What must a rental craft carry in Türkiye?
The required safety equipment for a rental SUP, kayak, jet ski, motorboat and sailboat — every line with the section of the act and a link to it. Then what to tell customers at check-out.
Law Özel Teknelerin Donatımı ve Özel Tekneleri Kullanacak Kişilerin Yeterlikleri Hakkında Yönetmelik (RG 17.01.2026, Sayı 33140; EK-2: RG 03.07.2026, Sayı 33299)
Authority: Ulaştırma ve Altyapı Bakanlığı, Denizcilik Genel Müdürlüğü
Covers private (non-commercial) pleasure boats from 2.5 m to 24 m, at sea and inland. Boats with an engine under 10 HP, oar-only boats, canoes and kayaks, racing-class sailing boats and club sport craft are exempt; jet skis, boards and private yachts over 24 m are not covered here.
Boats whose engine is under 10 HP (about 7.4 kW) are exempt from this whole list. Over 15 m, a VHF and a PLB become compulsory by 17 July 2028.
Read the official text ↗ · Rules checked 15 October 2026
What our research found about rentals and commercial use:
- The regulation covers private (non-commercial) pleasure boats only; boats used commercially are not covered by these lists. Özel Teknelerin Donatımı ve Yeterlikleri Yönetmeliği, md. 4(1)(ğ) · source · Rules checked 15 October 2026
General guidance: the lists below are the equipment rules for recreational craft. Hiring craft out is a business, and some countries add rules for rental or commercial craft, or ask for a permit. Before the season, check with Ulaştırma ve Altyapı Bakanlığı, Denizcilik Genel Müdürlüğü or the local harbour master which rules apply to your fleet.
SUP board rental
Worked out for One paddler on a SUP board, no engine, by day.
Required 0
Türkiye’s equipment rules cover boats. A SUP board isn’t one, so no statutory carriage list applies — local bylaws, beach rules or wearing duties still may.
Tell the customer at check-out
GENERAL GUIDANCE- Fit the buoyancy aid and say whether wearing it is required here (see “Licence, lifejacket and charter rules”).
- Show the leash: coiled ankle leash on flat water, quick-release waist leash on rivers and in current.
- Point out the area they may use, the swimming zones and the boat traffic, on a map.
- Offshore wind: kneel or lie on the board, paddle across the wind towards the nearest shore — not back to base.
- Agree the return time and how you will contact them.
- How to call for help: phone in a waterproof pouch, the rescue number below, stay with the board.
Not a legal requirement — a starting point for your own briefing. Your insurer or local rules may ask for more.
Make a printable briefing card for your dock →Recommended — not required
- Quick-release waist leashMoving water demands a quick-release waist leash — an ankle leash in current is a hazard, not a safety device.
- Coiled ankle leashFlatwater. Your board is your biggest flotation device; stay attached to it.
- Buoyancy aid, 50 N (CE)A belt-pack inflatable is unobtrusive enough that people actually wear it.
- Floating waterproof phone pouchFloating, on you, not strapped to the board.
- Drysuit or thick wetsuitCold shock off a paddleboard is the classic early-season incident.
- Whistle on the vestCosts nothing, carries far.
Good practice for this craft, from the Kit Finder. Kit Finder ↗
Kayak / canoe rental
Worked out for One paddler in a kayak or canoe, no engine, by day.
Required 0
Türkiye’s equipment rules cover boats. A kayak / canoe isn’t one, so no statutory carriage list applies — local bylaws, beach rules or wearing duties still may.
Tell the customer at check-out
GENERAL GUIDANCE- Fit the buoyancy aid; check the spraydeck release loop is outside and they can pull it.
- Capsize: stay with the kayak, hold on, swim it to shore or wait for help; show the paddle float if you supply one.
- Point out the area, the weirs, current or shipping lanes, and where they may land.
- Groups stay together; the strongest paddler last.
- Agree the return time and how you will contact them.
- How to call for help: phone in a waterproof pouch, the rescue number below.
Not a legal requirement — a starting point for your own briefing. Your insurer or local rules may ask for more.
Make a printable briefing card for your dock →Recommended — not required
- Buoyancy aid, 50 N (CE)Worn the whole time. A buoyancy aid in the day hatch has saved nobody.
- Paddle float + hand pumpWith a hand pump, this is the actual self-rescue kit — practise before you need it.
- SpraydeckA swamped cockpit ends the trip.
- Buoyancy bagsKeeps the boat recoverable after a capsize.
- Handheld VHF, floatingSea kayaking: waterproof handheld, on your person.
- Personal strobe / vest lightYou sit very low. Being seen is the whole problem.
