Frequently Asked Questions

The catamaran is a relatively new entry in the world of sailing rentals, but has enjoyed great success with the public. This is not at all surprising if you consider the numerous advantages of a catamaran compared to a monohull:

• Balanced sailing: close-hauled sailing in a monohull can be thrilling, but it also rather tiring over a long period of time. If you are not taking part in a regatta, but rather are enjoying a week's holiday, the advantages of being able to eat without difficulty with your glasses firmly planted on the table, to walk around without performing balancing acts, to sunbathe on deck and to sleep in your cabin without taking a roll are all too clear.
• Available space: The space available aboard catamarans is much more than that offered by a monohull of the same length. All or almost all catamarans feature 4 double cabins available for use by guests, each with its own bathroom. The cockpit of a 13/14-metre catamaran, of an average width of 7-8 metres, is as large as that of a 20/24-metre boat; moreover, given that the dinette is on the same level as the outside cockpit and linked to the latter via large windows that can be fully opened, the living area for use by the crew is extremely large. And the trampoline net connecting the two hulls offers an extra area where you can relax, sunbathe and study the seabed while sailing.
• Safer, calmer mooring: when mooring, the catamaran has the advantage of boasting a minimum draft (from 1 metre to 1.5 metres max) which makes it possible to moor in shallow water and for the craft to remain completely stable even in the event of a slight undertow in the bay.
• Performance: On average, a modern catamaran is 20 to 50% faster than a monohull cruiser of the same length.
• Safety: Catamarans are virtually uncapsizable in so far as they do not have the dead weight that monohulls have and this allows them to right themselves following listing. If a catamaran were to suffer significant structural damage and start to fill up with water, it would not capsize, but would remain afloat with the float line on par with the deck thanks to its sufficient innate floatability reserve.

Whoever opts for a catamaran for their sailing holiday is unlikely to want to go back to a monohull.

Not necessarily. Some catamarans can be rented without a skipper if you have a boat operator's licence and sufficient experience to take the helm. If you only have experience of monohulls, please mention this when boarding and the person responsible for handing over the boat will spend some extra time with you to provide you with information and advice needed to operate the rented catamaran.

Yes, many catamarans do cabin rentals with crews being formed of people who meet up directly on board.
These are often the most successful crews and the privacy which the catamaran's layout – with 4 cabins and personal bathrooms – is able to offer undoubtedly plays its part in this success.

Yes. The itinerary is almost always decided on in advance, together with the skipper, even if it can be reviewed at any given time in the event of unfavourable weather conditions or a change in your requirements.
Usually, the only stops which cannot be changed are those regarding the port and time of embarkation and disembarkation.

Despite the spaciousness of your cabins on board, "light" packing is one of the secrets for full enjoyment of your sailing holiday. And however light your packing may be, you will probably find that you end up using half of what you brought on board.
Bring with you light clothing (shorts, t-shirts, swimwear, sweatshirts and light sweaters), a windcheater for the evening, sandals and rubber-soled shoes for when you go ashore, deck shoes if you want to wear them while aboard, sun hats and sun protection. If you wish to go ashore for a more stylish evening out, put some suitable attire in your case.
Always remember to use soft bags/cases which can be folded up and more easily stored when aboard.
You can normally find various size snorkels and masks and on board, and if you are real snorkelling lovers, then bring your own equipment you normally use with you.

Thanks to its structural characteristics (no listing, large trampoline, large cockpit closed-in on all four sides, stable mooring, etc.), the catamaran is ideal for bringing your children with you. Compared to monohulls, it also has the great advantage of having the dinette and cockpit on the same level and the absence of steps makes it easier to control children and eliminates the danger of having to go below deck using stairs.
The only problem you will have with your children is getting them to leave the catamaran once your holiday is over

All catamarans are normally able to provide guests with masks and swimfins for snorkelling and many have other types of equipment such as windsurfs, canoes, water skis etc. Check what is listed in the info for the catamaran you are interested in or ask us directly if you have any doubts or specific requirements (e.g. you wish to go diving, you require fishing equipment, etc.)

If you have any queries that we have failed to answer in these replies, contact us via email or telephone at +39 347 342 50 33 and we will be pleased to provide you with any information you require.

This depends on the type of catamaran you are renting and you will find a breakdown in the info of the catamaran you are interested in. Many catamarans only exclude food/drinks and fuel used during the week from the rental, others (usually larger catamarans with a skipper and hostess) offer "all-inclusive" holidays which include both food/drinks and preparation of meals on board. A breakdown of everything that is included and excluded from the rental will always be set down in your rental agreement and so there will not be any surprises in this regard.

Fuel is generally of little incidence in the total cost of the holiday insofar as engine consumption levels are low and sails are often used. The cost clearly depends on the catamaran you rent, but you can reckon on an average of 5-10 litres of gasoline per hour of sailing depending on the craft. While the cost of food/drinks depends on your preferences. Calculating an average of 100 euros per week per person is often a figure that proves to be in line with the amount actually spent at the end of the week. As long as you are not opting for lobster and champagne every evening.

After having chosen together with us the ideal catamaran and period for your holiday, we will send you the rental agreement via email and ask you to return your acceptance via email. In order to completely guarantee the signed agreements, Blue Catamaran Charter adopts the official agreement of Associazione Italiana Noleggio Unità da Diporto (Italy's Boat Rental Association). You will be asked to pay 50% of the rental when booking which serves as a deposit to confirm your booking. The remaining 50% must be paid within 30 days of the embarkation date. You will be sent the relative "paid" invoice via email after each payment made.

In the event of cancellation of a booking, you shall lose the right to receive the amounts paid as deposit. However, Blue Catamaran Charter offers you the change to take out insurance cover which safeguards, inter alia, return of the sums paid as deposits to confirm bookings. Click here for more information.

Payment to confirm a booking can be made via bank transfer to:

Beneficiary: CATAMARAN CHARTER di VCM
Bank:  Credito Bergamasco
Iban: IT 44 U 03336 03211 000000010286
Swift: CREBIT22

While the security deposit for any damages required upon embarkation can be paid with a banker's cheque which shall be returned at the end of the rental.

No. Your craft's insurance policy already includes comprehensive insurance for possible loss of the craft or partial damage, as well as cover for damages inflicted on third parties by the craft itself.
To better guarantee your holiday, Blue Catamaran Charter has entered into a special agreement with the leading operator in the sector which allows you to opt for insurance together with your rental which covers trip cancellation, luggage loss and all expenses related to illnesses or accidents occurring during the rental. View all policy-related information by clicking here.

The Blue Catamaran Charter  newsletter is sent once a month (exceptionally twice a month during the summer period) and offers you a preview compared to website publication of special offers, last minute deals and information regarding specific packages offered by our fleet of catamarans. In addition to this, each month we will attach a short and interesting article regarding an aspect of catamaran rental which may prove useful for your future holiday. For example: Tips on trolling aboard a catamaran, How to moor a catamaran, Tips for safe anchoring etc.

We send our Newsletter once a month only, or exceptionally twice a month during the summer period. We certainly do not wish to be a bother with the information we send you. If you no longer wish to receive our Newsletter, all you have to do is click on the link at the bottom of the Newsletter page and you will be immediately removed from the list.