FAQ
Do you have a question?
Here you will find the answers to frequently asked questions. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, you are welcome to send us a message. Simply visit the contact page.
Sauna boats
The starting point for your sauna boat booking is at Mythenquai 25, 8002 Zurich. All three of our sauna boats HILDI, ALICE and SIGRID are located at the jetty of Bootsvermietung Enge, just below Hafen Beiz Enge. Link Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/HEJrEgZp19mFRZYo7
On site you’ll find a small selection of beer, water and soft drinks that you’re welcome to buy from us and take on board. We don’t offer food.
Of course, you’re welcome to bring your own drinks and snacks. We just kindly ask you to leave the boat clean.
Please note that there is a general ban on open flames on our sauna boats. Therefore, open flames and cooking methods that involve fire—such as fondue—are not permitted.
Just like driving a car, the permitted alcohol limit for boating is 0.5 per mille.
There are no toilets on the sauna boat. You are welcome to use the public toilets just above our boat rental at the Hafen Beiz Enge before departure and after arrival.
Unfortunately, we have no showers on the sauna boat or on our boat rental platform.
You can rent a bathrobe (CHF 12), towel set (CHF 8) and slippers (CHF 4) on site. You can either order the extras directly when booking or pick them up before departure. Payment is possible by card, TWINT or cash.
At check-in, you need to show a valid official ID (e.g. identity card or passport).
Basically yes. However, if a storm warning is active we cannot launch our sauna boats for safety reasons. If this is the case, we offer you the following options:
- Cancellation of a booking, whereby no cancellation fees will be charged.
- Sauna on the boat at our jetty (without exit) – reduction of 30% of the booking amount.
- Postpone your booking to a new date free of charge.
A grey storage box is available for additional luggage. Valuables should always be kept with you, as we accept no liability for unattended items.
For hygienic reasons, our sauna is a nude zone. Towels can be rented on site. You can also bring your own towels.
As our sauna boats are not speedboats, we ask our customers not to travel further than Hafen Tiefenbrunnen/Hafen Wollishofen. Distances are often underestimated, which leads to late returns. Additional fees apply in case of a late return.
Just like with a car, the permitted number of people on boats is clearly regulated. We offer two sauna boat categories: for up to 6 or up to 8 people.
Please note that for a booking of 6 people, we cannot allow an additional person on board, even if you arrive on site with 7 people. We can’t make any exceptions here, as we have to comply with legal requirements.
The maximum number of people is not only for the safety of all guests, but also relates to the permitted total load of the boat. We therefore ask you to strictly adhere to the booked capacity.
- The maximum permitted number of people must be strictly adhered to at all times.
- Both boats must always be at least 150 meters apart. Both groups remain on the same boat until the end.
- The boats may not be joined together.
- When under way and when anchoring, a minimum distance of 150 meters from land must always be maintained.
Please note that our sauna boats need to be prepared for the next guests and recharged between bookings after each time slot. A punctual return is therefore crucial to ensure a smooth process and so the following group can start as planned. If you’re late, the following group can’t set off on time. In this case we charge a fairplay fee. The longer the delay, the higher the fee.
- for the first 30 minutes or part thereof: CHF 50
- after 30 minutes: 100 CHF
Children and babies are warmly welcome on board, provided they are supervised by an adult throughout their stay.
As a rule, our sauna boats cannot be rented as walk-in. Our sauna boats can be booked online up to 28 hours before the booking starts. Sometimes bookings are postponed or cancelled due to illness or scheduling conflicts. Occasionally slots are also completely free. You are welcome to contact us at short notice by phone at 044 211 22 62 or send us an email at mail@bootsvermietungenge.ch. You might be lucky and the desired slot is still open.
The renter is fully responsible for the boat and its occupants. He / she is fully liable for any damage to persons and property.
Bootsvermietung Enge has taken out liability insurance for all rental boats and, additionally, fully comprehensive insurance for the motorboats. For our sauna boat, the renter is liable with an excess of CHF 2,000.00.
The renter remains personally liable for any damage not covered by the liability or comprehensive insurance. If the boat can no longer be rented out, or only at a reduced price, due to the damage, the renter is liable for compensation.
Rental boats
Part of our fleet is reserved exclusively for walk-in guests. Especially in high summer it can happen that all boats are already rented out when you arrive. Depending on capacity, you may wait for a boat on our jetty. We can’t tell you how long the wait will be, as our customers may stay on the lake for as long as they like. Payment is only made after the boat has been returned.
