10 Things to Know About Renting a Rubber Boat Without a License

Introduction

In Italy, to drive inflatable boats or boats with engines over 40 HP, it is necessary to hold a boating license. However, it is allowed to drive inflatable boats up to 40 HP without the need for a license. In this guide, I will explain the most important things you need to know to rent an inflatable boat without a license.

I will provide you with some insights on navigation rules, best practices, and techniques during maneuvers that you will surely appreciate, especially if you have never been to sea before. This guide will not turn you into a seasoned captain if you have never been to sea and have never rented an inflatable boat, but you will get useful tips.

The inflatable boat is the best means of navigation for beginners because it is as easy to steer as a go-kart, it is safe and unsinkable by design. All the advice you read in this guide are indeed suggestions and not skills you must have. This guide is aimed at those who are curious and simply want to learn a bit more.

Inflatable boat rental Portisco

1. Inflatable Boat Rental: What is the Lease Agreement?

After booking your inflatable boat rental online and arriving at the departure port on the scheduled day, the first thing you will need to do is sign the lease agreement. It is important to keep a copy of the contract on board along with other mandatory documents so that you can readily present them if requested by the Coast Guard or other authorities.

In general, a standard rental contract for an inflatable boat without a license requires the following fields to be filled in:

Name and surname
Date of birth
Residence
Type of identification document
Identification document number
Rental duration
Departure date
Departure time
Return date
Return time

Type of inflatable boat and model
Number of people on board
Adults
Minors

Deposit
Most rentals require a deposit – often via credit card – as protection against potential damages.

How does the deposit work?
The rental company "swipes" the card to authorize the amount specified in the contract. This amount is not charged but only authorized, which means:

• If upon returning to the port, the inflatable boat has not sustained any damage of any kind, as happens in 99% of rentals, the authorization is canceled.
• If upon returning to the port the inflatable boat has sustained damage, the rental company charges the previously authorized amount. Remember that a deductible may apply.

How much is the deposit?
The amount of the deposit depends on the type of inflatable boat rented, ranging from €300 to €10,000. In any case, this information is always clearly stated in the contract.

2. Inflatable Boat Rental: What to Check Before Departure

Those who have never driven an inflatable boat think it is unsinkable, indestructible, and can navigate in very shallow waters. This is true, but not for beginners.
Even though the inflatable boat does not have a bulb and does not go deep like a sailboat, it still has parts that are always underwater, which are:

• part of the hull
• the motor foot
• the motor propeller

In case an inexperienced navigator scrapes a rock, for example, the propeller is the first thing to get damaged. For this reason, to ensure the propeller is in excellent condition, the rental company will show you that it is in perfect shape: not damaged, bent, or twisted. This is because if, upon return, the propeller is damaged, you will be responsible for paying for the damages.

On-Board Equipment
The rental company will show you all the mandatory on-board equipment:

• life jackets for every person on board
• life ring
• fire extinguisher
• flares
• engine manual
• insurance
• and the contract that you will have carefully kept in the document pouch

3. Inflatable Boat Rental: How to Start the Engine

If a boating license is not required, there is a reason: driving an inflatable boat with a 40 HP engine, typically up to 5.90 meters, is really a game.

How to Start the Inflatable Boat Engine
Most rental inflatable boat engines are 4-stroke injection engines, so starting simply involves turning the key.

• Insert the key
• Insert the safety clip
• Turn the key
• You will hear an acoustic sound
• When the acoustic sound ends, you can turn the key again and start the engine
  
  

What is the safety clip?
The key has a black plastic clip that must be inserted into the designated safety button. During navigation, you must tie the red elastic around your wrist so that the engine turns off in case of an emergency.

On-Board Instruments
Not all inflatable boats, especially small ones without a license, are highly equipped with on-board instruments. In fact, it is not even necessary, since a 40 HP inflatable boat is designed for short, daily, and coastal navigation, making the use of rich nautical instrumentation unnecessary. Below are the instruments usually present in the console of a rental inflatable boat:

• tachometer
• fuel level
• trim level

What do those buttons on the control panel mean?
The control panel in the console allows you to control:

• bail pump
• freshwater shower
• navigation lights

🏆 TIP
When you want to rinse off with fresh water after a dip, remember to turn the engine key; otherwise, the shower won't work. And then remember to turn it off to avoid draining the battery!

4. Inflatable Boat Rental: How to Exit the Port

Now that you are on board, familiar with the inflatable boat and its instruments, you're ready to exit the port and enjoy a day at sea!

Usually, the dockmaster will help you with the undocking maneuver, especially if you are not very experienced.
During the entrance and exit maneuver from the port, fiberglass boats must deploy their fenders to reduce damage in case of collisions; the inflatable boat, however, being a "large and soft fender," is not required to follow this practice. In any case, always do what makes you feel more secure.

