We're staying a couple of nights in Portofino during our Italy trip. Would you recommend renting a boat for a day (half day?) while there? The hotel mentioned they had a boat available for rent, but I suspect we'll be able to get something better for the same amount of money elsewhere. Has anyone done this and have a recommendation for a boat rental company?
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16168 posts
Found 3 in town in the Italian Yellow Pages. More can be found in closeby Santa Margherita.
https://charterportofino.com/
https://www.portofinotaxiboat.it/?lang=en
https://www.giorgiomussini.com/en/boat-rentals-and-sales-in-portofino-since-1949.html
A boating license is not necessary in Italy as long as you meet all these parameters:
- the boat is shorter than 24 meters
- the power of the engine is under 40 Hp
- the engine displacement is under certain values (which vary from 900cc to 2000cc, depending if the engine is off board or on board, two stroke or 4 stroke engine, gasoline or diesel)
- you stay within 6 nautical miles from the coast (which is actually sufficient to circumnavigate the entire Italian coast, even including Sardinia, provided you go to Sardinia by hopping from Piombino to Elba Island to Pianosa Island to Corsica to Sardinia)
Posted by
Boston
1806 posts
There are apparently also regs from the Regione. Liguria's limit for no license seems to be 5 meters / 15 HP. Also Roberto must have a typo - 24 meters would be an oligarghic rental.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16168 posts
No, no. It’s not a typo. The limits by law are: under 24 meters in length (10 m. if between 16 and 18 years of age), engine power under 40,8 Hp (30 kWh), engine displacement between 750cc and 2000cc depending on the type of engine, and distance within 6 naut. miles from the coast.
See article 39 of the nautical code in the first link, and also more succinctly explained in the 2nd link (a law firm site) and the 3rd link (a specialized nautical site).
https://www.fog.it/legislaz/l-05-0171-vig.htm#39
https://nonsolonautica.it/19/05/2021/diporto-nautico/barche-senza-patente-nautica/
Also I don’t think there are regional regulations, the matter is regulated nationally by the Italian nautical code and enforced by the Italian Coast Guard.