Yacht Charter Info

Four basic elements make up a sailing vacation.

1. The type and style of yacht;

2. the charter location;

3. the crew on the yacht;

4. you, the charterer.

An ideal yacht charter vacation will match all of these variables and also take into account what your particular interests, likes and preferences are and what you, your family and friends are looking for on your vacation.

Yacht Types

Power boat charter

Today's hectic lifestyle is reflected in the growing popularity of power boats as charter boats. The reasons stack up: power boats provide space, comfort, luxury and speed. It is the latter that will give the yacht charterer the chance to squeeze plenty into their itinerary, in a world where we’re all short of time. Power boats have other benefits:

Modern entertainments and amenities such as television, stereo, and video, not to mention navigation electronics.
Your power boat will have staterooms with a high level of comfort, which would normally include air-conditioning, stabilizers, large master rooms and guest rooms, all with beautifully finished en-suite facilities.
There will be an emphasis on the latest in technological navigational sophistication and communications systems; these will help to ensure that the highest safety precautions are maintained at all times.
The facilities in the galley on power boats are very generous and will often include all the luxury comforts of your kitchen at home – and more!
Power boats give you convenience. Getting underway means simply turning a key.
With their extra speed, power boats can leave sailboats behind, and arrive at their next destination point sooner. This means less time underway and gives you more relaxation time.
Power boats have more internal space, with larger cabins and head facilities and more unused deck space.
If you are interested in specialist fishing or diving charters, then power boats are an ideal solution, as they provide stability and manoeuvrability. As they often feature a shallower draft they are able to get into and around areas unreachable by most sailboats.

Power boat

Sailboat charter

Many locations completely unreachable by land are suddenly opened up to you when you chart a sailboat. You will also experience the exhilarating freedom that can only be found on board a lovely yacht, with the wind in your hair and the spray on your face. A powerboat may offer speed, but a sailboat gets you closer to the ocean and that feeling of really being alive. The essence of any sailboat charter is freedom, adventure and vitality.

To truly experience some of the world’s most spectacular coastlines, sailing charters are the best answer. To enjoy the holiday you’ve always dreamed of, sailing charters give you flexibility and freedom. Whether your sailing charter is a monohull or a catamaran, one of the highlights is the totally peaceful serenity achieved, with the sounds of the hull skimming through the waves, the sails flapping in the breeze and the occasional distant call of a seagull. It all adds up to unsurpassed freedom.

Sailing charter yacht types:

Monohulls – these include schooners, sloops and ketches. Single-hulled boats are great for adventure sailing or cruising. While undoubtedly comfortable, monohulls tend not to have as much interior and unused deck space as catamarans.

Monohull

Catamarans/Multi-hulls – these are great for stable and fast cruising. Multi-hulls have far more interior space. Catamarans have a low draught, which enables them to cruise in shallower waters.

Catamaran

Motor-sailers – Motor-sailers are predominantly monohulls. The engine capacity on these boats is as large as some power boats, giving them great speed when under power. In addition, they can use sail and wind power.

Motor-sailer

Classic sailing charter yachts tend to be older, although very well maintained traditional classic yachts. They can be square riggers, traditional Turkish Gullets or historical sailing barges. In general, classic charter yachts are beautifully finished in an authentic style.

Classic sailer

Yacht Charter Terms and Conditions

The majority of our Yachts use the MYBA Charter Agreement and others use their own terms. The following will provide an indication:

MYBA (Mediterranean Yacht Brokers Association) - Yacht Charter rate includes hire and insurance of yacht, crew wages, crew food and ship's laundry only.
WMT (Western Mediterranean Terms) - Yacht Charter rate includes hire and insurance of yacht and crew wages only.
EMT (Eastern Mediterranean Terms) - Yacht Charter rate includes hire and insurance of yacht and crew wages. Includes fuel for a specified number of hours cruising per day as well as most harbour charges.
GT (Greek Terms) - Yacht Charter rate includes hire and insurance of yacht and crew wages. Includes most harbour charges within Greek waters.

The specific terms of each charter will be detailed in the Yacht Charter Agreement, signed by the charterer and the yacht owner or their representatives. The yacht charterer will normally pay, in addition to the charter fee and at cost, all fuel and lubricating oil costs for the yacht and tender, all harbour, pilot and divers' fees, water, electricity, local taxes as applicable and all food and beverages for the charterer's party. Yacht charter rates are subject to change without notice.

A yacht charter fee is payable for the exclusive charter of the yacht. The charter fee includes the charter of the yacht with all its equipment in working order: tools, stores, cleaning materials, basic consumable stores for engine-room, deck and cabins etc.; the crew's wages, food; the insurance of the yacht for marine risk and third party claims and the crew for employer's liability.

