Charter booking terms

A booking starts with a request for availability. We check the date, waterway and crew, then send a written quote. Your booking is confirmed only when we accept it in writing and any agreed deposit or payment is received. A request, a quote, or a confirmation screen alone is not a confirmed booking.

A written quote is valid for the period stated on it. After that, the offered price and inclusions may change and a new quote may be required. The final price, inclusions and booking terms are confirmed in writing.

Payment terms — including any deposit, balance timing and accepted methods — are confirmed in the written quote. The specific deposit percentage and balance deadline are owner-approved before publication and are not stated here as final. We do not collect card details through the website.

Cancellation, refund and rescheduling rules are confirmed in the written quote and reflect the booking and notice given. We do not publish a “no refunds” rule and we do not waive any statutory consumer rights. The draft cancellation window is an owner input; it is not stated here as an approved term.

Cruises are subject to weather, dam level and water conditions. The skipper's decision on safety matters — including weather, routing and whether to depart — is final to protect all guests and crew. Where a cruise cannot safely proceed, we will offer to reschedule or arrange an agreed alternative; the specific refund or credit terms are confirmed in writing.

Departure and access details — the exact jetty, estate security clearance and boarding time — are provided directly to the booking contact on confirmation. We do not publish the exact departure point until a booking is confirmed. Guests must follow estate access rules and the skipper's boarding instructions.

Children are welcome as part of your private group. Responsible adult supervision is required throughout, and life-jacket use follows the skipper's direction. If a guest has an access or mobility need, please tell us before confirming so we can discuss boarding arrangements — we do not collect medical histories through the public form.

Guests are responsible for damage caused to the vessel or equipment beyond normal use, and for the conduct of their group. The skipper may end a cruise early where conduct or safety requires it. Specific liability terms are confirmed in the written quote.

Where a floating-bar service is agreed, the event licence, service model, venue, capacity and responsible-service rules are confirmed for that event. We do not serve alcohol to under-18s or to visibly intoxicated guests, and ID may be requested during the event — not uploaded in the public form. No one may operate a craft after drinking; a cruising bar requires a skipper. A short-notice bar request starts a manual review and never bypasses an approval.

The skipper's authority on safety — including life-jacket adherence, passenger conduct, routing and the decision to depart — is final. The main pontoon operates on Hartbeespoort Dam. The electric canal craft is strictly limited to The Islands Estate canals, never the main dam, for up to two hours with two to four guests. We do not claim self-drive or licence exemptions unless cleared and recorded by the owner.

Routes are subject to the operator, water level, weather and daylight. We do not promise passage to named landmarks or through estate locks. The canal cruise stays within The Islands Estate canals and does not imply that the estate endorses the operator.