🏆 TIP
Two simple but always useful pieces of advice:
1. before leaving your mooring spot, even supported and supervised by the dockmaster, make sure there are no other moving boats to avoid collisions.
2. before leaving the mooring spot, look at the direction the wind is coming from because this will affect your maneuver.

5. Inflatable Boat Rental: Navigation Tips

Now that you have left the port with a masterful maneuver and have the sea at your disposal, you need to get acquainted with some aspects. The main elements are: the wind and the waves, the engine

The Wind and the Waves
The wind pushes the inflatable boat on the water and can assist navigation if it blows in the direction you are traveling or can "hinder it" if it blows in different directions. Generally, the waves follow the direction of the wind.

How to Ride the Waves with the Inflatable Boat?
To ensure a smooth navigation without constant bumps, you should always try to take the waves "at an angle" or with the bow slightly turned 3/4 from the wave. This way, the wave breaks and slides along the inflatable boat, reducing its force. The idea is always to avoid taking the waves directly head-on or from the stern.

What is the Engine Trim?
What is trim? Trim is the most fun part of the inflatable boat engine! It is a tool that allows you to adjust the attitude of the inflatable boat in relation to weather conditions and the number of people on board. Simply pressing the button on the throttle lever raises and lowers the engine to help the inflatable boat redefine its attitude and distribute weights evenly.

Trim levels are 3:

• negative (submerges the motor foot in water)
• neutral (this is the default, natural setting)
• positive (raises the motor foot out of the water)
  
  

What is Trim Used For?
Correct use of trim allows:

• to navigate over waves with greater smoothness
• to bring the inflatable boat onto plane faster
• to optimize fuel consumption

How to Adjust Trim?
First, it is important to distribute people on board evenly so that weights are evenly distributed across the inflatable boat before adjusting the trim – that is, the height of the engine. The stern (the back part) is physiologically and structurally heavier than the bow (the tip) because the engine is mounted on the transom.

Only after distributing the weights can you adjust the trim for a smoother navigation. In a very simplified manner:

• the inflatable boat navigates better when it is on plane; to achieve this, you need to set the trim to all negative, meaning it is resting fully on the transom.
• after this phase, you need to return the trim to a neutral position.
  
  

🏆 TIP
What does it mean to "get the inflatable boat on plane"? Getting the inflatable boat on plane means ensuring that the hull is entirely resting on the water and the inflatable boat does not remain "nose up." The use of trim is not essential for having a wonderful day at sea, but it is still fun to experiment with!

Inflatable boat rental Portisco

6. Inflatable Boat Rental: How to Arrive at the Beach

Usually, the rental company gives you a map with points of interest to visit, recommended dive spots, lunch breaks, and related photographs of the coves. To explore the area and its seabeds, the Navionics navigation app is also available, a must-have tool for every boater. The app is paid, but there is a free trial period available.

Arriving at the Beach with the Inflatable Boat
It is prohibited to approach the beach directly with the inflatable boat; however, there are two allowed ways: through a launch lane and by swimming.

Launch Lane
The launch lane is a corridor marked by two rows of buoys. If you need or simply want to access the beach, enter this section of the sea exclusively. After unloading luggage and getting people off the boat on the beach, you must take the inflatable boat back beyond the buoys to a minimum distance of 200 meters from the shore. If you want to go ashore, you can swim there or ask the dockmaster if he can "come to get you."

By swimming
Some beaches are UNESCO World Heritage sites or belong to a Protected Marine Area or nature reserves, so motor navigation is not allowed. Therefore, you can only anchor at least 200 meters from the beach and reach it by swimming.

In some stretches of sea, there is an absolute ban on bathing or navigation. Ask the rental company if there are such prohibitions in your itinerary.

maneuvers to avoid even if very scenic

7. Renting inflatables: how to anchor

How to anchor in 4 simple steps. You have finally reached the cove you dreamed of since last winter in an inflatable and can’t wait to do some snorkeling! However, before diving, you need to anchor.

How do you lower the anchor?

Those who have never operated an inflatable think this operation is very simple and… it actually is! However, it’s not uncommon to encounter boaters trying to anchor who are still fiddling after twenty minutes, unsure. Follow these practical tips to anchor.

Step 1
Watch what others are doing
First of all, before lowering the anchor, you need to understand how to “arrange” the inflatable. Look at how the other inflatables or boats of the same size are positioned, and you will notice that they are all facing the same direction, that is, with the bow facing the wind. For this reason, before lowering the anchor, position the inflatable with the bow facing the wind.

Step 2
Generously
To avoid crashing into others or worse, the rocks, keep in mind that the sea is not asphalt and the inflatable is not a car: staying “stationary” is almost impossible even if there is very little wind. Additionally, you must consider that the steps to anchor are different and require time:

• taking the anchor out of the locker
• positioning yourself at the bow with the anchor in hand
• lowering the anchor and waiting for it to go to the bottom
• waiting for the line to be completely stretched
• tying the line to the cleat

And in this time, your inflatable… has moved. If you’ve been “prudent”… it will have moved to a safe area, and you will be able to do all the snorkeling you want.

