FAQ - Charter

The Yacht Charter is the practice of renting a sailboat or motor yacht and traveling to various coastal, river or island destinations. There are two main types of charter: the "bareboat", in which it is the person who rents the vessel to sail it, and the crew, in which the lease provides for the boat to be driven by the crew of the company that provides it.

Bareboat Charter consists of hiring a vessel without a crew. Thus, it will be the customer himself who controls the boat.

Yes, the boat can be rented without a skipper, as long as some previous requirements regarding the client’s qualifications to navigate in the Douro River.

Upon check-in, a customer briefing is held with one of our skippers. The information to be transmitted includes the presentation of the boat and the Douro waterway. The procedures for passing through the locks are explained and some suggestions are also provided regarding the best places to stop and visit along the river. A test drive can also be carried out with the aim of

attesting to the customer's experience, making him more comfortable with the boat and clarifying any doubts.

In addition to the Local Boss Letter or another international navigation letter recognized by the Portuguese legislation in force, the client must have experience as a navigator, which may be attested at check-in. Navigation charts issued by the European Union and within validity will be automatically accepted.

No. Portuguese navigation charts are valid for both coastal and fluvial waters. They are only distinguished from each other, moreover, by the power of the engine - which determines what type of vessel the document holder is authorized to drive - and by the maximum distances to which it can depart from the coast and shelter ports.

No. This is forbidden, since the course of the river is not lit.

Our boats are specific for navigation in Douro river and can circulate to Barca D’Alva, which is

the limit of the waterway of the river. Navigation at sea may eventually be allowed, but it will always be subject to the prior express authorization of FeelDouro and confirmation of favorable weather conditions. In any case, even when authorized, maritime navigation cannot exceed 3 miles in relation to the Douro Marina.

Yes, boats are available for hire throughout the year. However, navigation may be restricted by the authorities during certain periods.

No, because every year the passage in locks is suspended for a period of two to three months. Generally, this conditioning occurs in the months of January to March. During this time, navigation may be allowed, but only between locks.

Lock is a hydraulic engineering work that allows boats to go up or down rivers or seas in places where there are unevenness, whether caused by dams, waterfalls or rapids. Along Douro River there are five locks, spaced apart for about three hours of navigation. With about 35 meters difference in level, the Carrapatelo lock is the highest in Europe.

The passage in a lock requires prior appointment with a minimum of 24 hours in advance and will always be subject to the availability of the infrastructure. Last minute changes may, from time to time, be authorized, but are subject to confirmation. The cost of each ticket for a

FeelDouro boat is 30 euros, this amount being billed directly to the company and subsequently charged to the customer, upon check out.

All FeelDouro boats are distinguished by their ecological performance, by protecting the Douro River basin thanks to their reduced impact on the environment. Five of them are equipped with solar panels to obtain electric energy and Muscat adds to this feature a hybrid engine, so it can completely dispense fuel.

The capacity of FeelDouro boats, for walking, can reach 16 people. For sleeping on board, the capacity is less. The Tawny has a cabin with two beds that can be turned into a double and also includes a convertible sofa, so it accommodates a total of 4 people on board. The Rosé has the same capacity, but includes a bunk bed for 2 people instead of the sofa bed. In turn, Vintage and White have two cabins each, in addition to the convertible sofa, which allows 6 people to stay on board. In all of these cases, even when the boat rental includes crew service, customer privacy is ensured because the FeelDouro team sleeps on land, close to the pier where the vessel docked. As for the Muscat catamaran, it has four double bed rooms, thus accommodating 8 people, and also includes two individual cabins for crew members.

Our prices include: insurance, towels and sheets according to occupancy, two beach towels, dishes, kitchen equipment (according to the inventory) and final cleaning of the vessel. Our prices do not include: fuel, skipper, crew, passage through locks, transfers or costs with marinas (except for the mooring costs at Douro Marina).

You can make pre-reservations through our website, by email: charter@feeldouro.com or by calling +351 915 915 098 and +351 220 990 922.

Reservations will only be confirmed after receipt of the signed contract and the respective proof of payment of at least 30% of the total amount.

The remaining 70% of the payment must be made as follows:

• 40% midway between the day of booking and the departure date

• 30% up to one month before departure

In case of reservations made less than one month in advance, payment will have to be made in full when the reservation is made. The authorized payment methods, in turn, are credit card, bank transfer, check or cash.

You should make your reservation as far in advance as possible, preferably with a minimum of two months in advance. This does not mean that you can contact us only 24 hours in advance, but in that case it will be more likely that we will not have a boat available for hire.

Changes to reservations are permitted, that is, changes in name, address, total number of passengers, departure date or duration of the program, upon payment of the following fees:

a) Changes requested up to 48 hours before departure: 25% of the total program fee

b) Changes requested after 48 hours prior to departure; 35% of the total program value

No date changes are allowed after the 24 hours prior to departure.

Changes to the initial reserve may be subject to a review of the amounts initially stipulated for the selected program, namely when the change has to do with the choice of a more expensive program or with more participants.

Once the reservation is made, the following cancellation charges will apply:

a) Up to 30 days before departure: 70% of the total value of the chosen program.

b) Between 30 days and 24 hours before departure: 100% of the total value of the chosen

program.

c) No show on the day of departure: 100% of the total amount of the chosen program.

Cancellation expenses may also include any charges that FeelDouro, Lda has to bear for that reason, namely with regard to transfers, accommodation, food and / or any other services contracted from external companies, when directly related to the program in question, concerned and non-refundable.

The company reserves the right to cancel, postpone or change any trip or itinerary for any reason, including prohibition of navigation by the waterway regulator, adverse weather conditions to navigability, mechanical problems, strike or work stop, emergency and local holidays, among other reasons, without penalty for FeelDouro, Lda.

The boats are picked up and delivered at Douro Marina, in Vila Nova de Gaia.

No. You can only smoke outside the boats, in the deck area.

The only animals allowed on board are guide dogs to accompany blind people.