Yacht Guide
How to Charter a Yacht
From first enquiry to embarkation, and what the charter contract actually covers.
The brief
Dates, guest number, cruising area and the character of the week. Ten guests on a seven-day Cyclades itinerary is a different yacht from eight guests wanting Monaco during a race weekend. Flexibility on dates or region widens what is genuinely available.
Shortlist and availability
Availability is checked yacht by yacht for your dates before anything is presented. A shortlist of three or four yachts with confirmed availability is more useful than twenty that look attractive online and are already taken.
Contract, APA and preference sheet
The charter agreement — commonly a MYBA-form contract — sets the fee, the area, the guest number and the cancellation terms. Alongside the fee sits the Advance Provisioning Allowance, which funds fuel, food, drink, berthing and other running costs during the charter.
- Charter fee — the yacht and her crew for the period.
- APA — running costs, reconciled with receipts at the end.
- VAT and delivery fees where applicable.
- Preference sheet — food, drink, allergies, sleeping arrangements, water toys.
- Crew gratuity — discretionary, by convention.
Aboard
The captain has final authority on itinerary and safety, and weather will occasionally change the plan. A good week is planned loosely enough to allow that.
This guide is general information about how the yacht market conventionally works. It is not legal, tax or financial advice, and it does not describe the terms of any specific yacht. Rates, prices, availability and access are confirmed in writing before anything is committed.