General Frequent Questions

Charter companies usually request a sailing resume of the skipper and together of -almost any kind of – a sailing license can be enough for the fleet operators. But, it has to be underlined that it is the Greek Port police that demands from the bareboat skipper to have a sailing certificate proving his competence and this is checked when the charter company obtains the “permission” to sail for each charter on the departure day. So a sailing certificate/license is mandatory in Greece. ICC certificates for bareboat skipper or superior, ASA 104 or superior, RYA bareboat skipper certificates are the sufficient level of license for bareboat charters in Greece. Other local certificates from different countries, similar to the ones previously mentioned are also acceptable. A general “boating” license without mentioning “sailing” are not acceptable. (updated May 2022)

In Croatia, a sailing license is necessary for chartering a sailing yacht. The government has published a list of accepted sailing certificates sorted by the country issuing the license. 
List of sailing licenses accepted in Croatia. A radio VHF certificate is also mandatory in Croatia, though we hear very little or no controls over it during the last few years. (updated May 2022).

Most countries around the world require a sailing license too and more and more charter companies equally request from the bareboater/skipper to present a detailed resume of his/her nautical experience

For bareboat motor yachts, the skipper must possess a motor boat license and must present a resume of nautical experience.

Valid for Greece, Mediterranean, Caribbean and all other sailing destinations around the globe:
Charter companies can select, recommend and hire on client’s behalf a skipper who has good local knowledge of the waters around and nice places to visit.
The price can vary between charter companies or countries, roughly averaging at EUR 200 per day plus (his/her food) – not connected to the number of guests onboard. A skipper will be occupying a cabin (usually a single bed cabin located at the forefront of the boat or the catamaran and he/she should have access to one of the boat’s toilet compartments. He/she is responsible for the navigation & mooring of the yacht and for the safety of the yacht and all people onboard, though he/she is not supposed to clean or cook. Nearly all skippers speak English, and in the French destinations (French Caribbean, Pacific, Polynesia) are speaking French. 
When picking a yacht for a skippered sailing holiday, a common mistake people make is they don’t check what is the maximum number of people allowed onboard (maximum number of persons onboard including crew).

 

An English-speaking hostess or cook for the full duration of a sailing charter holiday can be hired, but it’s not necessary if the clients prefer to do the cooking.

A hostess/steward is also cooking, but she/he isn’t expected to prepare complicated or sophisticated recipes onboard a sailing yacht because of the limited capacity and storage room of the galley of a sailing charter yacht, though possibilities are better on bigger catamarans.
A hostess takes care of the cleaning of common areas daily, is doing the shopping, is preparing and serving breakfast and light lunch for up to 10 guests usually. A hostess/cook can prepare 3 meals daily for up to 8 guests.
She also the skipper’s deck-hand when needed (anchoring, mooring, setting sails and other).
The services provided by a hostess onboard a sailing yacht should not be compared to the services of a real cook of a fully crewed yacht charter.
The price varies between charter companies and countries, approximately at EUR 140 per day + her food, no matter of the number of guests on board.

Some companies in Greece, in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean are offering full-board (3-meals service daily).

Weekly charters in the Mediterranean usually begin and end on Saturdays for multiples of seven days. Easy Sailing can check if the yacht provider might allow exceptions to the said rule and offer departure on a weekday or uneven periods of time. 
In the Caribbean, the Americas and the Exotic countries , sailing can start any weekday and have any duration of 7 or more nights charter.    

Each charter company and fleet operator has different prices, different services can be included into the price or mandatory extras.
Easy Sailing will make a charter proposal where client will easily see what is included or not depending on the policy of the operator. 

As a general pattern we can say that the following additional charges may usually apply:

  • Damage deposit – Refundable Security Deposit
  • Fuel – The yacht should be delivered back to the charter company topped up with fuel.
  • Port or Marina fees – This is a daily-base fee with varied costs. The port fees of the first and the last charter day are included into the yacht charter price 
  • Options/Extras – Any optional extras that you might have such as Stand Up Paddle , kayak, wi-fi, etc.
  • Food/drinks/air-land transportation if requested from the charter company and not individually arranged
In Croatia and in some Caribbean countries there is a tourist tax set to pay extra to the state locally, in Montenegro and Turkey there is a similar small fee called transit log, while in the British Virgin islands there is BVI cruising tax and national park permit obligatory extra and payable locally too. In the French Polynesia there is a new contribution tax recently added by the law. (Update May 2022)

In Greece and all other charter destinations, the cancellation terms are defined on the first place by the fleet operator (provider) and after that by Easy Sailing as a charter agent. The cancelation policy is transparently mentioned in the charter party /charter contract, most times calculated over the the period of time left between the date of cancellation and the departure date

As a general example we can say:
– For bookings cancelled 60 or more days prior to departure, 50% cancellation fees apply
– For bookings cancelled 59-16 days prior to departure, 100% cancellation fees apply on the charter price (extras such as skipper, insurance, etc .- excluded)
– For bookings cancelled 15-0 days prior to departure, 100% cancellation fees apply on the charter price (including all extras).

