This is the yacht charter glossary for the words you will meet on a proposal, a yacht listing and a MYBA contract, in plain English. Every entry is a short definition and, where it changes what you pay or how the week runs, one line on what it means for you.
Type a word into the search box, or jump to the group you need and pick the term from the list under its heading. These are the words our brokers use on every proposal and contract across the DMA network, and where a term deserves more than three sentences, the entry links to the page that explains it properly.
Money and the contract
All-inclusive, APA, APA statement, Authorized bank account, Berthing and dockage, Charter fee, Crew gratuity, CYBA charter agreement, Delivery fee, Deposit and balance, ECPY, Fiscal agent, Full board, Half board, Local fees, MYBA charter agreement, Plus expenses, Provisioning, Rate “from”, Rate: Inclusive / Plus Expenses, Security deposit, Short charter pricing, Special conditions, Stakeholder, VAT
All-inclusive
One weekly rate that covers the yacht, crew, meals, the standard bar and fuel for a normal route, and on many boats moorings and dockage too. It still leaves out the crew tip, premium alcohol, dinners ashore and local government fees. It is the norm on BVI catamarans and the exception on large motor yachts and in Greece, and our BVI site lists what all-inclusive actually includes.
For you: With one price you have the week; nobody is counting how much you eat. The opposite model is plus expenses.
APA (Advance Provisioning Allowance)
A running-cost fund you pay before boarding. The captain spends it on fuel, food, drinks, berths and port fees at cost, and whatever is unspent comes back to you after the charter. It is set as a percentage of the charter fee, roughly 20 to 40 percent depending on yacht type and destination, and our French Riviera site explains how the APA is set and spent.
For you: Budget the full APA as spent and treat any refund as money back; a charter week is the hardest week that hull runs, so the statement sits near the top of the running-cost range, not the bottom.
APA statement (reconciliation)
The itemized account the captain presents on the last evening or morning: fuel, provisioning, drinks, berthing, taxes and sundries, with receipts where they exist. You review it, both of you sign, and the unspent balance comes back by cash or transfer.
For you: If you are chartering to learn what a boat costs to run before you buy one, read the statement as a busy week and notice what is not on it: crew wages, insurance, refit, management and the off-season berth.
Authorized bank account
A contract clause requiring every payment to come from an account in the charterer’s own name. It is an anti-fraud rule, and it protects you as much as the owner.
For you: If the money needs to come from a company or a family member, tell your broker before the contract goes out; it is a normal request and needs one extra document.
Berthing and dockage (marina night)
The charge for a night alongside in a marina or port, priced per night by the yacht’s length and the season. On plus-expenses yachts it is paid from the APA; on many all-inclusive boats moorings and dockage are inside the rate, with marina nights outside the normal plan charged on request.
For you: Docking is convenient; at anchor is where the boat earns its keep. We plan a night or two on the quay for the theater of stepping off your own yacht into town, and the rest in the bays.
Charter fee (base rate)
The weekly price of the yacht and her crew, before VAT, the APA and the tip. It is the number on the listing card and on page one of the contract.
For you: VAT and the crew tip are both calculated on this figure, never on the APA.
Crew gratuity (tip)
The tip you hand the captain on the last day for the crew to share. It is always at your discretion: the MYBA agreement your captain signs does not require one, it is never charged up front, and no one will ask for it. The custom is 5 to 15 percent of the base charter fee in the Mediterranean and 15 to 20 percent in the Caribbean, and our crewed yacht charter etiquette guide covers when and how.
For you: Tip on the base fee, never on VAT or the APA; on an all-inclusive boat the custom is the same, calculated on the all-inclusive fee.
CYBA charter agreement
The Caribbean equivalent of the MYBA contract, issued by the Charter Yacht Brokers Association. It carries the same structure: a deposit on signing, the balance before boarding, funds held by a stakeholder. Our BVI site walks through how a first charter works step by step.
