About Mooring Fees, Extras, Insurance and all those other Charter Fees

We know you don't like surprises along the way on your charter, so we do our best to list or estimate as many of the costs as possible that you will or might incur. Here's a quick overview of the costs you may incur on your charter, and a bit about insurance as well.

Charter Fees

We attempt to list the costs as completely as possible on the site and in our proposals to you. However, some costs may change depending on your itinerary and desires. Here is a general guideline for estimating costs of a charter:

Sailing Boats: The charter fee generally covers the boat, full petrol and water tanks, maps, and a dingy/tender. There is generally a charge for linens (if you want them), and almost always a mandatory final cleaning fee, ranging from €50 to €150 depending on the size of the boat. In some cases you may also be charged a small amount if you want a motor for the dinghy (if you're not sure ask us and we'll confirm). Beyond this, the major costs are provisioning (most can now be done easily online and will be on your boat when you arrive!) and mooring fees (see below).

Motor Boats: For small motor boats, the major additional cost beyond the base charter fee will be fuel. We try to list on the site the fuel consumption per hour for each boat - and a typical charter will burn about 3 hours of fuel per day. Petrol prices are rising, but the rule of thumb is that it will cost about €1.30 per liter (or about $3.00 per gallon) of fuel. So a boat that burns 40 liters per hour will generally cost €52 per hour to run, or approximately €150 per day. Other charges will be mooring fees if you'll be spending the night in a port and any provisioning you request. These charges are paid either in cash to the skipper (along with his tip) or via the APA (Advance Provisioning Allowance) system where you provide a provisioning account to the skipper (see a full description of the APA on our Frequently Asked Questions page). When you're booking through us we'll do our best to stipulate any costs, and if you have any questions we're happy to provide estimates.

Mooring and Berth Fees

Mooring fees are fees that you pay to the local maritime authority, yacht club or resort for attaching your boat to a permanent mooring buoy/ball instead of going through the sometimes exhausting process of anchoring for the night. They can vary widely from port to port, but below is a general guideline to help you plan your itinerary and costs. To get a mooring, you usually need to radio in on VHF 16 (for courtesy) just to be sure.

Moorings do cost something, everywhere, and are better received when radioed ahead for courtesy. Please note - the lesser developed the area you're mooring in, the more you may encounter local "entrepreneurs" who are not authorised, but attempt to charge you a fee for your mooring or anchorage anyway. We recommend you check with your charter operator, or other boats that are mooring in the area, as to what the proper fee is and to whom you should pay. Or anchor yourself, and avoid the fees!

Mediterranean Mooring Fees
	French Riviera	€20 to €40 per night
	Spain (Mallorca, Ibiza, main boating Coasts)	€20 to €40 per night
	Croatia	€10 to €20 per night
	Greece	€10 to €20 per night
	Italy	€20 to €40 per night
Caribbean Mooring Fees
	BVI	$10 to $25 per night
	Grenadines	$10 to $20 per night
	General	$10 to $20 per night

Charter Security Deposits

If you're chartering a bareboat, or a boat for an event, you'll normally be asked to pay a security deposit. This is usually done by taking a credit card impression (but not actually debiting it) and tearing it up when you return the boat in good condition. Similar to a rent a car - it is very important that you specify anything that is broken before you take the boat, or you might get charged for it. Examine the boat thoroughly before you shove off, and document anything that isn't right (with a camera if possible). The last thing we want is for you to have an argument with the charter operator at the end of your charter!

In some cases you will be asked for a deposit on a crewed yacht, although this is unusual. You have very little risk unless your group will be throwing wild parties, so we recommend that you just pay it as it's more than likely that you'll get the whole thing back.

Charter and Travel Insurance

Security Deposit Insurance. Most charter operators will allow you to insure against the loss of your security deposit in case you damage the boat. The cost will be €100 or so. If you're willing to pay a little for a guaranteed smooth return, it's a really good idea to do this.

Travel Insurance. We always recommend that you buy travel insurance as soon as you book your charter. "Stuff Happens" such as sickness, missed flights, work commitments, bad weather, etc. and travel insurance allows you to protect yourself against loss in these cases. A low-cost insurance policy can save you the stress (and wasted money) of trying to re-charter your boat at the last minute to get your money back. Click here for more information on Charter Travel Insurance.