Self-drive boat in Gozo: do you need a licence?

The short answer is no, not for most of our boats. The long answer is the part that matters, and we wrote this so you can come to Hondoq Bay knowing exactly where the line is.

The line is 115 horsepower

Anything below 115 horsepower at Joyride does not need a nautical licence. That covers the 40hp, the 50hp, the 80hp, and the 90hp boats. You need to be 21 or older, you need to be able to swim, and you need some boating experience. We give you a full briefing at the dock and we walk you through the map of where to anchor and where to keep speed down.

From 115 horsepower upwards, Maltese law requires a nautical licence. That means the 115hp 17.5ft, the 115hp 19ft, and the 200hp boats. If you have a licence from another EU country, bring it. If you have a licence from outside the EU, message Shanna on WhatsApp first and she will tell you whether your card works here.

Which boat for which day

The 80hp is the most-booked boat we have. Six adults plus a child fit comfortably, the stereo is loud enough for a picnic, and the 3-hour rate is enough to do Comino, the Crystal Lagoon, and the cave run with time to swim. If you are a couple, the 50hp is plenty.

If you are a group of seven or eight and you want speed for the open water between Gozo and Comino, the 200hp is the boat. It needs the licence, and it needs the 200 EUR cash deposit at the dock, but it is the same boat Jonathan uses on the long Comino plus Gozo trip and it never lets you down.

About fuel

Every price you see on this site already includes the average fuel cost. We measure fuel use after every trip and we bundle the average into the headline price. There is no second bill at the dock. The 200 EUR cash deposit is a separate thing. It is a deposit on the boat itself, fully refunded when you return undamaged and on time.