For you: Because most BVI catamarans are all-inclusive, a CYBA contract often has no APA line at all; the contract states which model your yacht uses.
Delivery fee (relocation fee)
A charge for moving the yacht from her home port to your start port, or back again after a one-way charter. It covers the crew’s time and fuel for a passage you are not aboard for, and it sits outside the charter fee and the APA.
For you: When your dates are flexible, asking which slots avoid a relocation fee is the easy win.
Deposit and balance (payment schedule)
The two payments that secure a charter. A deposit, commonly 50 percent of the charter fee, is due when you sign; the balance, VAT and APA are due before you board, typically 4 to 6 weeks out. The exact dates are printed on page one of your agreement.
For you: Send the preference sheet once the second payment is made, so the crew can provision and file the permits.
ECPY (European Committee for Professional Yachting)
A Mediterranean industry body of which DMA is a member. Its transport-and-charter contract is an alternative to the MYBA form for cross-border routes and can change the tax picture on a charter that starts in one country and ends in another.
For you: If your route reaches beyond the start country’s waters, ask your broker which contract applies before you compare quotes; we advise case by case.
Fiscal agent
The locally registered representative who declares and remits the charter VAT on the yacht’s behalf. Your VAT payment is routed through this agent along with the final balance.
Full board
A meal plan in which every meal of the week is cooked and served aboard. It is the standard assumption behind an all-inclusive rate and the default the chef provisions for.
For you: On plus-expenses yachts that quote a per-person daily menu price, that amount is taken from the APA, not charged separately.
Half board
A meal plan in which the chef prepares breakfast, lunch and daytime snacks, plus a small number of dinners, and the other dinners are taken ashore at your own expense. Some catamarans offer it as a cheaper alternative to the full-board rate.
For you: Ask exactly how many dinners are included before you compare a half-board rate with a full-board one.
Local fees (cruising tax, park and port fees)
Small per-person or per-night charges levied by the destination rather than the yacht: cruising taxes, environmental levies, national park and mooring fees. They are paid from the APA on plus-expenses yachts and usually sit outside the rate even on all-inclusive boats; our VAT and fees by country guide lists them.
For you: Fee rates move, so we confirm the current figures in writing on every quote.
MYBA charter agreement
The standard contract for crewed charters in the Mediterranean, written by MYBA The Worldwide Yachting Association (formerly the Mediterranean Yacht Brokers Association). It sets the payment schedule, the APA, cancellation terms and what happens if the yacht is sold or cannot deliver.
For you: The MYBA form covers every basis of cancellation, from force majeure to the sale of the vessel; read the cancellation clause before you sign, not after.
Plus expenses
A rate quoted as the charter fee plus an APA on top. Fuel, food, drinks and dockage are paid from the APA at cost rather than built into the price. It is the standard model on large motor yachts, and our Greek site sets all-inclusive and APA pricing side by side.
For you: Never compare a plus-expenses headline with an all-inclusive one. Compare charter fee plus VAT plus APA, and treat an unusually low APA as a question, not a saving.
Provisioning
The food, drink and household supplies the chef buys for your week, working from your preference sheet. It is the P in APA on plus-expenses yachts, and inside the rate on all-inclusive ones.
For you: Premium wine and spirits sit outside even an all-inclusive rate, so name the brands you care about on the sheet and the crew will price them before the trip.
Rate “from” (seasonal rates)
The From price on a listing card is the yacht’s lowest seasonal rate, usually low season. The same yacht carries a higher rate in high season, and the contract states which band your dates fall in.
Rate: Inclusive, Rate: Plus Expenses (on our listings)
The label on our yacht cards that tells you which pricing model a yacht uses. Inclusive or All Included means one rate; Plus Expenses means the APA comes on top.
For you: An all-inclusive rate covers the week; a plus-expenses rate is the boat and crew only, before the APA and the tip.
Security deposit
A refundable sum some yachts hold against damage, returned after the charter if nothing is claimed. It is separate from the APA and is not part of the charter fee.