All charter companies provide boat briefings to the bareboat skipper (client) and many will also share information covering the local cruising grounds.
Questions about navigation, anchorages, prevailing conditions, or any part of the desired itinerary can be answered at the charter base during yacht’s take over.
The boat briefing covers all the operating systems, including rigging, electrical and water system, anchor windlass, stove, dinghy, outboard, electronics and safety/emergency systems. A detailed list of the inventory of the yacht, item by item, will be signed at the end of the briefing and the list will stand as the basis of the state of delivery and redelivery of the yacht. It is recommended that all clients pay special attention to this procedure and make sure they have examined and understood all parts of the yacht and handling its equipment. Signing of the “acceptance statement” or hand-over form justifies the formal, actual and absolute acceptance of the vessel by the charterer.
More and more charter companies worldwide are first handing the inventory list to the skipper and they let him check the inventory items of the boat on his own. Not a bad thing, since this is the best way for a bare-boater to familiarize with the yacht. A technician by the fleet operator follows to answer questions and go through the technical part of the boat.   

 

The Terms and Conditions (T&Cs) of the charter party are defined by the fleet operator or charter company (owner or provider of the yacht).
The T&Cs used by EASY SAILING and many yacht owners in Greece and worldwide, are indicatively the following: 

Validity



Delivery


Insurance

 



Delayed Delivery

Excess Delay









Redelivery (Return of the Yacht and Delays






Security Deposits
Refundable Security Deposit



Damage/Loss Waiver












Restrictions in the use of the Yacht
Composition of Charterer’s Party and Cruise Limits


Observance of Customs and Diving Laws



Agreement for Towing the Yacht



Restrictions In Leaving Port


In the Use of Canvas


Navigation Yacht Log


Itinerary 



Reports of yachts State

Charterer’s Sailing Qualifications



Test of Sailing Competence of Charterer and his Crew




Take-Over of the Yacht & Time required for it

Acceptance of the Yacht Charterer’s Responsibility during Charter Time
Running Expenses

Ascertainment of Damages






Cancellation or Premature Termination









Total Loss of Yacht



Special Provisions

Brokers

 
Arbitration of Disputes

 