Good practice for this craft, from the Kit Finder. Kit Finder ↗
Jet ski / PWC rental
Worked out for A jet ski with a rider and a passenger, by day. Jet skis count as faster than 20 knots.
Required 0
The private-boat regulation does not mention jet skis, and whether a registered jet ski must carry its list is not confirmed, so no statutory list is shown.
No statutory equipment for this craft in the waters checked.
Tell the customer at check-out
GENERAL GUIDANCE- Kill cord on the wrist or the vest, every time the engine runs.
- Lifejackets on the rider and the passenger, fastened — check the wearing rule below.
- Show the area, the no-go zones, swimmers and the speed limits near the shore and in harbours (local rules).
- Licence and age: check the renter is allowed to drive it here (see below) before handing over the key.
- Capsize: how to right it (sticker on the hull) and climb back on from the stern.
- Fuel, return time, and how to call for help.
Not a legal requirement — a starting point for your own briefing. Your insurer or local rules may ask for more.
Make a printable briefing card for your dock →Recommended — not required
- Impact / buoyancy vestImpact protection as well as buoyancy — you hit the water hard.
- Kill cord / wireless kill switchWrist lanyard, every single time.
- Floating waterproof phone pouchOn you, not in the hull.
- Whistle on the vestEngine off, voice gone — a whistle carries.
- Drysuit or thick wetsuitImmersion is a matter of when, not if.
Good practice for this craft, from the Kit Finder. Kit Finder ↗
Motorboat rental
Worked out for An open motorboat, 5 m, outboard up to 25 kW (34 hp), CE-marked, up to four adults, by day, no cooker aboard.
Required 8
- Lifejacket, 100 N (CE)per person
A lifejacket for everyone aboard while under way, IMO, TSE or wheel-mark approved (CE-only jackets are not named).
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (A) 1–2 · source - Lifebuoy or rescue sling + 15–25 m throwline
One horseshoe lifebuoy (a horseshoe buoy needs no approval mark).
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (A) 2 · source - GPS receiver
Any electronic device that shows the GPS position — a smartphone with a GPS app will do.
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (A) 3 · source - Binoculars
One pair of binoculars of at least 8× magnification.
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (A) 4 · source - Signalling mirror
One mirror.
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (A) 4 · source - Sound signal (horn or other)
One warning whistle.
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (A) 4 · source - Waterproof torch + spare batteries
One torch or lantern.
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (A) 4 · source - First aid kit for the area
At least one first-aid kit in a waterproof case, all contents in date: plasters, sterile gauze, elastic bandage, triangular bandage, antiseptic solution or wipes, burn dressing or gel, scissors and disposable gloves.
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (A) 6 · source
Also required if…
Lines that join the list when your rental differs from the one above.
A child aboard1
- Child lifejacket, sized by weight
A child or baby lifejacket for each child or baby aboard, IMO, TSE or wheel-mark approved.
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (A) 1–2 · source
Cooker or heater with a flame, gas, or fuel cans aboard2
- Fire extinguisher, 2 kg
A 2 kg fire extinguisher for each inboard engine (in the engine room, or outside the engine box), one in each cabin, and one by the galley.
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (A) 5 · source - Fire blanket
Boats with a galley: a fire blanket near it.
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (A) 5 · source
Inboard or sterndrive engine1
- Fire extinguisher, 2 kg
A 2 kg fire extinguisher for each inboard engine (in the engine room, or outside the engine box), one in each cabin, and one by the galley.
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (A) 5 · source
The boat has a cabin or a deck1
- Fire extinguisher, 2 kg
A 2 kg fire extinguisher for each inboard engine (in the engine room, or outside the engine box), one in each cabin, and one by the galley.
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (A) 5 · source
Tell the customer at check-out
GENERAL GUIDANCE- Kill cord on the driver, every time the engine runs.
- Where the lifejackets are, how to put them on — children’s sizes by weight.
- Engine start and stop, fuel, the anchor, and how to come alongside.
- Show the area, the shallows, channels and no-go zones on a chart; propeller near swimmers.
- Weather limits and the return time; lights if they could be out after sunset.
- How to call for help: VHF channel 16 if fitted, the rescue number below.
Not a legal requirement — a starting point for your own briefing. Your insurer or local rules may ask for more.
Make a printable briefing card for your dock →Recommended — not required
- Kill cord / wireless kill switchA planing boat that loses its driver circles back over them. The single highest-value item on a motorboat.
- Lifejacket, 150 N auto-inflateAuto-inflate, so it works whether or not you were conscious when you hit the water.
- Boarding ladder reachable from the waterGetting back aboard alone, from the water, over a high topside — plan for it before you need it.
- Fixed VHF with DSCDSC distress with position, monitored by everyone around you.
