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What is Crewed Charter?

There are several types of crewed yacht charter available. The most basic option is when you charter a bareboat yacht and add skipper hire as an extra. That is called skippered charter and is suitable for most yachts.

A step up from that it that you hire a skipper and a hostess who also acts as a deck hand. This is an excellent option for families, especially if there are young children on board and an extra pair of watchful eyes is needed.

Larger yachts, especially motor yachts are only chartered out as fully crewed. Such crew generally includes a skipper / licensed captain, deck hand and a hostess.

What should I expect from a skipper / deck hand / hostess?

All skippers, deck hands and hostesses are highly trained, skilled and experienced professional crew. Friendly but professional attitude and manner are one of the basic requirements of the job and they generally get their cues from the clients in terms of what level of distance to maintain.

Most skippers are more than happy to take full charge of the navigation, passage planning and yacht handling but will also involve and engage the guests to an extent they deem safe, should the guests wish to get involved.

Deck hands generally work under full direction by the skipper. It is fairly uncommon to find deck hands on smaller yachts.

Hostesses are best described as multi-taskers and problem solvers. All hostesses have ample yachting experience to be able to assist the skipper with docking, safety on board, rope work, etc. but their primary role is taking care of the yacht and the guests. Typically, the hostess will do all provisioning in line with your dietary preferences and requirements, they will prepare and serve breakfast and light lunch as well drinks throughout the day, cleaning, tidying up and if necessary, they will skillfully get that red wine stain out of a cream cushion. Most hostesses are willing to help keep an eye on the children on board and will seldom refuse to baby sit in the evening should you wish to have a child-free dinner ashore.

Most crew working in the charter industry are locals who have sailed the same area many times. They will bring you to the most beautiful spots for swimming and other activities, they will always find the best anchoring spot and they know who to call to get you a table at a busy restaurant.

If you would like to know more about our other clients' experience with crewed charter, you can read about it here.

I am not sure about spending my holiday with stranger(s) on board

All crew are highly trained professionals who fully understand that your holiday is private time for you and your family. It is entirely up to you whether you choose to have a purely professional or more cordial relationship with them. They will respect your privacy none the less.

Crew have their own quarters on the yacht and are very mindful of not invading your own space or your holiday any more than you ask them to.

In our experience, many friendships have been forged with hired yacht skippers and crew, and we have clients who specifically request crew they already sailed with.

Who normally charters crewed yachts?

This varies from one client to another and their circumstances. Some of the examples are:

Families and groups who are not active and experienced sailors but want to have a sailing or yachting holiday

Couples holidaying with young children and who welcome extra help when maneuvering the boat and keeping an eye on their children at the same time

Honeymooners who want a truly luxurious, one of a kind experience away from the limitations of a typical honeymoon resorts

Experienced sailors with mobility difficulties due to either age or health conditions. They often choose to hire a younger skipper for 'heavy lifting'

What type of yacht can I charter with crew?

All yachts are available as skippered or fully crewed charter. Not all yachts and not all clients require a full crew or even a hostess, in most cases only a skipper is perfectly suitable.

Generally, larger yachts (>60ft in length) are available only for crewed charter.

How do I select my crewed charter yacht?

The principle is quite similar to selecting a bareboat charter (below) with an exception that you will need additional sleeping quarters for your crew so make sure that you took that into account.

There are several considerations to take into account when selecting your charter yacht. Our team members have plenty of experience in this area and are standing by to help. However, you should carefully consider the following:

Size, age profile and relationships within the group. For example, if your sailing group is made of three couples in their late 50's, you should look for three double cabins with minimum two heads and additional smaller cabin for stowage. Smaller cabins with 'coffin' bunks may not be most suitable option for guests but are perfectly fine for hired crew.

Time of the year for your charter. If you plan your holiday for July or August in the Mediterranean, paying a little bit extra for a yacht with air-conditioning will be money well spent, for everyone's comfort.

Where do you plan on sailing? If you plan to visit known shallow spots, you need to be mindful of your yacht's draught. All our quotes clearly display this information.

Where can I charter a crewed yacht?

We work with operators in over 50 countries worldwide. Being an Irish company, our primary focus is on the Mediterranean sailing destinations such as Croatia, Italy, Greece, Turkey, France and Spain but we also have fleets in the Caribbean, Bahamas, French Polynesia and many other parts of the world.

Tossa de Mar, Costa Brava, Spain._edited

How much does it cost to charter a crewed yacht?

That is 'how long is a piece of string?' question and there is no straight answer to it. The cost of yacht charter depends on the location where you are chartering, type and size of the yacht, its age, time of year, etc. Having said that, we pride ourselves on our ability to find a yacht to suit anyone's requirements and any budget. Having over 9,000 of them on our registry makes it possible and easy, so please talk to us and tell us as much as you can about your expectations, needs, interests and we will tailor a sailing experience for you.

