Free printable guide

Pre-Charter Checklist

Documents · walkthrough · safety gear · crew briefing · defect log

A one-page version of the charter handover: five short sections to work through before you leave the base, condensed from SailStarter's first sailboat charter checklist and charter check-in and checkout guide. Use the operator's own forms as the primary record — this sheet is a memory aid, not a substitute for them.

Documents

Confirm before you leave home — connectivity at the base can be unreliable.

Booking confirmation, charter agreement, and skipper acceptance saved, with an offline copy
Passports or ID, crew list, and any required licence or certificate ready to show
Insurance or damage-waiver terms read, and the security deposit amount understood
Emergency contact and after-hours technical-support numbers written down
Operating-area limits, return time, and fuel policy read before arrival

Boat Walkthrough

Work bow to stern with the base representative, then below deck.

Walked the hull, deck, rig, rails, and tender with a base representative
Photographed existing scratches, chips, and wear before signing anything
Compared the physical inventory against the written list
Tested engine start, stop, steering, and emergency steering
Checked navigation lights, electronics, bilge pumps, and tank gauges
Located every seacock and the main electrical isolation switches
Recorded fuel, water, battery, and holding-tank levels at handover

Safety Gear Locations

Everyone aboard should be able to find these, not only the skipper.

Lifejackets counted, with sizes confirmed for every person aboard
Fire extinguishers, first-aid kit, and flares located and shown to the crew
Emergency steering and the manual anchor-windlass release located
Gas shutoff and bilge-alarm response confirmed

Crew Briefing

Give this before casting off — see the full crew briefing reference for detail.

Everyone shown where the safety gear lives
Person-overboard response and how to stop the boat covered
Roles assigned: who handles lines, who keeps lookout, who calls for help
A backup person named who can steer, start the engine, and use the VHF

Defect Log

Applies at check-in and again at checkout.

Every fault or existing damage noted on the handover form before signing
Photos timestamped and matched to a written description
A copy of the signed handover record saved offline
New faults reported through the operator's process, not fixed informally
At checkout: return condition compared against the signed departure record

From the SailStarter beginner sailing course. See the free lessons →

Built from First Sailboat Charter Checklist and Sailboat Charter Check-In and Checkout Guide. Read either for the full explanation behind each line above.