- PLB, 406 MHz, registeredFor when you’re beyond VHF range or the set has drowned.
- CO alarmPetrol engines and an enclosed cabin.
Good practice for this craft, from the Kit Finder. Kit Finder ↗
Sailboat rental
Worked out for A sailing yacht, 9 m, with a cabin, an inboard engine and a gas cooker, CE-marked, up to six adults, by day.
Required 10
- Lifejacket, 100 N (CE)per person
A lifejacket for everyone aboard while under way, IMO, TSE or wheel-mark approved (CE-only jackets are not named).
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (A) 1–2 · source - Lifebuoy or rescue sling + 15–25 m throwline
One horseshoe lifebuoy (a horseshoe buoy needs no approval mark).
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (A) 2 · source - GPS receiver
Any electronic device that shows the GPS position — a smartphone with a GPS app will do.
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (A) 3 · source - Binoculars
One pair of binoculars of at least 8× magnification.
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (A) 4 · source - Signalling mirror
One mirror.
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (A) 4 · source - Sound signal (horn or other)
One warning whistle.
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (A) 4 · source - Waterproof torch + spare batteries
One torch or lantern.
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (A) 4 · source - Fire extinguisher, 2 kg× 3
A 2 kg fire extinguisher for each inboard engine (in the engine room, or outside the engine box), one in each cabin, and one by the galley.
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (A) 5 · source - Fire blanket
Boats with a galley: a fire blanket near it.
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (A) 5 · source - First aid kit for the area
At least one first-aid kit in a waterproof case, all contents in date: plasters, sterile gauze, elastic bandage, triangular bandage, antiseptic solution or wipes, burn dressing or gel, scissors and disposable gloves.
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (A) 6 · source
Also required if…
Lines that join the list when your rental differs from the one above.
A child aboard1
- Child lifejacket, sized by weight
A child or baby lifejacket for each child or baby aboard, IMO, TSE or wheel-mark approved.
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (A) 1–2 · source
Yacht of 12 m or longer10
- Lifebuoy or rescue sling + 15–25 m throwline× 2
Boats over 10 m: a second lifebuoy, with a light and a 20 m line, as well as the horseshoe buoy. Lifebuoys other than horseshoes must be IMO, TSE or wheel-mark approved.
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (A) 2, (B) 1 · source - Self-igniting light on the lifebuoy
Boats over 10 m: the second lifebuoy carries a light.
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (B) 1 · source - Garbage placard
Boats over 10 m: a poster of at least A4 size saying that throwing garbage into the sea is prohibited, hung where everyone can see it.
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (B) 2 · source - Nautical publications for the area
Boats over 10 m: a sea-survival handbook and an amateur seaman’s handbook.
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (B) 3 · source - Table of life-saving signals
Boats over 10 m: a table of life-saving signals.
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (B) 3 · source - Fire axe
Boats over 10 m with an enclosed space: a fire axe at least 30 cm long.
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (B) 5 · source - Fire extinguisher, 6 kg
Same boats: one 6 kg fire extinguisher as well.
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (B) 5 · source - CompassOnly: Beyond port area
Boats over 10 m going beyond the port voyage area: a magnetic compass — or any electronic device with electronic nautical charts instead of compass, charts and plotting tools.
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (B) 4 · source - Chart + means of fixing positionOnly: Beyond port area
Same boats: nautical charts for the voyage (or the electronic chart device).
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (B) 4 · source - Chart plotting toolsOnly: Beyond port area
Same boats: dividers, a parallel ruler, a pencil and an eraser (or the electronic chart device).
Özel Tekneler Yönetmeliği EK-2 (B) 4 · source
Tell the customer at check-out
GENERAL GUIDANCE- Lifejackets and harnesses: where they are, when to wear them, how to clip on.
- Man overboard: who throws the lifebuoy, who points, how to come back under engine.
- Gas cooker: valve shut after use, ventilation; the fire extinguisher and blanket.
- Reefing, the engine, the bilge pump and the anchor.
- Weather limits, the area and the charts; return time and check-in.
- VHF: channel 16, the DSC distress button, and the rescue number below.
Not a legal requirement — a starting point for your own briefing. Your insurer or local rules may ask for more.
Make a printable briefing card for your dock →Recommended — not required
- Lifejacket, 150 N auto-inflateOffshore, a 150 N auto jacket with sprayhood, light, harness point and crotch strap — a 100 N jacket won’t turn an unconscious person in a seaway.
- Jackstays + tethersClipping on is what stops a man-overboard from happening at all.
- AIS-MOB beacon, on the lifejacketOne per crew, on the jacket. It puts a mark on your own plotter — a flare only helps if someone is already looking.
