NaCzarter Team
· Updated
How to hand back the yacht and get the whole deposit back
You return the yacht at the pick-up port, usually between 8:00 and 10:00 on the last day: cleaned, with fuel as the contract says, with the toilet emptied and the full set of equipment from the handover report. Almost all boats listed on NaCzarter have return hours like these (as of autumn 2026). When everything checks out, the security deposit (median 1500 PLN for a sailing yacht, 3000 PLN for a houseboat) comes back on the spot, usually in cash.
The last evening: where to moor overnight and when to set off
The simplest plan: spend the last night in the pick-up port or in a bay close enough that the morning leg takes an hour, not three. Whoever arrives at 8:00 hands back in peace; whoever arrives at 9:50 queues behind other crews. The window is not a whim: by 16:00, when the next crew arrives, the operator has to clean and prepare the yacht.
Three spots on the route can eat up a morning. The swing bridge in Giżycko opens to a timetable, the Guzianka lock has working hours and a queue, and Lake Śniardwy in a strong wind is crossed in the morning or not at all. If any of these lies on your final leg, pass it the day before and moor overnight beyond the obstacle.
The yacht goes back where you collected it. Returning it to a different port is a separate option on a small share of the boats listed on NaCzarter, roughly one in eight, usually for a surcharge (median 350 PLN, autumn 2026). Without that clause, the final leg leads to the pick-up port, even upwind.
In the evening, do what you will not manage in the morning: rubbish to the container in the port, dishes washed, bags packed. Empty the holding tank at a pump-out station, unless you agreed at pick-up that the operator's staff would do it. That leaves rinsing the cockpit and counting the gear for the morning.
Checklist before the handover report
Walk through the yacht with this list: the interior in the evening, the deck and engine in the morning.
| Item | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Rubbish | To the container in the port; check the lockers and under the cockpit too | The operator's staff open the lockers first |
| Toilet and holding tank | Tank emptied as agreed at pick-up, toilet cleaned | A full tank with no warning is a common reason for a deduction |
| Dishes and galley | Washed and stowed, stove wiped, gas shut off, fridge empty and left open | A closed fridge with leftovers smells for the whole next charter |
| Bedding and towels | Items rented from the operator gathered in one place; take your own | A missing pillowcase counts as missing equipment |
| Personal belongings | Berths, lockers under the mattresses, cockpit lockers; keys and the yacht's documents to hand back | A charger left in a berth will not find its own way home |
| Lifejackets and safety gear | Counted against the pick-up report; lifebuoy and fire extinguisher in place | The operator's staff always check these items |
| Boat hook, fenders, mooring lines | Full set counted, lines coiled, fenders on the side or in a locker | They get lost while mooring; the most common shortfall in the report |
| Anchor with rope | Rope untangled and flaked, anchor locker free of mud | A tangled rope is left for the operator to sort out |
| Engine | Propeller free of fishing line and nicks; throttle, tiller and kill cord in place; fuel can as per contract | Engine fittings are the most expensive small items on a yacht |
| Fuel | As per contract: full tank, settlement in port or flat fee | Missing fuel under a "full tank" rule means a deduction at the operator's rate |
| Water and bilge | Top up water only if the contract requires it; check the bilge is dry | A dry bilge is the quickest proof the hull is intact |
| Hull and damage | Walk round the yacht from the quay, especially bow and stern; report anything that happened during the cruise before the handover | The operator's staff will look at the sides anyway; better they hear about a scratch from you |
Cleaning: what "cleaned" means when you pay a cleaning fee
Many operators charge a mandatory final cleaning fee, payable on site; the amount is shown in the yacht's listing. We covered what else is not included in the charter price separately. That fee pays for preparing the yacht for the next crew, not for carrying out your rubbish.
"Cleaned" in the operator's sense means: rubbish taken out, dishes washed, fridge and toilet clean, floor swept. If the yacht comes back dirtier, the operator can charge for cleaning beyond the standard and deduct it from the deposit. The rules are in the contract; read them already at pick-up.