For you: A pet aboard is one reason a deposit appears: some owners say yes with a cleaning fee from the APA, sometimes a deposit, and a photo and the breed first.
Short charter pricing (less than a week)
Brokers price a charter shorter than 7 nights with a standard convention: the weekly rate divided by 6, times the number of nights. A 6-night charter costs the full weekly rate, and very short bookings often carry a premium; our Croatian site shows the arithmetic for a 3-day charter.
Special conditions (contract addendum)
The section of a MYBA or CYBA agreement that carries the terms particular to that yacht and that booking: pets, smoking, a security deposit, extra crew, a non-standard payment schedule. It has the same force as the printed clauses.
For you: Read this section first. It is where anything that differs from the standard form lives.
Stakeholder (escrow)
The account that holds your charter payments and releases them to the owner only when the contract says, commonly on boarding. It is how the MYBA and CYBA systems protect your money.
For you: If a broker or owner lets you pay half after the charter, be careful; that is usually someone outside the associations that safeguard your funds.
VAT (charter tax)
A tax charged on the charter fee, set by the country where the charter starts, not where it ends. It ranges from 0 to 24 percent across the destinations we book and is paid with the final balance; our yacht charter VAT by country guide has the rate for each.
For you: VAT is charged on the charter fee only, not on the APA. The exception is an all-inclusive rate, where provisions are inside the price and VAT is calculated on the whole.
Bareboat charter
You rent the boat and skipper it yourself, with no crew. It is a different market with its own contract, deposit and licensing rules. The DMA network sells private crewed charters.
Cabin charter (by-the-cabin)
You book one cabin on a yacht shared with other paying guests, on a fixed route, often without a MYBA-style contract. It is not private. The DMA network sells private crewed charters.
Captain-only (skippered) charter
A yacht with a captain but no chef or stew: you provision and cook yourselves. A few crewed yachts offer it as a cheaper option. The DMA network sells private crewed charters.
Crewed charter
A private charter of the whole yacht with her professional crew: captain, chef and, depending on size, stew and deckhand. The crew live aboard and the week is built around your preference sheet. This is what every site in the DMA network sells.
For you: Two crew is the minimum for a charter to count as crewed rather than captain-only; see crew size.
Day charter
A charter of a single day with no overnight, usually on a simple booking form rather than a MYBA agreement. The DMA network sells private crewed charters.
Round trip vs one-way charter
A round trip starts and ends in the same port. A one-way ends somewhere else, which can unlock a better route but adds a delivery fee and ties you to the yacht’s calendar; our Greek site weighs round trip against one-way.
For you: Split to Dubrovnik in Croatia is the classic one-way, and tight flight connections are the reason our brokers sometimes advise against it.
Static charter (dockside)
A charter where the yacht stays alongside as floating accommodation rather than cruising. It is a niche product rather than a cruising week, and it is not always taxed the same way.
Tandem charter
Two yachts booked to cruise together for a group larger than one yacht may legally carry. Each yacht has its own contract and crew, and the group meets at anchor, for meals and ashore; our BVI site explains how a tandem charter works.
For you: Almost any yacht can be booked as half of a tandem; the work is in matching two boats of similar pace and standard.
Term charter
A charter of a week or more, the standard crewed product. The weekly rate is the unit everything else is quoted against.
Beam
The yacht’s width at her widest point. Beam is what gives a catamaran her space: wide hulls mean bigger cabins and a bigger saloon than a monohull of the same length.
Bow, stern, port and starboard (directions on board)
The bow is the front of the yacht and the stern the back; forward and aft are the directions toward them. Port is the left side and starboard the right when you face the bow, and midship is the middle of the boat, where she moves least.
For you: Cabin descriptions use these words: an aft cabin is at the back, a forward cabin at the front, and low and midship is the calmest place to sleep.
Catamaran
A twin-hulled sailing yacht with cabins in the hulls and living space across the bridge deck. It offers more cabins and deck space for the money than a monohull, and it is the standard crewed boat in the BVI; browse our catamarans for charter.
