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Malta and Cyprus: what to check before you sail
Mediterranean
Islands you pass through, with more checks than you expect.
Malta and Cyprus are popular flag states, charter bases and marina locations on the way to the eastern Mediterranean. Documents are checked more strictly than elsewhere in the region, the mild climate allows sailing all year and passages to the mainland are long.
At a glance
Valletta, Msida, Limassol and Larnaca
Marinas and authorities ask for proof of liability insurance
Year-round use means year-round risk: seasonal policies leave a gap
Passages to Sicily, Crete or Turkey are not coastal cruising
Worth knowing
Malta and Cyprus: what to know before you go
The mild climate in Malta and Cyprus lets owners use their boats all year, so the risk of damage runs all year too. A year-round policy makes more sense here than a seasonal one. A seasonal policy with a winter break, for example from 1 November to 31 March, leaves the boat without protection in months when it may well still be sailing.
Malta is a widely used flag register and a transit port, which means frequent document checks. The insurance certificate, the boat's papers and the skipper's licence are asked for together, and a single missing document can delay your stay. Marinas and harbour authorities in both countries expect proof of liability insurance, so keep the certificate aboard, not at home.
Passages to Sicily, Crete or the Turkish coast are not coastal cruising. If you plan to move between islands and mainland, or on to Greece, Turkey or North Africa, you need a cruising area that includes it, so check before the season. In summer the north-westerly quickly builds a sea in the channel between Malta and Sicily. Typical damage happens on moorings exposed to swell and at anchor in poorly sheltered bays.
Questions and answers
Common questions
Are documents checked in Malta?
For Malta and Cyprus: Often, and the insurance certificate, the boat's papers and the skipper's licence are asked for together. A missing document can delay your stay, so keep the certificate aboard rather than at home.
Does my cruising area include a passage to Crete or Turkey?
For Malta and Cyprus: That depends on the area in your policy. These are long passages, not coastal cruising. Give your insurer the route before the season so it is recorded, and ask whether trips on to Greece, Turkey or North Africa need an extension.
Is a seasonal policy worthwhile in Malta?
For Malta and Cyprus: Usually not if the boat is used all year. A seasonal policy leaves a gap over the winter months, while the mild climate keeps boats sailing. Compare the price difference with the months the boat would be unprotected.
Is boat insurance compulsory in the cruising area Malta and Cyprus?
We are not aware of a legal requirement in Malta and Cyprus like the ones in Italy, Spain, Croatia, Greece or Denmark. Marinas and authorities ask for proof of liability cover anyway, so carry the international certificate (IVK) in ten languages from your customer account.
Are storm and theft at the berth covered in the cruising area Malta and Cyprus?
Yes. Storm, fire, lightning and theft of the whole boat are covered already under partial cover, sinking, theft of parts including the outboard and vandalism under full cover from Basis-Plus, at the berth in the cruising area Malta and Cyprus as in winter storage. The boat has to be moored in a seamanlike way. Salvage after an accident is covered: by official order up to the sum insured in Basis, up to 1 million euros in Basis-Plus and up to 2.5 million in Premium.
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