Yacht charter questions, answered with data

It depends on boat type, month and crew. For a catamaran, monthly average weekly asking prices across our 10 destinations run from €3,558 (Croatia, March) to €11,687 (Ibiza, July) (12 Knots, pages updated October 2026) (12 Knots, checked 27 Oct 2026). A sailboat averaged €2,753 per week in Croatia in 2026 (Mali brodari, checked 27 Oct 2026). Motor yacht and gulet averages: not verified yet.

Fuel, marina fees, a skipper and, on crewed yachts, the APA and tips come on top; see what the fee does not include.

In depth: How much does a yacht charter cost?.

Mali brodari puts the 2026 average weekly price at €2,753 for a sailboat and €6,258 for a catamaran in Croatia, and €3,425 and €7,586 in Greece (Mali brodari, checked 27 Oct 2026). Budget extra for fuel, marina fees and food: The Globe Sailor gives €20–40 per person per day for provisioning (The Globe Sailor, checked 28 Oct 2026).

In depth: How much does a yacht charter cost?.

Not verified yet: we have no public, dated average price for crewed luxury yachts, so we don't quote one. What we can source is what comes on top of the fee: an APA of 25–35% for sailing yachts and catamarans or 35–40% for motor yachts (Helm, checked 27 Oct 2026), and a customary 10–20% crew gratuity (Worth Avenue Yachts, checked 27 Oct 2026).

Our arithmetic: on a motor yacht, fee × (1 + 0.35–0.4 APA + 0.1–0.2 tip) = 1.45–1.60× the quoted fee before flights. See crewed vs bareboat.

In depth: Crewed vs bareboat yacht charter.

Average weekly asking prices for a catamaran run from €3,558 (Croatia, March) to €11,687 (Ibiza, July) across the 11 areas we track (12 Knots, pages updated October 2026) (12 Knots, checked 27 Oct 2026). Mali brodari's 2026 averages are €6,258 per week in Croatia and €7,586 in Greece (Mali brodari, checked 27 Oct 2026). Extras are not included.

By destination: catamaran charter cost.

In depth: Catamaran charter cost by destination.

In the BVI, 12 Knots' average weekly catamaran price is €6,816–9,773 per week (lowest in September, highest in March) (12 Knots, checked 27 Oct 2026); in the Bahamas it is €6,591–10,799 per week (lowest in September, highest in March) (12 Knots, checked 27 Oct 2026). The Globe Sailor lists a catamaran at €6,250 in Martinique and €6,346 in Guadeloupe (recorded September 2026; the table states no period) (The Globe Sailor, checked 28 Oct 2026).

Belize, on the western Caribbean Sea, averages €6,343–11,454 per week (lowest in October, highest in March) (12 Knots, checked 27 Oct 2026), from a small sample. Cheaper months fall in the hurricane season (1 June to 30 November) (NOAA National Hurricane Center, checked 27 Oct 2026). Detail: Caribbean catamaran prices.

In depth: Caribbean catamaran charter prices.

The Globe Sailor's September 2026 table lists the average catamaran (under 5 years old, 4 cabins, 8 people) at €5,900–8,050 across its 11 destinations, from Turkey to French Polynesia; the table does not state the rental period (The Globe Sailor, checked 28 Oct 2026). Add a deposit of about €4,000–10,000 (refundable) (The Globe Sailor, checked 28 Oct 2026).

Monthly averages per destination: catamaran charter cost.

In depth: Catamaran charter cost by destination.

In Croatia a sailboat averaged €2,753 per week in 2026 and a catamaran €6,258; in Greece €3,425 and €7,586 (Mali brodari, checked 27 Oct 2026). By month, a Croatian catamaran's average asking price is €3,558–9,324 per week (lowest in March, highest in July) (12 Knots, checked 27 Oct 2026). Motor yacht weekly averages: not verified yet.

In depth: How much does a yacht charter cost?.

If you mean buying one: not verified yet. We track charter prices, not purchase prices, and have no dated public source for new or used catamaran prices. To charter one, the average weekly asking price runs from €3,558 to €11,687 depending on destination and month (12 Knots, pages updated October 2026) (12 Knots, checked 27 Oct 2026).

In depth: Catamaran charter cost by destination.