For you: On most catamarans the galley is part of the main saloon, so the crew are cooking a few steps from where you sit; good catamaran crew are very good at being unobtrusive, but they are present.
Draft
How deep the yacht sits below the waterline. A shallow draft lets her anchor closer in, and the captain, not the spec sheet, decides where she can safely go.
Guests (pax) and cabins
The guest figure on a listing is how many people the yacht is licensed to sleep, and the cabin count is how those beds are arranged. Twelve guests in six doubles is a different boat from twelve in four doubles, a twin and two pullmans, as our BVI catamarans for 12 guests show.
For you: Tell us who your twelve are, couples, kids, friends, and we will find a boat that fits.
Gulet and motorsailer
Wide two-masted yachts with many cabins, a huge shaded aft deck and a crew who cook and serve aboard all week: traditionally wooden in Turkey, often steel-built in Croatia. They are the natural answer for a group of 10 or more in those two countries; see our gulets and motorsailers in Croatia.
For you: Layout matters more than length: some gulets feel social and generous, others compartmentalized, and refit quality decides whether the charm comes with a tired interior.
LOA (length overall)
The yacht’s full length from bow to stern, the figure used in her name and rate band. Listings do not always measure it the same way.
For you: The same boat can appear with three different lengths across three listings, so take the listing’s length as a guide, not a measurement.
Motor yacht
A yacht driven by engines alone, built in decks rather than hulls. It gives the most speed, the most crew separation and the widest choice at the top of the market; browse our motor yachts for charter.
For you: On a motor yacht the crew work in their own galley and passageways, so you can spend a whole afternoon on the aft deck without seeing anyone until you want something.
Power catamaran
A catamaran hull driven by engines instead of sails: faster than a sailing cat, with the same wide living spaces, and usually cheaper to run than a monohull motor yacht of similar length. Browse our power catamarans for charter.
Refit
A major renovation of an existing yacht: interior, systems, sometimes the engines. Our listing cards show a refit year in place of the build year where one applies, because a well-refitted older hull can outperform a tired newer one; our Greek site explains how to judge a yacht before you book.
For you: The photo gallery is a sales tool: use it to decide whether you like the layout, never to judge condition.
Sailing yacht (monohull)
A single-hulled yacht that sails. It heels under way, carries fewer cabins than a catamaran of the same length, and gives the most authentic sailing week; browse our sailing yachts for charter.
Sistership
A yacht built to the same design as another, often by the same yard in the same year. When one hull is booked, her sisterships are the fastest way to find the same layout.
Superyacht
The largest crewed charter yachts, run by full professional crews with a dedicated chef, stews, deckhands and engineers. Plus expenses is the standard pricing model; see superyacht charter with DMA.
Cabins and spaces
Aft deck and swim platform, Beach club, Bridge deck, Bunk cabin, Cockpit, Double, twin and convertible, Ensuite, Flybridge, Foredeck and trampoline, Galley and galley-down, General arrangement, Master cabin, Nanny cabin, Passerelle, Pullman berth, Saloon, Skylounge, Sundeck, VIP cabin
Aft deck and swim platform
The aft deck is the shaded outdoor dining and lounging space at the back of the main deck. The swim platform is the step at water level below it, where the tender and toys are launched.
For you: On some yachts the aft deck or swim platform, downwind, is the one place you may smoke; on others there is no smoking anywhere aboard.
Beach club
A guest area at water level in the stern of a larger motor yacht, opening onto the swim platform, often with a sauna, gym or bar. Not to be confused with the beach clubs ashore.
Bridge deck
On a catamaran, the deck that spans the two hulls and carries the saloon, the cockpit and the helm. It is why a catamaran’s living space sits on one level, with the cabins a few steps down in each hull.
Bunk cabin
A compact cabin with two to four stacked beds, usually forward or beside the crew quarters. Right for children, rarely comfortable for adults.
