Boat rental in Saint-Mandrier-sur-Mer · Cnso — Samouraï (1979)

Great Experience with Soufiane and His Boat – Excellent Value for Money! We rented Soufiane’s boat for a day via Click & Boat and were very happy with the experience overall. Originally, we had arranged to meet in person for the handover at the port of Saint-Mandrier-sur-Mer, but Soufiane was in Marseille that day and couldn’t be there in person. At first, we were a bit skeptical, but he quickly called us via video chat, explained everything in detail, and proved to be extremely friendly, helpful, and trustworthy. He made it clear that we could call him anytime – which we did when the engine didn’t start on the second try. He quickly explained the issue via video, and everything worked perfectly from then on. The boat is very well equipped – there’s a cooler, a gas stove for cooking, onboard electricity, and even a kayak! We were six people on board. For a relaxed day out in nice weather, that works great. However, if you’re planning to sail more sportily with some serious heeling, six people is too many – it gets crowded on deck. In that case, we’d recommend a max of three for optimal comfort and movement. The planned return time was 6 PM, but Soufiane told us we could bring the boat back later if needed. On top of that, as compensation for not being there in person, he covered the entire fuel cost – very generous! Unfortunately, the wind on our sailing day was a bit too strong (Force 6 with gusts up to 7), which was too much for some of the sailing novices in our group. We had to cut the trip short around 2 PM and motored back. With calmer conditions (around Force 3), it would have been a perfect and relaxing trip to the island of Porquerolles – a beautiful spot with coves for anchoring and snorkeling. The boat is easy to handle, with a depth sounder onboard. There’s no GPS, but unless you plan to sail to the island, it’s not absolutely necessary. For longer distances, a nautical chart or a GPS device like a Garmin is useful. The deposit (€500) was handled securely via Click & Boat and the rental fee was €146 for the entire day (9 AM to 6 PM), which is excellent value – especially considering the fuel was included in our case. The whole experience is based on trust, and it really worked out well. In summary: Soufiane is a kind, helpful, and reliable boat owner. Everything went smoothly and we would absolutely rent from him again. Even just for a single day, the trip is well worth it – and the sailing area is beautiful enough to justify a longer drive to the port. The boat is fun to sail, and with the right wind conditions, it can give you some thrilling heeling – almost to the limit! An absolute pleasure, Soufiane – thanks a lot and see you next time!

It was a very pleasant experience in all regards. Soufiane is a very trustworthy and reliable boat owner with good communication. The boat was as advertised and in a decent shape. The only thing to mention is the lack of a swimming ladder that made the end of the swimming quite tough. But maybe we simply missed it during the handover where it was located. All in all a smooth rental.