Not verified yet. Our sources publish weekly prices only (for example, €3,558 per week for a catamaran in Croatia in March (12 Knots, checked 27 Oct 2026)), and we don't turn weekly averages into short-charter prices because short-charter pricing isn't in our data. Ask operators for a quote for your exact dates.

In depth: How much does a yacht charter cost?.

On a crewed charter, Worth Avenue Yachts' terms put the customary crew gratuity at 10–20% of the charter fee (Worth Avenue Yachts, checked 27 Oct 2026). On a €10,000 fee that is €1,000–€2,000 (our arithmetic). For a skipper-only (skippered bareboat) charter, a customary tip: not verified yet.

In depth: How much does a yacht charter cost?.

APA is the Advance Provisioning Allowance, paid on top of the fee on crewed charters to cover food, drink, fuel, mooring fees and running costs. Helm puts it at around 25–35% of the charter fee for sailing yachts and catamarans and 35–40% for motor yachts (Helm, checked 27 Oct 2026). (Searching "APA membership"? That's a different APA.)

In depth: How much does a yacht charter cost?.

Wikipedia defines yacht chartering as "the practice of renting, or chartering, a sailboat or motor yacht" (Wikipedia, checked 28 Oct 2026). 12 Knots builds its averages from weekly price records, and listed 1,334 catamarans for bareboat or crewed charter in Croatia when we checked (12 Knots, checked 27 Oct 2026).

"A bareboat charter is a form of yacht hire in which the vessel is provided without crew" (Wikipedia, checked 28 Oct 2026): you skipper the boat yourself, so most Mediterranean countries expect a licence and the Caribbean a sailing résumé (rules). Not hiring a skipper saves about €150–300 per day (The Globe Sailor, checked 28 Oct 2026).

In depth: Crewed vs bareboat yacht charter.

A gulet is "a traditional design of a two-masted or three-masted wooden sailing vessel", built particularly in Bodrum and Marmaris in Turkey and "popular for tourist charters" (Wikipedia, checked 28 Oct 2026). A dated, sourced gulet charter price: not verified yet, so we don't quote one.

In depth: Turkey yacht charter prices.

A skipper is "a person who has command of a boat" (Wikipedia, checked 28 Oct 2026). On a skippered charter, a professional skipper sails the yacht for you. The Globe Sailor puts the fee at about €150–300 per day depending on destination, with the skipper's meals at your expense (The Globe Sailor, checked 28 Oct 2026).

In depth: Bareboat vs skippered.

Pick a destination and month (prices more than double between low and peak months in Croatia (12 Knots, checked 27 Oct 2026)), choose bareboat, skippered or crewed, check the licence rules, compare the same boat on several platforms, and budget a refundable deposit: €4,000–10,000 for a catamaran, €2,000–3,000 for a sailing yacht (The Globe Sailor, checked 28 Oct 2026).

Then add fuel, marina fees, food and any APA with the cost calculator.

Yes; a week is the standard unit. 12 Knots builds its averages from weekly price records and listed 1,334 catamarans in Croatia and 1,539 in Greece (12 Knots, checked 27 Oct 2026) (12 Knots, checked 27 Oct 2026). For a single day, prices are not verified yet.

Our sources don't publish a season length, so this is our reading of 12 Knots' monthly prices: in Croatia they climb from €5,309 in May to €9,324 in July and are back to €3,957 by October (12 Knots, checked 27 Oct 2026). In the BVI they peak in winter (highest in March) (12 Knots, checked 27 Oct 2026), and the Atlantic hurricane season runs 1 June to 30 November (NOAA National Hurricane Center, checked 27 Oct 2026).

Every destination, month by month: where to sail by month.

In depth: Where to sail, month by month.

For a bareboat, usually yes in the Mediterranean and a sailing résumé in the Caribbean; the boat type doesn't change that. The RYA lists evidence of competence as essential in Croatia and required in Spain and Turkey (RYA, checked 28 Oct 2026); Anchor says Caribbean charters need a résumé rather than a licence (Anchor (formerly Helm), checked 27 Oct 2026). If you hire a skipper, the skipper is the one who needs them.

