Do You Need a License to Charter a Catamaran?

In France, no boating license is legally required to sail a catamaran, including in Guadeloupe and French Polynesia, where the same law applies. What charter companies actually ask for goes beyond the law: a sailing resume, and often an offshore license or equivalent catamaran experience, to assess your autonomy at sea. It’s this gap between the law and what professionals expect in practice that decides whether you can charter without a skipper.

Does a Sailing Catamaran Need a Boating License in France?

No. In France, a boating license is only required when the engine’s power exceeds 4.5 kW, or 6 hp. A sailing catamaran, whose main means of propulsion is the sail, falls outside this rule. It’s the power of the propulsion unit that triggers the requirement, not the boat’s size or draft: a cruising catamaran over 12 metres can therefore sail legally without a license, as long as sail remains its main means of propulsion.

The official website of the French Ministry for the Sea confirms that sailing a vessel under sail requires no license, since the engine-power threshold only applies to motor propulsion (mer.gouv.fr, updated 17 April 2026). In Guadeloupe, the regional Directorate for the Sea confirms exactly the same engine-power threshold as mainland France (dm.guadeloupe.developpement-durable.gouv.fr, a French government department): as an overseas department, Guadeloupe applies the same national decree, with the same exemption for sailing vessels.

A cruising catamaran normally carries auxiliary engines of several dozen horsepower, often two 40 to 45 hp engines: this changes nothing about the exemption, as long as sail remains the boat’s main means of propulsion. The one case where a license would become mandatory again is different and stays marginal: a motor catamaran, where mechanical propulsion replaces sail rather than complementing it, which isn’t the profile of the cruising catamarans Sailoe charters.

Why Do Charter Companies Still Ask for a Sailing Resume or Offshore License?

Because having no legal requirement says nothing about your ability to handle a cruising catamaran over 12 metres on your own. Charter companies and their insurers therefore ask for a sailing resume, and often a level close to an offshore license, to assess what the law doesn’t measure.

A sailing resume isn’t an official document: it’s the list of your past sailing experience, from the type of boat you’ve skippered to your cumulative time at sea, that a charter company asks for before handing over a catamaran without a skipper. An offshore license, meanwhile, works as a benchmark of competence rather than a legal requirement for a sailing boat: it signals a level of sailing autonomy that people in the industry can read at a glance.

At Sailoe, the rule fits in one sentence: your sailing resume is reviewed and validated by our team before any charter without a skipper, then completed by a full briefing when you take the boat before departure. No single document opens the door automatically: an offshore license counts in your favour, real catamaran experience does too, and it’s the whole picture that gets assessed. Conditions also vary by destination and local insurer, and are confirmed with an advisor when you book. This review doesn’t make Sailoe a training provider: it stays a condition of access, checked against your sailing profile, never a lesson taught on site.

What’s the Real Difference Between a Coastal License and an Offshore License?

A coastal license allows sailing up to 6 nautical miles from a shelter, or around 11 kilometres. The offshore extension removes that limit: it’s this level of sailing autonomy, more than the document itself, that matters to catamaran charter companies.

These distances are set by decree n°2007-1167 of 2 August 2007, which structures the different levels of the French boating license. Charter companies use this benchmark even for a sailing catamaran that doesn’t legally need it, because it reflects real experience sailing independently, far from shelter and sometimes at night, which French law itself doesn’t ask of a sailor under sail.

Do the Requirements Change Depending on the Destination?

In mainland France, in Guadeloupe and in French Polynesia, the same law applies: no license is required for a sailing catamaran. Abroad, as in the Seychelles, requirements depend on local regulations and the operator, and are confirmed when you book.

Destination	Status	Is a license legally required for a sailing catamaran?	What Sailoe asks for to sail without a skipper
Brittany	Mainland France	No	Sailing resume validated by Sailoe + full briefing
Guadeloupe	France (overseas department)	No, same regulations as mainland France	Sailing resume validated by Sailoe + full briefing
French Polynesia	France (autonomous overseas collectivity)	No, its own regulations confirm the sailing exemption	Sailing resume validated by Sailoe + full briefing
Seychelles	Foreign country	Certified skipper over 18 required on board (Sailoe policy)	Recognised sailing qualification accepted by Sailoe (see list of accepted certifications below)

In Brittany, where Sailoe is based in Kernevel, the same absence of legal requirement applies: no license is needed for a sailing catamaran, and the conditions for chartering without a skipper stay the same as on the other bases.

