Catamaran charter in the Seychelles

Charter a catamaran in the Seychelles from our own base on Eden Island (Mahe): a Lagoon fleet, a local French-speaking team, and weekly rentals with or without a skipper. Quote within 24 hours, no middleman.

From Eden Island Marina, a few hours of sailing take you to Praslin, La Digue, Curieuse and dozens of lightly visited islands spread across an archipelago of 115 islands (42 granitic, 73 coralline). Sailoe has been established here in its own right for more than 20 years: no subcontracting, no matchmaking with a third-party owner.

Why choose a Lagoon catamaran to sail the Seychelles?

The catamaran is the ideal vessel for discovering the Seychelles: its shallow draught gives access to the granite coves that monohulls cannot reach, and its interior space turns a week at sea into a true floating home. The aft swim platform - a Lagoon signature feature - lets you step straight into the water from the boat, with no dinghy needed. The stability provided by the two hulls is particularly well suited to families with children and to those who have never sailed before.

Lagoons are also known for their shallow draught, a decisive advantage in an archipelago where many anchorages are shallow. Where a monohull has to stay offshore, a Lagoon catamaran moves close to the pink granite beaches and anchors as near as possible.

An owned Lagoon fleet: what that means in practice

Our fleet of Lagoon catamarans based in Mahe is maintained on site by the Sailoe technical team. This is not a catalogue of boats belonging to different owners: every unit is known to our advisors, serviced under our in-house maintenance programme, and prepared before each departure. There is no middleman between you and the boat. If a detail needs checking before casting off, our team on the base handles it right there.

Our base in the Seychelles: Eden Island Marina, Mahe

Our base is located at Eden Island Marina, about 10 minutes from Mahe international airport - an ideal departure point to reach Praslin, La Digue and the atolls in less than a day’s sailing. Eden Island is connected to Mahe by a 300 m bridge: access is simple, even with luggage and diving gear.

The Sailoe team on site is French-speaking. They are the ones who welcome you on arrival, carry out the technical briefing, organise provisioning, and give you the latest information on current sailing conditions. You speak directly with the people who know your boat and the local anchorages, not with a distant call centre. This is one of the fundamental differences between booking directly with Sailoe and going through a platform.

How to sail the Seychelles: bareboat, with a skipper, or with a full crew?

Sailoe offers three options suited to your experience and your wishes: bareboat (self-skippered), charter with a local French-speaking skipper, or an organised cruise with a full crew. Each option is built on a tailored quote based on the duration, the catamaran model chosen and the make-up of your crew. No fixed price is displayed: our team replies within 24 hours to build your programme.

Bareboat charter: what you need to know

Bareboat charter is open to crews holding a coastal boating licence or an equivalent qualification recognised by the Seychelles authorities, together with a VHF certificate. For larger units (over 45 feet), an offshore qualification may be required. The local maritime authorities may ask to see your sailing credentials at departure.

One essential point: night sailing is not permitted in the Seychelles because of the unmarked shallows and the reefs lying just below the surface. This rule, applied by all charter operators on this body of water, means you must reach your chosen anchorage before 5 pm. In certain protected areas, anchoring on the seabed is also prohibited - mooring buoys must be used. Our advisors give you a map of the areas concerned before departure.

Charter with a French-speaking skipper: sailing without constraints

The Sailoe skipper knows the passages, the local winds and the lesser-visited anchorages. They take charge of all the navigation - you choose the pace and the destinations. This option is especially well suited to crews without a licence, to families, or to those who want to delegate the technical side and make the most of the destination. The skipper is a member of the Sailoe team, not an outsourced resource.

Which spots should you explore in the Seychelles by catamaran?

From Eden Island (Mahe), the classic route links Praslin, La Digue, Curieuse and the protected islands over 7 days - a loop that brings together the finest granite, the least crowded beaches and the endemic wildlife of the Seychelles. Praslin lies about 25 nautical miles from Victoria (Mahe), roughly 4 hours of sailing depending on conditions. Moving from island to island is one of the great pleasures of catamaran sailing in this archipelago.

Among the unmissable anchorages: Anse Lazio (Praslin), considered by skippers to be the most comfortable anchorage on the island, bordered by the Vallee de Mai, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the few places where the coco de mer grows in its natural environment. Anse Source d’Argent (La Digue), with its pink granite rocks, is one of the most photographed beaches in the world. Curieuse is home to giant Aldabra tortoises that can be observed during a 45-minute walk through the mangrove. The islet of Saint-Pierre offers exceptional snorkelling around its granite reef. The Cousin Island bird reserve (27 hectares, managed by Nature Seychelles) can be visited Monday to Friday morning.

Our recommended 7-day itinerary from Mahe

For a 7-day programme departing from Eden Island, here is the route our skippers recommend: Day 1 departure from Mahe, sailing to Praslin (26 miles), settling in at Sainte-Anne Bay or Anse Volbert. Day 2 visit the Vallee de Mai (UNESCO) and Anse Lazio. Day 3 crossing to La Digue, Anse Source d’Argent. Day 4 Curieuse - tortoises and mangrove - then anchor in Laraie Bay. Day 5 Saint-Pierre for snorkelling, return to the Praslin side. Day 6 Cousin or Aride island depending on the season (bird-watching visit). Day 7 return to Mahe, Eden Island.

For 14 days, the itinerary can extend towards Silhouette, the north of Mahe and the outer islands, at a more relaxed pace. See our detailed itineraries in the Seychelles for the full programmes.

What is the best season to charter a catamaran in the Seychelles?