Per destination: Croatia: licence required · Greece: licence required · British Virgin Islands: résumé accepted · Bahamas: sources differ · Turkey: licence required · Italy: proof of qualifications · Balearic Islands: licence required · Thailand: résumé accepted · French Polynesia: sources differ · Belize: proof of qualifications.

In depth: Sailing licence requirements by country.

In some countries. The RYA's table marks evidence of competence as essential in Croatia (ICC recommended), required in Spain and Turkey, and "Yes. ICC recommended" in Greece and coastal Italy. It warns the ICC is "not a truly international qualification" and that holders must check acceptance in each country (RYA, checked 28 Oct 2026).

In depth: Sailing licence requirements by country.

Bareboat is cheapest. A skipper adds about €150–300 per day (The Globe Sailor, checked 28 Oct 2026), or €1,050–2,100 for 7 days (our arithmetic). Crewed charters add an APA of 25–35% on sailing yachts and catamarans (Helm, checked 27 Oct 2026) plus a customary 10–20% gratuity (Worth Avenue Yachts, checked 27 Oct 2026). A crewed price average: not verified yet.

In depth: Crewed vs bareboat yacht charter.

Our view: a catamaran usually suits a family better because it sails flat and has more shared space, but it costs more. In 2026 a catamaran averaged €6,258 per week against €2,753 for a sailboat in Croatia (Mali brodari, checked 27 Oct 2026), 2.3× as much (our arithmetic). Shared by 8 guests, that gap is €438 per person (our arithmetic).

Detail: catamaran vs monohull.

In depth: Catamaran vs monohull.

On price, the cheapest months for a catamaran in Croatia are February, March, April and the priciest are June, July, August: €3,558 per week in March against €9,324 in July (12 Knots, pages updated October 2026) (12 Knots, checked 27 Oct 2026). We have not verified a weather source for this destination yet, so we make no weather claim.

Month by month: Croatia catamaran prices · where to sail in March.

In depth: Where to sail, month by month.

On price, the cheapest months for a catamaran in Greece are January, February, March and the priciest are June, July, August: €4,527 per week in March against €9,538 in August (12 Knots, pages updated October 2026) (12 Knots, checked 27 Oct 2026). We have not verified a weather source for this destination yet, so we make no weather claim.

Month by month: Greece catamaran prices · where to sail in March.

In depth: Where to sail, month by month.

On price, the cheapest months for a catamaran in the British Virgin Islands are August, September, October and the priciest are February, March, April: €6,816 per week in September against €9,773 in March (12 Knots, pages updated October 2026) (12 Knots, checked 27 Oct 2026). The cheaper months overlap the Atlantic hurricane season, 1 June to 30 November, with most activity from mid-August to mid-October (NOAA National Hurricane Center, checked 27 Oct 2026).

Month by month: British Virgin Islands catamaran prices · where to sail in September.

In depth: Where to sail, month by month.

In our worked example (Croatia, July, 6 people, bareboat) the extras come to €2,362 on top of a €9,324 charter: fuel €262, 6 marina nights at €135, €450 mandatory extras and €840 food, from The Globe Sailor's September 2026 figures (The Globe Sailor, checked 28 Oct 2026). The arithmetic is ours; drinks and tourist tax are extra.

Run your own numbers: cost calculator.

In depth: The true cost of a week on a catamaran.

A skipper (captain) costs about €150–300 per day (The Globe Sailor, checked 28 Oct 2026); The Globe Sailor's September 2026 table lists €170 in Turkey, €200 in Croatia and €274 in French Polynesia for a catamaran. You also pay the skipper's meals. A hostess or cook's daily rate: not verified yet.

Skipper rate listed per destination: Corsica €301 · French Riviera €298 · Balearic Islands €210 · Greece €195 · Croatia €200 · Turkey €170 · Italy €191 · Martinique €286 · Guadeloupe €286 · Seychelles €170 · French Polynesia €274 (catamaran table; sailing-yacht table: Corsica €292 · French Riviera €289 · Balearic Islands €210 · Greece €195 · Croatia €200 · Turkey €170 · Italy €189 · Martinique €280 · Guadeloupe €280 · Seychelles €170 · French Polynesia €250) (The Globe Sailor, checked 28 Oct 2026).

In depth: Bareboat vs skippered.