence, it leaves with a full tank, is topped up on return and you pay for what you used.
Yes. Bring food and drink in a cool box, with no glass at all. On the yachts with a full crew, catering is booked separately with a written quote.
It depends on the boat: the motorboats you take out with a licence, up to 8 passengers; the skippered boats, 7 to 12; the Marbella catamaran, 12; the yachts, 10 to 15.
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.