For you: The position is a feature for parents: the crew hear the kids before you do.
Cockpit
The outdoor seating and dining area aft of the saloon on a catamaran or sailing yacht, usually shaded and open to the swim platform. It is the catamaran’s version of the aft deck, and where meals are served when the weather allows.
Double, twin and convertible cabins
A double has one queen-size bed for a couple; a twin has two single beds; a convertible switches between the two, usually with an insert or a sliding mechanism. Our Greek site’s cabin layouts guide goes through every type.
For you: A converted double is two mattresses pushed together, not a true double bed: fine for a week, but light sleepers should ask for a fixed double.
Ensuite (head)
A private bathroom attached to the cabin. Sailors call any bathroom a head. On the yachts we charter every guest cabin has its own, and the crew have theirs.
Flybridge
The open upper deck on a motor yacht or larger catamaran, usually with a second helm, sunpads and a bar. On a catamaran it is a genuinely separate world from the saloon.
Foredeck and trampoline
The foredeck is the open deck at the front of the yacht. On a catamaran it is the trampoline, the net strung between the bows where you lie over the water at anchor or under way.
For you: The trampoline and the flybridge are the two spots on a catamaran furthest from the galley.
Galley and galley-down
The galley is the yacht’s kitchen. On most catamarans it sits in the main saloon; a galley-down layout puts it below deck, which hands the living space back to you and takes the crew out of the middle of it. Our Greek site describes what sharing a yacht with crew feels like in each layout.
For you: A galley-down catamaran rarely appears in the headline description, so ask for it by name if privacy is high on your list.
General arrangement (GA)
The deck-by-deck plan drawing that shows where every cabin, bathroom, galley and crew passage sits. It tells you more about how a week will feel than the photo gallery.
For you: The general arrangement is where the real differences hide; cabin layout decides more about your week than first-timers expect.
Master cabin
The largest and best-placed cabin on the yacht. On motor yachts it often has his-and-hers bathrooms and a walk-in wardrobe; on catamarans it is the best cabin in one hull, or a whole hull on an owner’s-version boat.
For you: The glamorous top-deck master is also the cabin that moves the most; if anyone is prone to seasickness, ask for a cabin low and midship.
Nanny cabin
A small extra cabin some yachts carry for a nanny or personal staff, outside the guest count. Without one, a nanny counts as one of your 12 guests.
Passerelle
The gangway between the yacht and the dock. Shoes come off at the top of it, and there is a basket for them.
For you: Teak and deck cushions mark easily, and bare feet grip better on a moving boat.
Pullman berth
A fold-down bunk mounted on a cabin wall, used to add a bed to a twin or double. Brochures count it toward the guest total, so a 12-guest yacht may sleep the twelfth on a pullman.
For you: Put it in writing that the pullmans are for children; an adult fits, but it is not a comfortable week.
Saloon
The yacht’s main indoor living room, with dining and lounge seating. Large yachts add a skylounge on the deck above.
Skylounge
An enclosed second lounge on the deck above the main saloon of a larger motor yacht, often with its own bar and a view forward over the bow. On some yachts it doubles as the cinema.
Sundeck
The top deck of a larger motor yacht, above the flybridge level, typically with a jacuzzi, sunpads and an outdoor bar.
VIP cabin
The second-tier double, about 60 to 70 percent of the master’s size, usually with a king bed and a full ensuite. Larger yachts carry several so equal couples get equal rooms.
The crew
Captain, Chef, Crew quarters, Crew size, Deckhand, Stew, Turnaround
Captain
The person in charge of the yacht, the route and everyone aboard. The captain reads the weather into your itinerary, enforces the owner’s house rules and signs the APA statement with you at the end.
For you: The captain has the final word on where the yacht goes and when; a leg the forecast rules out will be swapped, not forced.
Chef
The crew member who provisions the boat from your preference sheet and cooks every meal aboard. On a 2-crew boat the chef is also the second pair of hands for everything else.
