Regulations
How many people can actually come on board
It is the question we get most, and almost always with the same sentence behind it: "but the boat is huge". Capacity is not set by size or by your licence, but by two things: the builder’s plate and the legal charter limit.
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Photo by Daria · CC BY 3.0
The limit of twelve
Under the recreational rental regime, the maximum number of passengers is twelve, not counting crew. It is a regulatory limit independent of length: according to the Directorate General of the Merchant Marine, whether the boat is twenty, thirty or forty metres, the maximum remains twelve occupants.
Above that figure you are no longer talking about recreational boating but a different vessel category, with completely different technical, crewing and certification requirements.
The builder’s plate
Separately from the above, every CE-marked boat carries a declaration of conformity and a builder’s plate stating the maximum number of people authorised for each design category.
That number is the boat’s real ceiling and can never be exceeded. If the plate says ten, it is ten, even though the charter limit is twelve.
Your licence does not change capacity
A common misconception is that a higher licence lets you take more people. It does not work that way: the licence determines which boat you may command and how far from shore, but capacity is fixed by the boat, not the skipper.
We are more than twelve — now what?
This comes up more often than you would think, especially for celebrations and birthdays. The usual answer is going out with two boats sailing together, anchoring in the same cove with coordinated lunches. It works very well and, split between everyone, often costs little more than forcing one larger boat.
What we will not do — and no serious company should — is put fifteen people on a boat authorised for twelve. That is a safety problem before it is a fine.
Frequently asked questions
How many people can go on a chartered boat in Spain?
A maximum of twelve passengers not counting crew, and never above the capacity stated on that particular boat’s builder’s plate.
Does the limit change if the boat is bigger?
No. The twelve-passenger charter maximum applies regardless of length. A bigger boat gives more space and comfort, not more places.
What if we are a group of fifteen or twenty?
It is organised with two boats sailing in parallel, same route and same stops. That is the legal and safe way to do it.