The Seychelles can be sailed all year round, outside any cyclone zone, with two particularly pleasant windows: October-November, then January to April. Two wind patterns follow one another over the year: the northwest monsoon from November to March, then the southeast trade wind from May to October. The water temperature stays between 26 and 30°C whatever the time of year. Here is how the year breaks down:

Night sailing is not permitted in any season - a permanent rule applied by all charter operators in the Seychelles because of the shallows. Our local team gives you the weather bulletins and condition alerts at the time of your departure.

To compare with our other destinations, see our article on the best time to charter a catamaran, destination by destination.

How much does a catamaran cruise in the Seychelles cost?

A week-long catamaran charter in the Seychelles starts from 3,700 EUR for a Lagoon 380, with a median around 5,000 EUR across our charter fleet. This “from” rate, shown on each listing, covers the boat only: the option you choose and several extra costs are added before you reach a full budget.

What is added to the price of the boat

The boat rate says nothing about the option you choose: bareboat, with a French-speaking skipper or with a full crew, each is priced separately based on the make-up of your crew. Provisioning and fuel are also quoted separately, as is the deposit required at departure. Our team gives you these amounts at the time of the quote, once you have chosen your option.

Two further costs follow a logic specific to the Seychelles. Taxes and marine park access fees are set by the local authorities and detailed in our article on Seychelles cruise taxes and fees. Air travel to Mahe, to be organised separately, is covered in our article on getting to the Seychelles.

Thinking in price per person

The most useful figure for comparing two budgets is not the boat rate, it is the price per person. A Lagoon 42 at 5,000 EUR a week works out at 625 EUR per person for a crew of 8, against 1,250 EUR for 4 people on the same boat. The number of cabins occupied changes the per-head budget far more than the choice between two similarly sized models. None of our three options is priced “all inclusive”: every quote is built to measure based on the boat, the option and the duration chosen.

The Seychelles with family: what the catamaran changes

For a family holiday in the Seychelles, classic programmes typically combine accommodation on land with ferry crossings between Mahe, Praslin and La Digue. The catamaran turns this logic around: the boat is not the way to reach the next stop, it is the accommodation, and it moves from bay to bay during the day with the whole family on board.

No suitcase to repack for every island

On a classic stay, changing island means changing hotel: bags to repack, ferry times to meet, transfers to organise, often with young children. On a catamaran, the whole family’s belongings stay on board for the entire week. Each day brings a new bay without anyone having to repack a suitcase. This is one of the most tangible changes for parents travelling with young children.

The pace of a week with family

The aft swim platform also changes daily life for a family: children step straight into the water from the catamaran, at every anchorage, without waiting for a dinghy or an instructor. With night sailing banned in the Seychelles, the pace naturally builds around one anchorage a day, reached before 5 pm: days at sea stay short, evenings are spent at anchor rather than on a ferry or in a taxi, and no one sails at night with children on board.

Our Seychelles fleet includes catamarans with 3 to 6 cabins, sleeping 8 to 14: enough to house a family or several generations together on the same boat. The most common model is the Lagoon 42, with ten units, almost all of which sleep ten. For parents without a boating licence, the skipper option takes charge of all the navigation. Between anchorages, stops lend themselves to the same discoveries as on land: watching the tortoises on Curieuse, cycling on La Digue or dropping anchor off one of the archipelago’s finest beaches.

FAQ - Your questions about chartering a catamaran in the Seychelles

Do you need a licence to charter a catamaran in the Seychelles?

Yes, for bareboat charter: a coastal boating licence or an equivalent qualification recognised by the Seychelles authorities is required, together with a VHF certificate. For catamarans over 45 feet (about 14 m), an offshore qualification may be required. The maritime authorities may ask to check your sailing credentials. If you do not hold the necessary qualifications, the option with a skipper is the right solution.

Can you sail in the Seychelles without sailing experience?

Yes, with a Sailoe skipper. They take charge of all the navigation from Eden Island: handling the boat, managing the anchorages, knowing the local rules. You choose your pace and the islands you wish to visit - they handle the rest. This option is particularly suited to families with children or to groups who want to make the most of the destination without any technical constraints.

How long should you plan for a catamaran cruise in the Seychelles?

7 days is the ideal programme to cover the essentials: Praslin (Vallee de Mai, Anse Lazio), La Digue (Anse Source d’Argent), Curieuse, Saint-Pierre. 14 days allow you to reach more remote islands such as Silhouette, Aride or Cousin at a relaxed pace. Our team builds your itinerary tailored to the time available and your interests.

When is the best time to book a catamaran in the Seychelles?

The two recommended windows, October-November then January to April, offer the most pleasant sailing conditions. The peak tourist season (December-January) should be booked several months in advance. As the Seychelles are sailable all year round, availability depends mainly on the flexibility of your dates and the catamaran model you want.

How does check-in work at the Sailoe base in Mahe?

Our team welcomes you at Eden Island Marina, 20 minutes from Mahe international airport. On arrival: technical briefing on the catamaran, presentation of the local sailing rules (protected areas, night-time ban), handover of the on-board documents and the anchorage map. Provisioning can be arranged in advance on request. If you have opted for a skipper, they are present as soon as you arrive at the base.

Is night sailing allowed in the Seychelles?

No. Night sailing is not permitted in the Seychelles because of the unmarked shallows and the reefs lying just below the surface - a rule applied by all charter operators on this body of water. Experienced skippers recommend reaching your chosen anchorage before 5 pm. In certain protected areas, free anchoring is also prohibited: mooring buoys must be used to protect the coral seabed. Our team gives you a map of the areas concerned before departure.

Want to sail the Seychelles aboard a Lagoon catamaran? Request a quote - our team replies within 24 hours. Prefer to talk it through directly? Contact us on +33 2 97 84 61 61 or by email at charter@sailoe.com.