Crew quarters (crew cabin, crew mess)
The crew’s own cabins, bathroom, mess and route through the boat, separate from the guest areas. On catamarans they are usually forward in the bows; on motor yachts they are a separate part of the boat.
For you: Crew size is capped by crew cabins: on some boats the fourth guest cabin doubles as a crew bunk, so an extra crew member can literally cost you a cabin.
Crew size
Two crew, a captain and a chef, is the minimum for a crewed charter. A third, usually a dedicated stew, is the first person whose whole job is you; four adds a deckhand for the toys; five usually means a second stew. A 55-foot catamaran for 8 runs on 2 and a 120-foot motor yacht for 11 runs on 7, and our BVI site explains how many crew a charter yacht needs.
For you: Adding a third crew member, where the boat allows it, can be around $2,000 for the week, and some 3-crew catamarans price right alongside 2-crew boats of the same size.
Deckhand
The crew member who runs the tender, rigs the water toys and handles lines, fenders and the deck. Usually the fourth person aboard a crew.
Stew (stewardess)
The crew member who looks after the cabins, the table and the drinks. On a 2-crew boat the captain and chef split the service between them; the stew is the crew member added when the boat carries 3 or more.
Turnaround
The hours between one charter’s disembarkation and the next embarkation, when the crew clean, refuel, provision and reset the yacht. It is why boarding and leaving times are fixed in the contract.
Anchorage and mooring ball
An anchorage is a bay where the yacht drops her own anchor for the night, at no charge beyond any park fee. A mooring ball is a fixed buoy the yacht ties to instead, paid per night, and in the BVI overnight moorings are a line on the government-fees side of the budget unless the rate already includes them.
For you: Popular harbors in high season need berths booked ahead, so swapping a port night for a bay is easier than the reverse.
Chase boat (support vessel)
A second, faster boat that follows the yacht to carry toys, run transfers or take part of the group on excursions. A few large yachts include one in the rate.
Cruising speed vs top speed
Cruising speed is the pace the yacht holds comfortably and economically all day; top speed is what she can do briefly. Sailing yachts and gulets cruise more slowly than motor yachts, and on a motor yacht fuel burn climbs steeply with speed, as our Greek fuel cost guide shows.
For you: Speed changes the fuel number fast: on a motor yacht, a week of fast port-to-port days uses far more than a week spent mostly at anchor.
Generator
The engine that makes the yacht’s electricity when the main engines are off, and what runs the air conditioning at anchor. Some boats hold air conditioning overnight on batteries and some run a generator through the night; our BVI site explains what the generator at night means for your sleep.
For you: On some hulls the owner’s cabin sits far enough forward that you would not notice either way, so ask which yours is.
Itinerary
The route you agree with your broker before the charter. It is a wish list, not a contract; wind, swell, berths and the captain’s knowledge of the coast turn it into the week.
For you: Put the 3 places you care about on the sheet and let the crew build the days around the weather; the hardest brief a captain gets is a fixed itinerary demanded stop by stop.
Jet skis (PWC)
Personal watercraft carried by some yachts. Where they are allowed depends on the country and on the operator holding a license; in the BVI they are banned for charter guests.
Knots and nautical miles
A nautical mile is 1,852 meters, a little more than a land mile. A knot is one nautical mile per hour. Distances on an itinerary are in nautical miles and speeds in knots.
For you: Do the arithmetic before you agree a route: 200 nautical miles over 5 days is 40 a day, and at 8 knots that is 5 hours under way every day.
Stabilizers (underway and zero-speed)
Fins or a gyroscope that cut the yacht’s roll. Underway stabilizers smooth the crossings; at-anchor, or zero-speed, stabilization is the premium tier and the one that fixes a rolly night in an open bay. Our Greek stabilizers guide explains which yachts have which.
For you: A gyro needs about 20 to 40 minutes to spool up, so a good crew switches it on before it is needed rather than after the rolling starts.