Fuel: three rules you will meet in contracts
Most operators use one of the first two. First: "full tank". You collect the yacht with a full tank and return it full; you refuel yourself before approaching the quay (ask at pick-up where). On a sailing yacht this usually means a fuel can: a typical outboard listed on NaCzarter has 6 hp and a 12 l tank (medians, operators' data, autumn 2026). A houseboat with a diesel and a tank of around 110 l is already an expense to plan for.
Second: settlement by consumption in port. You do not refuel yourself; the operator's staff check the tank level or fill it up and charge the litres at the contract rate. Third: a flat fee, a fixed amount regardless of consumption. You will meet it on houseboats: on NaCzarter, some owners offer an optional flat fee, median 200 PLN (autumn 2026).
How much the engine burns and where to refuel, we describe in the article on fuel for motorboats and houseboats.
Damage: report it before someone finds it
Whatever happened during the cruise, you tell the operator's staff before the handover report. A reported fault is a settlement. A discovered one is a suspicion that you tried to hide it, and then nobody looks for a cheaper repair on your behalf.
Minor damage, such as a lost fender or a snapped starter cord, the operator settles from the deposit at the cost of repair or replacement. Major damage, like a bow smashed in a collision with a mooring pile, goes through the yacht's insurance. The deposit then usually works as an excess: you pay from it up to its amount, the operator's policy covers the rest. The policy has exclusions, usually alcohol and gross negligence; what is covered and what you pay from the deposit, we set out separately.
Photos from pick-up are your evidence: a scratch that is in your first-day photo is not your scratch. Without a photo it is word against word, and you signed the pick-up report. That is why at pick-up you photograph the hull, cockpit, engine and interior (more in the article on what to check when collecting a yacht). Do the same at return, especially when nobody from the staff takes over the yacht straight away. A few time-stamped photos on your phone close the question of what happened after you left.
Handover report and deposit refund
The operator's staff walk through the yacht with the pick-up report in hand: equipment, hull and propeller, engine, fuel, cleanliness. If everything checks out, you both sign the handover report and you get the deposit on the spot, usually in cash. If you paid it by bank transfer, ask at pick-up how it comes back. Median deposits on NaCzarter: sailing yacht 1500 PLN, houseboat 3000 PLN, motorboat 4000 PLN. The range runs from 150 PLN for a small sailing yacht to 10 000 PLN for a motorboat. Data: operators' price lists on NaCzarter, as of autumn 2026. How to avoid deductions, we set out in the article on the security deposit for a charter in Masuria.
The operator may deduct from the deposit for missing fuel under a "full tank" rule, for equipment missing from the report, or for damage. Also for a yacht dirty beyond the standard and for a return after the contract hour. Every deduction needs a basis: the damage or shortfall shown, and its valuation.
If you disagree, do not sign the report without comments. Enter your objection, photograph the disputed spot and ask for a written estimate. A calm talk on the quay settles most disputes; the rest is a written complaint to the operator. Operators state return hours, the deposit and the fuel rule in their listings, so in the yacht catalogue on NaCzarter you see them next to the price before you book.
Frequently asked questions
By what time do you have to return the yacht? Usually between 8:00 and 10:00 on the last day of the charter, at the pick-up port. The exact hour is in your booking confirmation and the contract.
Can I return the yacht the evening before? It depends on the operator; some agree if you give a few days' notice. The handover report is then done in the evening or in the morning, when staff are in the port.
Do I have to fill the tank? Only when the contract says "full tank". With settlement by consumption in port and with a flat fee, you do not refuel yourself.
Do I have to clean if I pay a cleaning fee? Yes, to a basic standard: rubbish, dishes, fridge, toilet. For cleaning beyond the standard, the operator may deduct from the deposit.
When does the deposit come back? On the spot, right after signing the handover report, usually in cash. If there are deductions, you get the difference and a breakdown of what for.
What if I am late? Call the operator as soon as you know you will not make it. At 16:00 the next crew usually takes over the yacht, so being late without warning can end in a deduction from the deposit.
Cover photo: NaCzarter.pl
