How to do the yacht check-in (handover)

Paperwork at the base office

• Charter contract and the crew list (names, passport numbers), as the base requires
• Skipper's licence, and a VHF radio certificate where it is needed (originals)
• Security deposit, or the damage-waiver insurance if you bought it
• Cruising tax or transit log, where the country requires one
• The base's phone number for breakdowns, and the hours someone answers

Walk round the hull and deck, with photos

Walk round the boat with the base staff and photograph or film anything that is already scratched, chipped or broken: the hull, the topsides, the swim platform, the deck and the dinghy. Make sure every mark is written on the check-in form before you sign it.

• Hull and topsides: scratches, chips, repairs
• Deck, hatches and windows: cracks, leaks
• Swim platform, ladder and bathing ladder
• Fenders and mooring lines: enough of them, in good condition
• Dinghy: no leaks, oars, pump, the outboard starts and the fuel tank is full
• Bimini, sprayhood and cushions

Sails and rigging

• Unroll the headsail and roll it away again: no tears, the furling line runs freely
• Mainsail out and in (in-mast furling) or up and down (lazy bag): no tears, battens in place
• Sheets, halyards and reefing lines lead correctly; winch handles aboard (usually two or more)
• Look up at the rigging: nothing loose or bent

Engine, fuel and electrics

• Engine oil and coolant levels, fan belt tight
• Start the engine: cooling water comes out of the exhaust
• Fuel: the tank is full (ask how the gauge reads full) and note the engine hours
• Batteries charged; you know where the battery switches are
• Shore power cable and the right adaptor for the marinas you will use
• Generator and inverter, if fitted: how to start them and what they can run

Water, heads and gas

• Water tanks full; the water pump and hot water work
• Every toilet pumps properly, and you know how the holding-tank valve works
• Gas bottle connected and a full spare aboard; you know where the shut-off valve is
• Fridge cold; cooker and oven light

Safety equipment

• Lifejackets for everyone, in the right sizes (children's sizes if needed), and harnesses
• Liferaft: in date, and you know how to launch it
• Flares: in date, and where they are
• Fire extinguishers and fire blanket, and where they are
• First-aid kit
• Bilge pumps, electric and manual; the manual pump handle is aboard
• Man-overboard equipment: lifebuoy, light, throwing line
• Emergency tiller and how to fit it
• VHF radio works (do a radio check with the base)

Navigation and anchoring

• Chartplotter, depth and wind instruments work; autopilot engages
• Paper charts or a pilot book for the area, as the base provides
• Anchor windlass: lower and raise a few metres of chain; the remote works
• How much chain there is and how it is marked

Questions to ask the base

• When and where do we return the boat, and when is check-out?
• Are there areas we must not go to, or anchorages with restrictions or fees?
• Where are the nearest fuel stations and which marinas do you recommend?
• What is the fuel policy: return it full, or pay for what we used?
• Who do we call if something breaks, and what can we fix ourselves?
• Is the tank water drinkable?

Sign the check-in form only when every existing mark is written on it. If something important does not work, ask the base to fix or replace it before you leave: it is much harder from an anchorage on Wednesday.