Tender
The yacht’s own small boat, used to run you ashore, to the beach and back from dinner. Its size and horsepower decide how far and how fast you can go, and whether it can tow the toys.
For you: Check the horsepower if watersports matter, 40 hp is usually the minimum for towing, and never smoke in the tender: it is a fuel tank with seats.
Water toys
The equipment listed on the yacht’s brochure: paddleboards, kayaks, snorkel gear, seabobs, efoils, jet skis where legal. Use is included and fuel for them comes from the APA on plus-expenses yachts; our BVI site lists what is included on a crewed charter.
For you: Say in the morning what you want in the afternoon; rigging can take the deck crew up to an hour.
Booking and paperwork
12-guest limit, Cancellation terms and insurance, Central agent, Charter license and cruising permit, Charterer, Commercial registration, Cruising area, Day guests, Embarkation and disembarkation, Flag, Force majeure, High, low and shoulder season, Hold, Owner, Preference sheet, Retail broker
12-guest limit
Almost every charter yacht is licensed to sleep a maximum of 12 guests, and a 2-year-old counts. Above 12 it is a second boat, or one of the few yachts licensed for more: chiefly the motorsailers and large gulets of Croatia and Turkey, some of which are licensed for 14 to 22 guests. Our BVI site explains the options in catamarans for 12 guests, and our Croatian site lists gulets for 14 to 22 guests.
For you: A friend who sleeps aboard counts against the 12, and some yachts cap day guests separately, so ask the day before.
Cancellation terms and charter insurance
The MYBA and CYBA contracts set staged charges if you cancel, rising as the start date approaches. A separate charter cancellation insurance policy covers what the contract does not, and your broker can supply the contract reference an insurer asks for.
For you: We encourage clients to take insurance; a private policy is often the only thing that settles nerves about a clause in the contract.
Central agent (CA)
The company that represents the yacht and her owner: it holds the calendar, confirms availability, issues the contract and briefs the captain. Your broker deals with the central agent so you do not have to.
For you: The central agent is who puts a yacht’s rules in writing; if you want a smoke-free boat and crew, the central agent confirms it.
Charter license and cruising permit
A yacht needs a license to charter commercially in a given country, and the captain files a cruising permit for each trip using the guests’ passport details. Licensing decides which yachts can run which routes, and our VAT by country guide notes where it bites.
For you: Foreign-flagged yachts in Turkey need a license or permit to start charters there, which your broker confirms before you book.
Charterer
You: the person named on the charter agreement. The contract, the payments and the preference sheet all run in that name, and our Greek site shows the whole sequence from inquiry to embarkation.
For you: Keeping the name on the contract and the name on the bank account the same is the single thing that keeps a payment moving smoothly.
Commercial registration
A yacht registered for commercial use rather than private pleasure, which is what allows her to be chartered legally and, in some countries, to qualify for reduced VAT.
For you: In Greece the headline VAT is 24 percent, but crewed charters over 48 hours pay 13 percent, and licensed yachts qualify for reductions that bring the invoiced rate down to 5.2 to 6.5 percent.
Cruising area
The waters the contract allows the yacht to cruise during your charter, named on the agreement. The captain can decline a leg outside it, or one the weather makes unsafe, without breaching the contract.
For you: If you want to cross to another country or island group mid-week, have it written into the cruising area before you sign, not negotiated on board.
Day guests (guests of guests)
Visitors who come aboard for a swim or a drink but do not sleep on the yacht. They need the captain’s agreement in advance and a name on the guest list, because the port and the yacht’s license count heads.
For you: One Sunreef we work with sleeps 8, allows 10 for drinks at anchor, and keeps the toys for registered guests.
Embarkation and disembarkation
Boarding day and the day you leave. Both are written into the contract with the port and the time, and the crew’s turnaround runs on them.
For you: During the charter we can change almost anything; after disembarkation, almost nothing. Tell the captain first, then call us while you are still on the water.
