Chartering a boat in Portugal: licence, rules and safety

Licence and charter rules

Licence: Recreational skipper licences (or equivalent documents) issued by EU member states are automatically recognised in Portugal; no Portuguese licence is needed.

Arriving by boat

Portugal is in the Schengen area: yachts from another Schengen port face no border check. A yacht from a non-Schengen country (e.g. the UK) must use a border-crossing port; only exceptionally may it enter another port, after notifying the port authorities and lodging a list of everyone on board.

Season and weather

Forecast: IPMA (the Portuguese met service) publishes marine navigation (METAREA) bulletins for mainland Portugal (area 22°W–07°W, 35°N–45°N), Madeira and the Azores at ipma.pt.

Rules on the water

Life jackets: Portuguese-registered pleasure boats must carry enough lifejackets for everyone on board (150 N recommended), with suitable lifejackets for children (Portaria 1464/2002, as summarised by the Maritime Authority for 'Type 4' restricted-coastal boats).

Funchal: Speed limits in Funchal port: 6 knots from the line of the marina's light beacons into the inner port, and 12 knots elsewhere within half a mile of land. In marinas the limit is 3 knots.

Funchal: Visiting the Desertas Islands nature reserve by private boat needs prior authorisation from IFCN (Madeira's nature agency). Request it online through the SIMplifica portal.

Funchal: In the Garajau partial nature reserve (Ponta do Lazareto to Ponta da Oliveira, out to the 50 m depth line), motorboats may not navigate and all fishing is banned.

Lagos and Portimão: When entering, berthing or moving inside the port of Lagos, vessels must keep a continuous watch on VHF channels 9 and 16.

Lagos and Portimão: In the Portimão harbour master's area, registered motor boats, and unregistered motorised or sail water-sports craft, must keep at least 300 m from the water's edge at designated bathing beaches.

Lagos and Portimão: Inside the Benagil sea cave, motor craft must enter and leave only by the western entrance, with at most 5 inside at a time.

Lisbon and Cascais: Talking to Lisbon VTS is compulsory for vessels with a VHF station licence, but recreational boats under 20 m overall are exempt.

Lisbon and Cascais: Speed limits at Marina de Cascais: 5 knots on the final approach and 3 knots inside.

Lisbon and Cascais: Off sea bathing beaches, navigation is banned within 300 m of the water's edge.

Hazards and warnings

Orcas off the Portuguese coast, mostly curious juveniles, can strike rudders and propellers and may break the rudder. The Maritime Authority's advice (13 November 2020) is to switch off the engine so the propeller stops and to lock the rudder when orcas are sighted.

Funchal: Compass anomalies are frequent, especially very close to the coast or when entering ports.

Funchal: For small craft close inshore in good weather, a 0.25 nm berth off the shoals along Madeira's coast is enough.

Funchal: Local navigational warnings are broadcast by Posto Rádio Madeira on VHF channel 11, after a call on channel 16, at 10:30 and 16:30 time zone Alpha (UTC+1).

Horta: Tidal currents are strong in the Faial Channel: the flood runs north and the ebb sets hard into Horta bay.

Horta: There are rocks off the outside of Horta's breakwater (the largest is Ilhéu Negro), so keep 0.5 nm off on the approach. Give the entrance breakwater some room in case the Pico ferry or fishing boats are leaving.

Horta: The Baixa do Canal shoal (7.1 m) lies about 2 miles ESE of Monte da Guia, and the sea sometimes breaks on it, especially after south-westerly gales.

Lagos and Portimão: Along the cliffs, boats must keep a safety distance of at least one and a half times the cliff height.

Lagos and Portimão: The Portimão harbour master can close a bar to boats under 10 m overall only. At Lagos, a fully closed bar is shown at night by four red lights in a vertical line.

Lisbon and Cascais: A submerged berm 50 m wide runs along the whole south breakwater of Marina de Cascais. It shows at low water and is a danger to navigation.

Charter bases in Portugal