Advance Provisioning Allowance
In addition to the yacht charter fee, you will also be asked to pay an APA (Advance Provisioning Allowance) of 25-30% of the charter fee. This is given to the yacht's captain in cash prior to your yacht charter to allow him to buy fuel, provision the yacht with food and drink as per your demands, and cover any other expenses relating to the cost of your yacht charter (including fuel for RIB or other tenders or jetskis; fuel for generators; consumable stores; berthing dues and other harbour charges away from the yacht's own berth, including pilotage fees and charges for water and electricity taken from the shore; laundry, telephone, fax or telex via radio or Inmarsat). At the end of the charter, the captain will produce full accounts of all expenditure. You will either be refunded any money not used or asked to pay any additional costs not covered by the APA.

Payment Terms
Upon signature of the Yacht Charter Agreement, a deposit of 50% will be required to confirm the booking. The balance of 50%, together with the APA and any delivery / redelivery charges, will be due six weeks prior to the start of the charter.

Taxes
Yacht Charter rates will be subject to varying rates of VAT within EC waters. Commercially registered yachts are usually tax exempt.

Delivery / Redelivery
Delivery / Redelivery fees, involving time as well as fuel, may be applicable if the yacht charter starts and/or finishes other than in the yacht's home port.

Security Deposit
The owner may require a security deposit against possible damage by the charterer.

Food and Drink
We will send you a preferences and provisions sheet for completion. There is no additional charge for preparing and serving food and drinks on board.

Captain’s Authority
The Captain will always try to comply with your wishes, but his primary responsibility is for the safety of the yacht and passengers. Should a scenario arise where a request conflicts with this responsibility, your Captain will discuss all possible alternatives with you. However, when relating to the safety of the yacht and those on board, his decision is final. This provision also applies to the use of any watersports equipment on board.

Luggage
Storage space in the guest cabins is inevitably limited. Hard-sided suitcases can be a nuisance and take up a lot of room. If possible, please use soft baggage that can be easily folded up and stowed when empty.

Travel Insurance
We recommend that you take suitable Cancellation and Curtailment Insurance in case unforeseen circumstances prevent or cut short your yacht charter.

Smoking
For safety reasons, notably the prevention of fire, smoking is only permitted out on deck, and not below decks or in the saloon.

Children
Children should be supervised at all times by an adult member of the yacht charter party.

Pets
No pets are permitted on board.

JetSkis
Use of Personal Water Craft is only permitted subject to the operator having the appropriate licence and meeting with local operating regulations.

Scuba Diving
Scuba Diving is by rendezvous with professional scuba diving establishments only.

Gratuities
A yacht’s crew will work extremely hard and very long hours to make sure that your yacht charter is a total success, and whilst not mandatory it is customary to leave a gratuity (tip) at the end of a yacht charter. For excellent service it is standard to leave a tip of between five and 15 per cent of the charter fee, which should be given to the captain for disbursement to the rest of the crew.

MYBA - Mediterranean Yacht Brokers Association

MYBA is a worldwide professional trade association founded in 1984 with the aim of promoting standards of professionalism and ethics in the yachting industry throughout the Mediterranean. The MYBA charter agreement embodies all aspects of Western Mediterranean Charter Terms, and is the contract of choice for professional charter brokers.

● Visit the MYBA Web ● Download Specimen MYBA Contract ● Download the Captain's Guidelines●

The Captain’s guidance sheet shown below should help you understand how a typical WMT MYBA charter operates, and what you should expect from your captain and crew:

MYBA Guidelines to Charter Yacht Captains
Charter Agreements

The Captain should ensure a signed copy of the relevant Charter Agreement is on board for each charter booked. Time should be taken to read and understand the terms and conditions of this Agreement, drawing particular attention to any applicable addenda, and make sure that all accounting and other procedures comply with those terms and conditions.

MYBA Terms
The charter fee includes the charter of the yacht with all its equipment in working order: tools; stores; cleaning materials and basic consumable stores for engine room, deck, galley and cabins; laundry of ship’s linen; the crew’s wages, uniform and food; the insurance of the vessel and crew as per Clause 16. The Charterer will pay, at cost, for all other expenses. These include, but are not limited to, shoreside transport, fuel for the main engines and generators; fuel for tenders and water sports equipment; food and beverages for the Charterer’s party; berthing dues and other harbour charges including pilots’ fees, local taxes, divers’ fees, customs formalities and any charges for waste disposal, charges for water and electricity taken from shore; ships’ agents’ fees where applicable; personal laundry; charter party communications and internet use, and hire or purchase costs of any special equipment placed on board at the Charterer’s request.

Basic Consumable Stores
Included in the charter fee are "basic consumable stores" and these should include filters, lubricating oil, paints, varnishes, etc. as well as standard sun lotions, soaps, shampoos, tissues, magazines not specifically requested by the Charterer, etc. In the galley, salt, pepper, spices, herbs, sugar, etc. are all basic consumables and should be stocked by the yacht.

Port Fees
The Charterer should only be charged for port fees incurred during the charter period (unless any member of the Charterer’s party arrives earlier than contracted or stays later, in which case any additional port fees incurred will also be charged to the Charterer’s account). In any other circumstances, the port fees will be for the Owner’s account. The Captain has the option of anchoring out if the yacht arrives at the Port of Delivery before the charter period begins and the Owner does not want to pay the port fees.

