Is a verbal agreement to charter a boat in Malta legally binding?

A verbal charter agreement can, in principle, be legally binding under general Maltese contract law principles found in the Civil Code, Chapter 16 of the Laws of Malta, provided the essential elements of a valid contract were present, such as genuine mutual consent on the key terms including the vessel, dates, and price, but the fundamental practical challenge with any verbal agreement, particularly in a commercial charter context, is proving exactly what was actually agreed if the other party later disputes or denies the arrangement, since without written documentation, this often becomes your word against theirs regarding the specific terms. Gather any indirect evidence that might support the existence and terms of your verbal agreement, such as text messages, emails, or any other communications referencing the arranged charter, deposit payments made or discussed, or witnesses present when the agreement was made, since this kind of supporting evidence becomes important in establishing what was actually agreed if the matter needs to be formally pursued. Given the relatively modest but real prospect of successfully enforcing a verbal charter agreement with adequate supporting evidence, and the genuine complexity of properly pursuing this kind of dispute, it would be worth consulting a lawyer promptly to assess the strength of whatever evidence you do have and advise on whether pursuing a claim against the owner for breach of the agreement is realistically worthwhile given your specific circumstances.