If, however, you calculated a tight timeframe and little space, your inflatable might be too close to another boater, who will surely be friendly, and you will become best friends, but you will definitely need to move and redo the maneuver to maintain a proper distance.

To make a correct anchoring maneuver, you must consider that it takes more time than you think and more space than you think.

🏆 TIP
Remember the inflatable… has no brakes! Keep the engine running throughout the maneuver to have the opportunity to correct it while in progress.

Step 3
Give line!
An old adage says, “little line, little sailor.” To anchor correctly, it’s essential to “give line”: the more line rests on the bottom, the safer your mooring will be. It’s customary to give line 3-5 times the depth. So, if the depth is 5 meters, you need to give between 15 and 25 meters of line.

Step 4
Check that the anchor has caught
To understand if you have anchored correctly and can enjoy a dive or a nap without always being alert, just follow this simple practical advice: identify two fixed points, one in front of you and one beside you. Wait a minute. If your position concerning those points does not change, well done, you have anchored. If you notice that you are moving relative to the selected points, it means you have not anchored correctly, and it’s necessary to redo the maneuver.

🏆 TIP
A general tip is always to anchor in not too deep waters, considering that the provided line is not very long; in sandy or not too rocky bottoms, to avoid running aground.

8. Renting inflatables: how to open the awning

Finally, you have dived and explored the coast, encountering many magnificent little fish. You have climbed back onto the inflatable via the appropriate ladder and want to stay in the shade for a well-deserved nap.

How to open the awning?
Opening the awning is really simple; just stretch the canvas and secure it to the hooks with the appropriate lines. There are various types of awnings made from different materials and shapes; in any case, it’s always advisable:

• even if very sturdy in steel or mounted on a roll bar, to close the awning during navigation to avoid it being an obstacle during steering or becoming a sail in sudden wind
• tie the awning. After folding the canvas, remember to tie it with the appropriate ribbons to avoid it flapping in the wind and making annoying noises
  
  

🏆 TIP
Before departing, fold the ladder and secure it to the inflatable so it’s stable during navigation.

Inflatable rental Portisco

9. Renting inflatables: navigation rules

Have you gone out to sea just because you bought a ticket for a boat excursion or as a guest on a sailing trip? No problem. There’s always a first time for everything. Even to become captains in 1 day!

In this paragraph, we’ll see what the rules and best practices are for navigating safely and in compliance with current regulations:

• entry and exit from ports must always be done at minimum speed with the engine and keeping to the right
• those leaving the port have the right of way
• navigation is allowed keeping at least 100 meters away from steep coasts and 200 meters from beaches
• pay close attention to floating red buoys with white diagonals. They indicate the presence of divers or snorkelers. Slow down and keep at least 100 meters away from the signal
• it is forbidden to collect sand, stones, animals, or objects from the sea or beaches
• it is prohibited to fish in the designated area of the Protected Marine Area
• in case of breakdown, call the contacts listed in the rental agreement
• the inflatable is your responsibility: avoid areas with shallow waters to prevent damage to the hull, engine foot, propeller, or other parts

  Other navigation tips

• always give way to the right while navigating, as in a car
• sailing boats have longer maneuvering times and therefore always have the right of way.
• large vessels, such as ferries, always have the right of way
• sailing boats, during mooring, “give a lot of line” so try to pass far away to avoid running over them.

10. Renting inflatables: fuel included or excluded?

The rental day is over, and alas, you have to return the inflatable to the port. But first, we need to stop for refueling.

Is fuel included in the rental?
The cost of fuel is almost always excluded from the rental cost because the amount of fuel consumed depends on factors such as:

number of people on board
weather conditions
rough seas and headwinds

These conditions require more effort from the engine and consequently, more fuel
driving style. Just like with a car: the faster you go, the higher the fuel consumption. To have a correct driving style, it's necessary to get the inflatable on plane right away and adjust it to its correct trim.
type of excursion. If it’s an exploration of the territory, you’ll be running the engine longer; if you like to stop for a long time for dives, the engine will be running for less time.

For this reason, before returning, it’s necessary to go to the port’s gas station and refill the consumed fuel, so you’ll only pay for the actual amount.

Note: not all ports have a gas pump. In this case, the rental company will refill the consumed fuel in front of you. In either case, the cost of fuel is your responsibility.

How much fuel does it take for a day of rental?
Due to the factors mentioned above, it’s impossible to state how much fuel you will consume during the rental.

Bonus: netiquette

 LAST TIP
With this sea, stay at home!

Porto San Paolo, November 2020