Flag (flag state)
The country where the yacht is registered, shown by the ensign at her stern. It decides which rules and taxes she runs under, which is why the same charter can carry a different VAT rate or a different licensing requirement depending on the flag.
For you: Your broker checks the flag before quoting; in Turkey, for example, foreign-flagged and Turkish-flagged yachts are taxed differently.
Force majeure
A contract clause covering events beyond anyone’s control, such as a hurricane closing the cruising area, that release both sides from the agreement without the usual cancellation charges. The definition is written into the MYBA form.
High season, low season, shoulder season
The yacht’s rate card has two or three price bands by date. High season is August in the Mediterranean and Christmas and New Year in the Caribbean; shoulder months such as June and September carry lower rates and often kinder weather.
Hold (option on dates)
A free reservation of your dates on a specific yacht while the contract is prepared, usually a few days. In the BVI a hold can be challenged by another broker, and you then have roughly 48 to 72 hours to sign and pay or release the boat; our BVI site explains the sequence in how a first charter works.
For you: The BVI is the one destination where first-timers should be decisive; good boats get held the same day an inquiry lands.
Owner
The person or company that owns the yacht and sets her house rules: smoking, pets, day guests, where children may go. The captain enforces them.
For you: Owners set the smoking rule because smoke settles into upholstery, an ember on teak is a fire on a boat carrying fuel, and a yacht that smells of tobacco is harder to charter and to sell.
Preference sheet
The form you fill in after booking, about 6 weeks before you board: food and allergies, drinks, cabin allocation, passports, the places you want to see and the mood you want aboard. It is the crew’s only briefing on you before you arrive, and our Greek site shows what a good one looks like in how to fill out a preference sheet properly.
For you: If the passport details are missing, the captain loses about 2 hours at the dock on boarding day getting the cruising permits.
Retail broker (charter broker)
The broker who works for you: shortlists yachts, places the hold, reviews the contract and stays on call through the week. There is no extra fee for using one; the commission is paid from the yacht side of the published rate, and our Greek site explains whether it costs extra to book through a broker.
For you: Same yacht, same dates, same terms should cost the same with or without a broker; if two quotes differ, check VAT, APA percentage, delivery fees and inclusions before assuming one is a better deal.
People also ask
What does APA mean on a yacht charter?
APA stands for Advance Provisioning Allowance. It is a running-cost fund, roughly 20 to 40 percent of the charter fee depending on yacht type and destination, paid before boarding and spent by the captain at cost on fuel, food, drinks, berths and port fees. You sign off the itemized statement at the end of the week and any unspent balance is refunded.
What is a MYBA contract?
The MYBA charter agreement is the standard contract for crewed charters in the Mediterranean, written by MYBA The Worldwide Yachting Association, formerly the Mediterranean Yacht Brokers Association. It sets the payment schedule (commonly 50 percent on signing, with the balance, VAT and APA due before boarding, typically 4 to 6 weeks out), how the APA works, staged cancellation charges and what happens if the yacht is sold or cannot deliver. The Caribbean equivalent is the CYBA agreement.
What is the 12 person rule on a yacht?
Almost every charter yacht is licensed to sleep a maximum of 12 guests, children included. It is a licensing limit tied to the yacht’s commercial registration, so a group of more than 12 means a second yacht cruising in tandem, or one of the few yachts licensed for more: chiefly the motorsailers and large gulets of Croatia and Turkey, some of which are licensed for 14 to 22 guests.
What is the difference between all-inclusive and plus expenses?
All-inclusive is one weekly rate covering the yacht, crew, meals, standard bar and fuel for a normal route; the crew tip, premium alcohol, dinners ashore and local government fees stay outside it. Plus expenses is the charter fee with an APA on top, from which fuel, food, drinks and dockage are paid at cost. To compare the two, add charter fee, VAT and APA on the plus-expenses quote and set that against the all-inclusive rate.
If you have a proposal in hand and a word this page does not cover, tell us the week you have in mind and a broker will walk you through the contract before you sign anything.