- Fixed VHF with DSCDSC distress at the press of a button, with your position attached.
- EPIRB, 406 MHz, registeredThe alert that doesn’t depend on anyone being within VHF range.
- Radar reflectorBusy shipping lanes — the Gulf of Finland, the Channel, the Strait of Gibraltar — are heavy and fast.
Good practice for this craft, from the Kit Finder. Kit Finder ↗
Licence, lifejacket and charter rules
For renters and skippers, from the authorities’ own texts. Checked 14 October 2026.
Under Türkiye's 2026 regulation on private boats, foreign nationals in Türkiye may use their own private boats, delegated boats and bareboat-chartered boats within the limits of a boating certificate issued by another country. Harbour masters may have doubtful foreign certificates checked with the issuing authority before allowing them to be used.
Resmî Gazete (Official Gazette of Türkiye), 17 January 2026 · Resmî Gazete (Official Gazette of Türkiye), 17 January 2026Private boats certified under tourism rules and chartered bareboat for leisure may be skippered by the charterer if they hold an amateur sailor certificate (ADB), within the boat-length limit of that certificate.
Resmî Gazete (Official Gazette of Türkiye), 17 January 2026If a rental needs rescue
The maritime rescue centre for Türkiye’s waters — put it on your briefing card and in your staff phones.
Where Fleet helps
Fleet doesn’t replace a single item above. It helps your staff keep an eye on every rental once it is out — we are building it with pilot operators for the 2027 season.
Printable checklist for Türkiye
A sheet per craft for the waters you rent in: the required kit with the section of the act, what to tell the customer, and a sign-off line for your staff. Print it or save it as a PDF.
Questions operators ask
What safety equipment must a rental SUP board carry in Türkiye?
Türkiye’s equipment rules for recreational craft do not cover a SUP board, so no statutory carriage list applies to it. Wearing duties, beach rules or local bylaws may still apply — see the page.
What safety equipment must a rental kayak / canoe carry in Türkiye?
Türkiye’s equipment rules for recreational craft do not cover a kayak / canoe, so no statutory carriage list applies to it. Wearing duties, beach rules or local bylaws may still apply — see the page.
What safety equipment must a rental jet ski / PWC carry in Türkiye?
Under the rules checked, none for the rental we assume (A jet ski with a rider and a passenger, by day. Jet skis count as faster than 20 knots). Some situations add lines — see the page.
What safety equipment must a rental motorboat carry in Türkiye?
Under Özel Teknelerin Donatımı ve Özel Tekneleri Kullanacak Kişilerin Yeterlikleri Hakkında Yönetmelik (RG 17.01.2026, Sayı 33140; EK-2: RG 03.07.2026, Sayı 33299), for the rental we assume (An open motorboat, 5 m, outboard up to 25 kW (34 hp), CE-marked, up to four adults, by day, no cooker aboard): Lifejacket, 100 N (CE), Lifebuoy or rescue sling + 15–25 m throwline, GPS receiver, Binoculars, Signalling mirror, Sound signal (horn or other), Waterproof torch + spare batteries, and First aid kit for the area. Some lines apply only in certain waters, and paid or commercial use can add more — see the page.
What safety equipment must a rental sailboat carry in Türkiye?
Under Özel Teknelerin Donatımı ve Özel Tekneleri Kullanacak Kişilerin Yeterlikleri Hakkında Yönetmelik (RG 17.01.2026, Sayı 33140; EK-2: RG 03.07.2026, Sayı 33299), for the rental we assume (A sailing yacht, 9 m, with a cabin, an inboard engine and a gas cooker, CE-marked, up to six adults, by day): Lifejacket, 100 N (CE), Lifebuoy or rescue sling + 15–25 m throwline, GPS receiver, Binoculars, Signalling mirror, Sound signal (horn or other), Waterproof torch + spare batteries, Fire extinguisher, 2 kg, Fire blanket, and First aid kit for the area. Some lines apply only in certain waters, and paid or commercial use can add more — see the page.
Do renters need a licence in Türkiye?
Under Türkiye's 2026 regulation on private boats, foreign nationals in Türkiye may use their own private boats, delegated boats and bareboat-chartered boats within the limits of a boating certificate issued by another country. Harbour masters may have doubtful foreign certificates checked with the issuing authority before allowing them to be used.
Is this legal advice?
No. It is a summary of the official texts, with a link to each one, to help you prepare. The operator and the skipper stay responsible for the equipment; when in doubt, the cited act and the national authority win.
A summary to help you prepare, not legal advice. The operator and the skipper stay responsible for the equipment and its condition. Rules change — when in doubt, the cited act wins, and local bylaws, permits or your insurer may ask for more.
Other countries
Join the pilot.
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