On a bareboat charter, your group supplies the skipper; on a skippered charter, the hired skipper handles sailing. Yachtco says that includes safety, route planning, weather tracking, mooring and general boat maintenance. A skipper is not automatically a cook: Nammert says the skipper fee usually covers only the skipper’s work.
Bareboat qualifications depend on the destination and the charter company. SailConnections says Greek regulations require a qualified skipper and a competent co-skipper; separately, Sunsail requires an appropriate license and at least 20 days or 400 miles as skipper on an equivalent-size yacht. Use the bareboat sailing certificate guide to prepare your questions before booking.
A hired skipper adds a service charge, but that charge does not necessarily pay for the skipper’s meals or the yacht’s running costs. Yachtco lists €150–€250 per day including VAT and says you provide the skipper’s breakfast and lunch, with dinner optional. It also requires a private cabin, so check the guest sleeping layout before choosing the yacht.
Fuel, marina fees and provisioning are separate guest expenses under Yachtco’s terms. Nammert says a one-way charter also requires payment of the skipper’s return or outbound travel costs, and that tipping is voluntary rather than contractually required. Ask for a separate cook quote if you want someone else to prepare meals.
For Mediterranean crewed charters under MYBA terms, Helm lists an Advance Provisioning Allowance of 25–35% of the charter fee for sailing yachts and catamarans, or 35–40% for motor yachts. You pay this expense fund in addition to the base charter fee before departure; it covers items such as food, drink, fuel and mooring. The captain records spending, unused funds are refunded, and any shortfall requires an additional payment.
In the Caribbean, Helm says food, fuel and marina costs are generally included in an all-inclusive charter fee instead of a separate APA. Confirm the arrangement for your particular quote rather than applying Mediterranean percentages to every trip. Use the weekly charter cost calculator to keep the charter fee and expense allowances separate.
For a Sardinia catamaran, the published skipper rate is about $325 per day. In the calculator, select that destination and yacht type, enter the quoted base charter price, and add the skipper charge for each day you hire them.
The worked calculation is the catamaran’s base quote plus about $325 per day for the skipper, followed by the separately quoted expenses. Compare that breakdown with the table above, checking whether skipper meals, provisioning, fuel and marina fees are included. Confirm a private skipper cabin before treating all advertised berths as guest spaces.
Adding a skipper does not by itself turn this booking into a crewed package with cooking included. Ask for the cook charge and meal arrangements separately if those matter to your group. For a crewed alternative, enter the quoted all-inclusive terms or APA rather than carrying over the skippered boat’s expense assumptions.
Notes
Yachtco says guests on a skippered charter do not need to know how to sail because a professional skipper is provided. Confirm that the hired skipper is named in the agreement; Nammert says the named skipper is responsible for running the boat.
Compare the base charter quotes and their expense terms, not just the advertised prices. A crewed quote may require an APA in addition to the base fee, while Helm says Caribbean charters generally bundle food, fuel and marina costs into an all-inclusive fee.
Helm says unused APA funds are refunded at the end of the charter. If spending exceeds the fund, you must pay the shortfall.
Do not assume it does: Nammert says the fee usually covers only the skipper’s work. Yachtco says the charterer provides the skipper’s meals, so confirm cooking duties and any separate cook charge.
Sources
Each fact on this page comes from one of these pages. Operators change rates and rules; check the date and confirm the total with the operator before you pay.
Next