Frequently asked Yacht Charter questions

01

What is a crewed charter?

A crewed charter is a charter on a luxury yacht where a permanent crew takes care of the yacht and the passengers. The crew is made up of a captain and additional trained crew including hostesses, deckhands, engineers, even masseuses and beauticians on some larger yachts.

Depending on what you require, crewed boats can simply have a skipper and a hostess or a whole team to take care of you during your charter! 

02

What time of the year should I charter?



There are two main seasons in yachting – summer and winter. The summer season runs from May through October, with the peak summer season (and peak rates) in July and August. The winter season runs from November to April, with peak season running primarily over the holidays and into New Year.

03

Does my charter have to be a week long?

No. Many crewed boats will ask you to charter for a week, usually Saturday to Saturday, but this is most rigid during high season in the Mediterranean (Greece, Croatia, Italy France etc). The Caribbean is much more flexible; the minimum charter duration is generally 5 days. In addition to this, there are thousands of Day Charters worldwide that are perfect for a great day out on the water. A bareboat charter in the Meditteranean will always start and finish on a Saturday.

04

How do charter consultants get paid - could I get the boat cheaper if I went directly to the boat owner or operator? 

As an agent, the boat owner or their agent pays us a commission out of the charter fee for finding the customer and taking care of all questions, paperwork, and payments. Our prices are the same as the prices that the charter operator offers to the general public, and normally they will not reduce these prices for individuals. So, the price that we propose to you is normally the best price you'll receive. If you are looking for a discount, ask us and we'll see what we can do - we have a lot more leverage with the owners than an individual would because we do a lot of charters with them and know each operator on a first name basis. We also encompass all parts of the organization of the charter and protect your interests, meaning that you're in safe hands!

05

Why are only 12 people allowed on most boats?

International Marine regulation generally states that once a vessel carries more than 12 passengers, even if it is being used as a private yacht, it is considered to be a passenger ship and has to comply with the SOLAS convention (Safety of Life at Sea) set out by the IMO (International Maritime Organization). This is to ensure the safety of all passengers as it is of the utmost importance.

Thankfully, we do have a good selection of yachts that can work with large groups.

06

What is the "APA"? 

This is the Advance Provisioning Allowance. The APA essentially creates a bank account for the Captain of the boat to provision on your behalf. Key provisioning is fuel, food, drinks and port fees. Normally a percentage will be added on to the base charter fee - depending on the type of boat and therefore fuel consumption. For sailing yachts expect 20 to 25% to be added on and for motor yachts 30 to 35%. You will pay this with your final charter payment. The Captain is obligated to keep all receipts and balance the account for you, and you can check the expenditure level at any time during the charter.



At the end of the charter, the Captain will give you a full account of your expenditures, and any amounts not used will be refunded to you. There are no mark-ups on the APA - all of the funds go directly to buying fuel, food, etc. The APA is a simple and efficient way of getting the boat provisioned properly, with minimal hassle and straightforward record keeping.

07

What kind of quality control do you do on your boats - how do I know they will be in good condition?

All charter companies must adhere to local maritime laws and regulations. This is your primary protection, and in most cases, the rules are quite strict. For instance, in Spain, the Coast Guard regularly checks papers of the boats and there are large fines if anything is missing. All operators also must carry insurance by law. You have every right to see these papers prior to embarkation. Beyond this, we work only with reliable operators, who have a track record of success and happy customers. Before we work with an operator, they must agree to meet our high standard of customer satisfaction and agree to provide boats that are clean and in excellent condition for their age. Finally, of course, the general rule is that the newer the boat, the better the condition. We have a large inventory of new boats, so please let us know if you would like a recent model.

In addition, our Brokers go to many charter shows and visiting days to inspect the boats and meet the crew. So they can give you personal feedback on the boats that are right for you. Finally, many of our charter yachts have reviews and star ratings from actual clients who have chartered the yachts. They give you first-hand information about the yachts and crew and assurance that they are going to be amazing!

08

What are all the extras costs - what will I really end up paying? 



We attempt to list the costs as completely as possible on the site. However, some costs may change depending on your itinerary and desires. Here is a general guideline for estimating costs of a charter. 

Sailing Boats: The charter fee generally covers the boat, a full tank of petrol and water, maps, and a dingy/tender. There is generally a charge for linens (if you want them), and almost always a mandatory final cleaning fee, ranging from €50 to €150 depending on the size of the boat. In some cases, you may also be charged a small amount if you want a motor for the dinghy. Beyond this, the major costs are provisioning (most can now be done easily online and will be on your boat when you arrive) and mooring fees. We can provide estimates of mooring fees, depending on your itinerary.

Motor Boats: For small motorboats, the major additional cost beyond the base charter fee will be fuel. We try to list on the site the fuel consumption per hour for each boat - and a typical charter will burn about 3 hours of fuel per day. Petrol prices are rising, but the rule of thumb is that it will cost about €1.20 per litre (or about $3.00 per gallon) of fuel. So a boat that burns 40 litres per hour will generally cost €48 per hour to run, or approximately €150 per day. Other charges will be mooring fees if you'll be spending the night in a port and any provisioning you request. These charges are paid either in cash to the skipper (along with his tip) or via the APA (Advance Provisioning Allowance) system - see below. When you're booking with us we'll do our best to stipulate any costs, and if you have any questions we're happy to provide estimates.

09

Do I have to tip the captain/crew, and if so what's the normal amount?



Tipping is purely voluntary; if you do decide to tip the crew if they've been professional, helpful, gracious, etc - then it's customary to pay 5% to 15% of the total charter amount before you leave the boat on the last day. We normally recommend 5% to 10% in the Mediterranean, and 10% to 15% in the Caribbean. If there are multiple crew members - just give the tip to the captain and he'll allocate it to the crew for you. Otherwise, it can create disharmony amongst the crew.