For illustration purposes, a 2017 Bavaria Cruiser 46 in Croatia costs €4,550 at peak season, without any discounts applied. This yacht features four double cabins and three heads (WC + shower) and can comfortably be shared by 8 crew / guests.

However, you are highly unlikely to pay full €4,550 charter fee as there are always discounts available. These are clearly outlined on all our offers.

If you are hiring a crew for your charter, a skipper typically costs between €150 and €200 per day, hostess and a deck hand typically cost between €100 and €150 per day each. You are also expected to provide a cabin for the crew and their food for the duration of your charter.

Are there any other costs I should know about?

Yes, there are. Below costs vary between operators and not all items may apply. However, typically, you would need to pay the following on top of your charter fee:

Transit log / final cleaning. This depends on the size of the yacht and typically costs anywhere between €100 and €300 per yacht. The service typically includes yacht cleaning after your check out, gas for cooking, full tank of marine diesel, inflatable dinghy and all paperwork that needs to be filed with the marine authorities. In some cases, the service includes an outboard engine for the dinghy, bed linen and towels for each guest.

In some cases, there is bed linen and towels fee, in around €15 per guest

In some cases, there is additional fee for an outboard engine for the dinghy, typically in around €80 per yacht

All 'toys' such as snorkeling gear, paddle boards, kayaks, etc. are charged extra

You need to return your yacht with the full fuel tank, otherwise you will be charged for marine diesel top up

Some countries require base staff to collect tourist tax. In Croatia this costs around €1.40 per person, per day

All operators will require a security deposit. The amount of it depends on the size, age and value of the yacht you are chartering. It generally ranges between €1,000 and €3,000 and is payable at check in either by cash or swipe of the credit card. If you use your credit card, the funds are only 'reserved' rather than charged to your card. Some operators accept much smaller non-refundable insurance contribution in lieu of the security deposit. Others allow non-refundable insurance contribution for any potential damage to the yacht itself and refundable security deposit for 'household' items supplied. This is an excellent option for groups of friends and we highly recommend it. It is possible to 3rd party insure 90% of your security deposit for a relatively small fee. We are not directly affiliated with any insurance providing this service but highly recommend that you avail of this option.

We clearly outline all mandatory and optional extras on all our offers so you know exactly how much your charter will cost. In case of any ambiguities, we are more than happy to discuss each individual item with you and explain what it is. Extras are typically payable in cash at check in.

When is the best time to book my charter?

Here is a secret we shouldn't be sharing, but, any time between November and March for the following summer's sailing season.

Early booking typically opens in October / November and most operators offer discounts to kick start their bookings. Early booking discounts taper off at the end of January but the boat show discounts come in to replace them in February.

By booking your charter yacht early you are not only getting the most favorable price but also the best selection of yachts. That is something that should not be ignored.

You can pick up pretty good last minute deals too but, they can prove to be not so good if you add an expensive last minute airfare to get to your charter. It's a good idea to check availability and cost of transport to the base before you book your last minute charter.

You should let us know that you plan on hiring the crew when booking your yacht so we can notify the base and make sure that the crew is / are reserved for you.

When do I need to pay for my charter?

Once you have selected your yacht, we will put an 'option' on it with the operator. That means that the yacht is off the open market for a few days and tentatively reserved for you. At the same time we will issue you with an invoice with the full breakdown of costs payable to WannaGoSailing.com and at base.

You should transfer your 50% deposit straight away to us. Once we have received your deposit, we confirm your yacht booking and we pass it on to the operator.

Approximately 7 weeks prior to your charter commencement you will receive a reminder from us that your balance is due for payment in the next 7 - 10 days and a list of documents you need to submit.

If you booked your charter less than 6 weeks prior to your selected commencement date, full charter fee is payable straight away in order to secure a booking.

All extras, such as transit log, outboard engine for the dinghy, bedding, tourist taxes, airport transfers as well as the crew are payable at the base at check in.

Why should I book my charter with WannaGoSailing?

You don't have to and we can't make you. We still enjoy sharing our extensive knowledge of sailing, cruising and chartering. But if you decide to give us a chance, we can promise you the following:

We will find you a yacht that best matches your requirements, expectations and ability
We will make sure that you are not paying any more for the same yacht that you would with any other broker
We work only with most professional operators and offer only the most reliable and best maintained yachts with proven track record.
You will receive all the information that will make your sailing holiday a memorable and enjoyable experience, including nearest airport, suggested sailing routes, general information about the weather, what to bring on your holiday, information on points of interest in your selected sailing area, etc.
We will arrange any ancillary services you may require, such as airport transfers, provisioning, early check in, etc.
We will be at your disposal 24/7 should you need any assistance during your holiday.

Our clients keep coming back which is a true testament to the effort we put in and personal attention we give to each and every client and their booking.