Flowers
We have not mentioned flowers in the summary of expenses for the Charterer’s account. The initial decoration of the yacht should be paid for by the yacht. However, as those initial displays need replacing, it is quite reasonable for the Chief Stewardess to ask the Charterer if he/she wants them replaced and provide an indication of extra cost.

Communication Charges
These should be charged at cost and properly invoiced. Where an invoice is not immediately available, the Charterer should be advised of the approximate cost of communications and charged accordingly, on the understanding that any adjustment will be settled at a later date.

Fuel Costs
Captains should aim to provide fuel at the best available price and at Duty Free cost where possible. An explanation of the fuel used during the charter should be given clearly to the Charterer when the final account is presented.

Laundry
All ship’s laundry including sheets, towels, table linen, uniform, etc., must be included in the charter fee and normally carried out by the yacht’s crew on board. It is therefore possible to charge the Charterer for personal items, although it is common practice on most yachts for moderate quantities of personal laundry to be carried out by the yacht’s crew on board as a service and as a matter of goodwill. These terms allow a yacht crew to refuse politely to do excessive quantities of laundry and also to refuse to handle particularly delicate items.

Provisioning
Since the Charterer is to be charged for provisions at cost, it is highly recommended that the use of agents should only be considered if necessary when purchasing provisions. All professional Brokers should be in a position to assist Captains and crew in finding the best local addresses for provisioning, and crews should not hesitate to ask for assistance. If it is necessary to use an agent, Captains are requested to be judicious and prudent about the costs and to check the invoices carefully.

APA
The Captain is answerable directly to the Charterer (or, if requested by the Charterer, the Broker) for the disbursement of the Advance Provisioning Allowance (APA) and should ensure that this is spent in a responsible manner, with proper regard as to its value. The Captain is also accountable for any funds disbursed by any member of his crew. During the charter, it is the Captain’s duty to observe the level of expenditure and to keep the Charterer informed of the status of the accounts on a regular basis. The Captain may respectfully ask the Charterer for additional funds during the charter if necessary. At the end of the charter, the Captain should present the Charterer with a statement of account showing the disbursement of the APA, with all supporting receipts. These accounts should be clearly presented and self-explanatory, but the Captain should be on hand in case the Charterer has any questions. If there are any queries, these must be noted and the Broker informed as soon as possible. If the accounts are accepted, the Charterer should sign them off and a copy should be transmitted to the Broker. The Charterer should have the option to receive any refund due on the APA by bank transfer if he does not wish to accept cash. At the end of the charter, the Captain should present the Charterer (or his Broker) with a list of any provisions purchased but not consumed, particularly wines and spirits. The Captain should ensure that the Charterer is aware that duty-free goods cannot be taken off the yacht without making the appropriate customs’ declarations, and should advise the Charterer of his options.

Declaration of Cash on Board
The laws governing cash movements are strictly regulated and Captains should ensure that they are aware of these laws and are operating in compliance with them. When in French Waters, the Captain should ensure that all cash on board over the declared limit (10,000 euros at the time of writing) is rapidly declared to the French customs.

Confidentiality
The Captain and crew are bound at all times to keep all information related to any Charter, the Owner, the Charterer and all guests as confidential, even after their employment on board has ended, and no information is to be disclosed to any third party without prior permission in writing.

Captain’s Briefing
At a suitable moment, once the Charterers have joined the yacht, the Captain should deliver a short briefing, in which he explains the basic safety procedures and other issues of concern. These may include, but are not limited to, general security, the use of water sports equipment, smoking, recreational drugs and the yacht’s specific policy towards children.

Insurance
As well as ensuring that the yacht is properly covered for charter, the Captain should be fully conversant with the terms of the yacht’s policies (see Clause 16 Insurance).

Uniforms
Attention is drawn to Clause 6 of the Agreement regarding crew. Uniforms should be worn throughout any charter.

Wear and Tear
A Charterer should only be charged for carpet cleaning if the damage caused cannot be considered “fair wear and tear”.

Logbooks
A copy of the vessel’s logbook for the period of the charter should be made available to the Broker, upon request.

Notices
With reference to Clause 13 (Use of the Vessel), if the Captain feels that there has been a breach of contract during the Charter Period, he should advise the Stakeholder (Owner or Managing Agent) (preferably in writing) as soon as possible. In the same way, with respect to Clause 7 (Captain's Authority) the Captain shall immediately notify the Broker and Stakeholder of any breakdown, disablement, crew changes, accidents or other significant incidents that occur during the Charter Period.

Crew Gratuities
Gratuities are left at the Charterer’s discretion. Brokers generally suggest to Charterers that a gratuity calculated between five and 15 per cent of the charter fee is appropriate if the crew has given excellent service. However, it is important to understand that a Charterer is under no obligation to leave a gratuity and at no time should a gratuity be solicited, either verbally or in written form when settling the final account. Furthermore, a guest will naturally expect his gesture to be acknowledged and appreciated, whatever the amount.