IT IS HEREBY FURTHER AGREED by and between the parties hereto:
1. The signature of this Agreement by the Owner and/or his Agents becomes valid and binds the Owner to his obligations hereinafter mentioned only on condition that the owner will actually receive the sums of the payments as indicated in Charter conditions in front page, in time.
2. The owner agrees: 
a. To fit out the Yacht and to hand her to the Charterer, without crew, clean, ready for sea, with all the gear and the agreed equipment and in proper running and seaworthy condition at the agreed on the first page place.
b. To insure the Yacht and her equipment as per charter country’s law and against fire, marine and collision risks and third party damage and against any and all loss or damage and the Charterer shall therefore be relieved of any and all liability which is covered by the said Policy, provided that such loss or damage is not caused or contributed to by any act of gross negligence or willful default on his part. The owner shall not be under any liability for the loss or damage to the personal property of or for any injury to the Charterer or any person on board with his permission.
c. To employ every reasonable effort to ensure delivery of the Yacht on the agreed date and place mentioned in front page, but if for any cause whatsoever the yacht shall not be available, the Charterer shall have the right of choice of one of following possibilities:
I. Provided that the following charter commitment of the Yacht allows it and that the Owner agrees, to prolong the period of charter by the same length of time by which the delivery has been delayed.
II. To leave the date of termination unchanged and to be refunded by the Owner with an amount proportional to the time by which delivery was delayed at the rate corresponding to the agreed total charter fees.
III. If the delay of delivery exceeds one fourth (1/4) of the total charter time, to cancel this Agreement and be refunded by the Owner with the total amount paid for this charter. In any of the events mentioned in this Clause, neither party shall be liable to pay to the other any other compensation for any loss or damage resulting from the curtailment or the cancellation of this Agreement
IV. To accept a similar yacht suggested by the owner.
3. The Charterer agrees:
a. To redeliver the Yacht to the Owner at the agreed date, time, and place, together with all her equipment, in the same good condition as she was at take-over. If he shall for any reason, weather conditions included, fail to deliver the Yacht at the aforesaid date and time, to pay to the Owner demurrage at the rate of the charter price per day of this Agreement increased by hundred percent (100%), for every day of fractional part of a day thereafter until delivery has been effected. If he leaves the Yacht at any place other than the place designated in this Clause, to pay to the Owner all expenses involved in transferring the yacht to the place of redelivery and pro-data demurrage as above for the number of days required for this transfer, as well as for any loss or damage which may occur on or to the Yacht until she has been taken over again by the Owner.
b. To choose one of the two following Security deposits.
I. Refundable Security Deposit. To leave on deposit and as guaranty with the Owner on taking over the Yacht the amount indicated in the published price list, to meet in whole or in part any claim by the Owner in respect of any loss or damage to the Yacht and/or her equipment and any loss or damage to third party and for any claim by the Owner in respect of the provisions of Clause 3 (a) above. The aforesaid deposit shall be refunded to the Charterer, subject to the provisions above, after inspection of the Yacht, her gear and her inventory by the Owner.
II. Damage / Loss Waiver.
To pay a) Damage/Loss Waiver as per the published pricelist and b) at the same time to leave a reduced Refundable Security Deposit as per the published price list. With the Damage/Loss Waiver the charterer‘s liability for loss or damage to the yacht is restricted to the amount of the paid security deposit, with the following exceptions: – Any loss or damage caused by gross negligence by the charterer and/or his party or willful default on his part – Any loss or damage caused to the boat or her equipment by the charterer or any member of his/her party while under the influence of alcohol or narcotics.
Alike to the normal refundable deposit, the reduced Refundable Security deposit is also to meet in whole the cost of returning the boat to her prearranged harbor if the charterer fails to do so by the scheduled date and time and the cost of refueling if the boat is returned without refilled tanks.
The payment of either the Refundable Security Deposit (I), or the Damage / Loss Waiver (II), is designed to cover only one incident of a substantial nature at any one time, viz: in case of loss or damage to equipment of significant value such as outboard engine or dinghy, the charterer will have the right to an immediate replacement whilst on charter, provided that the charterer pays a new Refundable Security Deposit immediately upon receipt of replacement or repair.
c. Not to use the Yacht for racing unless different is agreed and described on the front page Charter Conditions and a Racing Risk insurance is paid, or the towing other craft, except in emergency or generally for any purpose other than that of private pleasure of the Charterer and his party which should include not less than one (1) qualified skipper and one (1) experienced crew member, but not more than the mentioned in the Charter conditions in front page number, in all at sea, or to accommodate aboard any person other than those shown on the crew/passenger manifest nor to take the Yacht or permit her to be taken outside the area of the national waters of the country of the charter nor to sublet the Yacht without the written consent of the owner.
d. Not to allow any person on board to commit any act contrary to the customs laws of the country or of any country or contrary to the laws pertaining to fishing or under water fishing nor to seek and/or take possession of objects or archaeological nature or value and that in case any such act is committed this Agreement shall thereupon terminate, but without prejudice to any rights of the Owner and that the Charterer shall carry alone any resulting responsibilities and he shall answer alone to the appropriate Authorities.
e. To take every possible preventive measure and precaution to avoid to bring the Yacht in any condition in which the Yacht will need to be towed to any point by another vessel, but Towing the Yacht should such a necessity arise, in spite of the Charterer’s efforts, to notify immediately the owner and if such a contact is impossible to negotiate and agree with the captain of the other vessel on the price to be paid, before allowing the yacht to be towed.