In French Polynesia, the Polynesian Maritime Affairs Directorate also confirms that no license is needed to sail a sailing boat, with the same engine-power threshold as mainland France (service-public.pf/dpam, updated 6 September 2024).

In the Seychelles, Sailoe applies its own conditions, published on its website: having a certified skipper over 18 on board is mandatory for every catamaran charter. This skipper takes charge of the boat, anchors safely and sails responsibly; they must also hold a valid sailing qualification. Sailoe recognises the following certifications:

• ICC (International Certificate of Competence), recognised internationally
• IPC (International Proficiency Certificate), issued to US sailors and accepted by many European charter companies
• United Kingdom: MCA Master (Yacht less than 500 gt), RYA Day Skipper Shorebased Certificate, or equivalent
• United States: US Sailing “Basic Keelboat”, ASA “103 Basic Coastal Cruising”, or equivalent
• Germany: Sportbootführerschein See, or equivalent
• Belgium: Algemeen Stuurbrevet / general boating certificate
• France: the “permis plaisance” option hauturière (offshore extension), for sailing beyond 6 nautical miles from shelter

This connects directly to the coastal versus offshore distinction covered above: the same 6-nautical-mile threshold, used as a benchmark by charter companies in France, becomes a formal requirement set by Sailoe in the Seychelles. In other words, French law still doesn’t require a license for a sailing catamaran; it’s the operator and its insurer who set their own conditions, and the Seychelles are the clearest example of that.

Before arrival, Sailoe asks you to submit two documents along with the charter contract: the crew list and the skipper’s boating license. This simple step, prepared ahead of departure, avoids any bad surprise when you take the boat.

What if I Don’t Have the Required Experience to Charter Without a Skipper?

The simplest solution is to charter with a professional skipper: you get the full benefit of your destination, without the demands of sailing on your own. Sailoe doesn’t turn away a less experienced sailor: the skippered option stays open at any time, including for a first catamaran experience.

To see the formulas available for your destination, with or without a skipper, head to Sailoe’s catamaran charters, where each offer states the level of experience expected. The difference between the two formulas, and what it changes for your budget and your time on board, deserves an article of its own: this one stays deliberately focused on the regulatory question.

Either way, the best step is to talk directly with the Sailoe team before booking: an advisor will confirm with you, based on your sailing resume and destination, whether chartering without a skipper is a good fit, or whether a skipper is recommended so you can enjoy the trip with peace of mind.

Frequently Asked Questions About Catamaran Charter Licenses

Can you charter a catamaran without a license? Yes, in France: a sailing catamaran isn’t subject to the boating license requirement, even if it carries auxiliary engines of several dozen horsepower. That 6 hp threshold only applies to boats whose engine is the main means of propulsion. In practice, professional charter companies ask for a sailing resume to assess your experience before letting you sail without a skipper.

Do you need a boating license for a catamaran? No, as long as sail is the main means of propulsion: French law doesn’t require one, whether in mainland France, Guadeloupe or French Polynesia. A license still helps in practice, though, since it reassures charter companies about your level, especially an offshore license, which shows wider experience than a coastal one.

Is a coastal license enough to charter a catamaran without a skipper? A coastal license allows sailing up to 6 nautical miles from shelter. To sail with no distance limit, the offshore extension is needed. At Sailoe, no single document is enough on its own: it’s your whole sailing resume that gets reviewed and validated, and an offshore license is only one of the things that counts toward it.

What conditions does Sailoe ask for to charter a catamaran without a skipper? A sailing resume, reviewed and validated by our team, completed by a full briefing when you take the boat. The exact details depend on the destination and the local insurer: an advisor confirms this when you book. If you don’t have that level yet, Sailoe offers formulas with a professional skipper.

What if I don’t have the required experience to sail without a skipper? The simplest solution is still to charter with a professional skipper: you enjoy the destination without the demands of sailing on your own, and without needing to show any particular sailing resume.