If you want to be on the safe side, we recommend booking one of our rental boats online: https://bootsvermietungenge.ch/en/rental-boats/
Please arrive at Enge boat rental 15 minutes before your booking so that you can start on time. We will give you a short introduction, during which we will point out the most important sailing rules and show and explain the features of the boat. After both parties have checked the boat for any existing damage or defects (boat check) and you have signed the rental agreement, you can cast off and set off.
Basically yes. If the storm warning is active, we are not allowed to launch the boats for safety reasons. If this is the case, there are the following options:
- Postpone your booking to a new date free of charge.
- Cancellation of a booking, whereby no cancellation fees will be charged.
The minimum age applies exclusively to the person renting the boat and signing the rental agreement. Children and teenagers are of course allowed on board accompanied by their parents or another responsible adult, provided the permitted capacity is observed.
The following minimum age limits apply for the person signing the rental contract:
Boats requiring a license and E-boats SHORTBREAK 5.8 and E-pedalos OTTER: from 22 years
Vintage pedalos: from 12 years without parental supervision
License-free motorboats INFINITY 455 MC: from 18 years
On site you’ll find a small selection of beer, water and soft drinks that you’re welcome to buy from us and take on board. We don’t offer food.
Of course, you’re welcome to bring your own drinks and snacks. We just kindly ask you to leave the boat clean.
Just like driving a car, the permitted alcohol limit for boating is 0.5 per mille.
All our rental boats, including pedalos and rowing boats, are equipped with appropriate life jackets. We would like to point out that life jackets may only be used in an emergency and are not swimming aids. Children, for example, should bring their own.
At check-in, you need to show a valid official ID (e.g. identity card or passport).
Not every boating license entitles you to drive a motorboat on Lake Zurich that requires an examination.
On Lake Zurich, boatmaster’s certificates based on Resolution No. 40 of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe are generally recognized. This includes, for example, the German recreational boating license BINNEN. It is important that the boat license was not only issued for coastal areas (i.e. coastal areas, option côtière…), but is specifically approved for inland waters. If apparent, the approval is also limited by a max. engine power or size/length of the vessel to be sailed.
Before officially confirming your booking of a boat requiring a license, we need the following information from you: full name, address, mobile number and a photo/scan of your boating license, as well as the date and time slot of the desired booking. If any of this information is missing, we can’t confirm a booking. We check the data and your boating license for validity and get back to you with the final decision. We accept inquiries via our website: https://bootsvermietungenge.ch/en/rental-boats/
Attention: An international certificate is only valid with a valid national boatmaster’s license. Without this, the international certificate is invalid.
If you are not sure whether your license is valid on Swiss waters or on Lake Zurich, you are welcome to contact us by e-mail with a photo/scan of your skipper’s license: mail@bootsvermietungenge.ch
Fuel is not included in the rental price for boats requiring a license. If the boat is not returned with a full tank, the skipper is obliged to go and refuel. The additional rental time is charged at the regular rate. We do not offer a refueling service.
Our license-free boats do not need to be refueled/charged.
The renter is fully responsible for the boat and its occupants. He/she is fully liable for any damage to persons and property.
Boat Rental Enge has taken out liability insurance for all rental boats and also fully comprehensive insurance for motorboats. Depending on the motorboat category, the renter is liable for an excess of between CHF 1,000.00 and CHF 2,000.00.
The renter remains personally liable for all damage not covered by the liability/fully comprehensive insurance. If the boat can no longer be rented or can only be rented at a reduced price due to the damage, the renter is liable for damages.
From the age of 12 it is possible to rent a pedalo without adult supervision. If necessary, we recommend bringing a buoyancy aid. We provide life jackets.
For reasons of hygiene and due to the increased potential for damage, dogs are not allowed on the boat with us. You are welcome to leave your four-legged friend with us in the boat rental, as long as it gets along well with lots of cheering and hustle and bustle. We offer a shady spot, water and, if desired, scratching sessions. Our own dogs Jacks, Rio and Lexi are (usually) happy to visit.
Unfortunately, we don’t have any toilets on our pontoon. You are welcome to use the public toilets just above our boat rental at Hafen Beiz Enge before departure and after arrival. We have a small cloakroom on our jetty which can be shared.