f. Not to leave a port or anchorage if the harbour Authorities have imposed a prohibition of sailing or while the yacht has un-repaired damage or without sufficient reserves of fuel or in general when weather conditions or the state of the Yacht or its crew or a combination of them concerning the safety of the Yacht and her crew is doubtful.
g. Not to sail the Yacht in any area not sufficiently covered by the charts at his disposal or without having previously studied the charts of the area and other printed aids on board thoroughly, not to sail the Yacht at night without all navigation lights functioning.
h. To keep the Yacht’s Log Book up to date, noting each day the port of call, the state of the Yacht and its equipment, any change in the composition of the crew when at sea, regularity, the times position, weather conditions, sail plan and hours of engine operation.
i. To plan and to carry out the yacht’s itinerary in such a manner as to reach the port of call farthest away from the point at which the Yacht must be returned to the Owner (Turn-Around Point) within the first one third (1/3) of the charter period and that two days prior to .the termination of the charter the yacht’s port of call shall lie at a distance not greater than forty (40) N.M. from the point at which the Yacht is to be returned to the Owner.
k. To report by telephone or other manner to the Owner the state of the yacht and of her passengers immediately in the event of any accident or damage to the Yacht.
l. To have a valid sailing license and study and acquire a working knowledge of any printed or electronic matter pertaining the proper handling of the yacht and to the conditions in the cruising area which may be made available to him by the Owner.
4. This agreement is entered into on the basis of the Charterer’s competence in sailing, seamanship and navigation stated by him in writing and in the event of any error, omission or misinterpretation in this respect being subsequently discovered, the Owner shall be entitled to terminate this Agreement forthwith and to retain the Charter fees.
5. The Owner (or his representatives) may require the Charterer and his crew to demonstrate their competence in handling and navigating the yacht safely by actually operating the yacht at sea with the Owner (or his representative) aboard and should the Charterer and/or his crew fail to satisfy the Owner in this respect, the Owner may terminate this Agreement as stated in Clause (4) above or place aboard the yacht a skipper, if one acceptable by both the Owner and the Charterer is available, all at the expense of the Charterer, for as many days as the Owner will consider necessary for the safety of the yacht and her passengers and any time required for this test of the Charterer’s competence and seamanship will be part of the agreed Charter period.
6. The delivery of the Yacht to the Charterer will be made at the commencement of the charter period as agreed. The time required to demonstrate the yacht to the Charterer and to familiarize him with her is part of the agreed charter time. The free use of the Yacht will be granted to the Charterer after he has signed the Take-Over (Acceptance) form.
7. Before signing the aforesaid form, the Charterer shall have the right to inspect the yacht, her gear and her inventory thoroughly to ascertain that all are available and in good working condition, except as may be noted thereon, but the signature of the Take-Over form by the Charterer shall be deemed to imply acceptance of the yacht which thereafter will be in the Charterer’s full responsibility and the Charterer shall have no right to claim for any loss of time or expense occasioned by any accident or breakdown or failure of any part of the Yacht.
8. After take-over, expenditures for port-dues, water, fuels, oils and any other stores required, as well as the repair of any damage or failure that may occur while the yacht is in the Charterer’s responsibility and which are not the result of normal and natural wear shall be made by the Charterer at his expense, provided that he previously obtained the consent of the Owner for the technical suitability of the repair to be made. In the case of repairs of damages or failures resulting clearly from normal and natural wear, the Charterer shall previously obtain the Owner’s consent regarding the cost and technical suitability of these repairs and the Charterer shall collect the pertinent receipts against which he shall be refunded by the Owner at the end of the charter.
9. If any accident or damage is caused by the Yacht, the Charterer shall request from the nearest Port Authority to ascertain the damage or accident and the circumstances in which it has been caused and to make a written record and statement about it and he shall notify the Owner at the same time.
10. In the event of cancellation of the charter by the Charterer, for any reason, except as mentioned in Clause 2 (c) (III), after signing this Agreement, the following cancellation policy will apply depending on the time-interval between the booking confirmation and the cancellation date:
a. Cancellation fee of 50% of the total charter fee, for bookings cancelled within a period of 60 or more days prior to boat embarkation
b. Cancellation fee of 100% of the total fee, for bookings cancelled 59 or less days prior to boat embarkation. Should the Charterer elect to terminate the charter and deliver the yacht prior to the date designated in this Agreement, the Owner shall not be liable to the return of any proportional part of the charter fee.
11. Should the Yacht become an actual or constructive total loss before or during the Charter period, this Agreement shall be deemed to be at an end and the Charterer shall recover from the Owner all charter monies paid in advance to the Owner only in case the loss has occurred before the charter period, or during the charter period, provided that the Charterer or his crew were not responsible for the loss.
12. The special provisions if any, set out in the Schedule hereto are fully accepted and form part of this Agreement.
13. The Broker(s) act in good faith on behalf of both Owner and Charterer but contract as Brokers only and in no way incur any liability for any acts, matters or things done, committed, omitted or suffered by either party, except for the responsibilities provided by the pertinent legislation.
14. In the event of any dispute arising between the parties hereto with respect to this Agreement or anything herein contained the same shall be referred to two Arbitrators one to be appointed by each party, whose decision shall be final or to an Umpire to be appointed by such Arbitrators, if and when they shall disagree, the decision in such event of the Umpire to be final.

Bareboat sailing yachts up to 52 feet long come with a galley well equipped, but with rather limited storage and fridge space. Breakfast, snacks, salads, light lunch is possible to prepare while this is about the limit for bareboaters. Nevertheless, if a hostess/cook is hired along with the boat, she/he is in position to prepare breakfast and lunch for up to 10 people or full board (3 meals daily) for up to 6 or 8 guests.