How to correctly calculate your budget for a yachting trip

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SEARADAR edition

In general, the economics of a yacht trip is similar to a car trip with hotel stays, but there are nuances. So, here's a list of costs that yachting requires.

1. Yacht charter

When organising a trip, accommodation and transfers are the main issues. A yacht answers both these concerns, as you sleep and move around the route on the boat without getting off it. The cost depends on the region, time of year, size and model and age of the boat.

The price varies from €1,500 for a small, old boat to around €10,000 for a new catamaran in high season. On average, you can aim for about €4,000 for a new four-cabin boat. If you accommodate 8 people, that's €500 per person.

2. Skipper's fees

The standard skipper's salary, regardless of region, is around €150 per day. If you go on an average 1-week charter, that adds up to €1,050. Also, the crew takes care of the captain's meals. By arrangement, he can live in a separate cabin, which is most often the case if the skipper is hired from the outside. He can also be accommodated in the stateroom, which is a more friendly format, meaning the skipper gets to know the crew well.

3. Moorings in yachting ports

When planning a route, you can decide where to stay overnight. As a matter of principle, there are two options, marina mooring or at anchor. In the first case, you get guaranteed protection from wind, no rocking and a set of services provided by the port: water, electricity, showers and toilets on shore, shops, cafes, etc. There are no services at the anchorages, but there is a romance and charm to them.

Parking in marinas is almost always for a fee, with prices varying from a few dozen euros per day in Greece to a few hundred in Italy and France. On the other hand, Croatia and Turkey are somewhere in the middle. A common approach in such countries is for the marina to be owned by a restaurant, making parking free of charge if the crew eats there.

Anchorage is in most cases free unless you anchor on a commercial buoy or in some nature reserve. In such cases, the charge may be around €50 per night. In general, the itinerary with anchorages is always more frugal, as you don't spend extra money apart from the marinas, especially you don't pay for expensive restaurants, since you cook your food on the boat.

4. Fuel for the boat

The usual fuel is diesel, fueled at specially equipped harbour bunkers. The cost ranges from €50 to €200 per yacht/week and depends on two key factors: the size of the boat and the lengths of crossings under the engine (in some cases, almost the entire route can go under sail, with the engine running only at moorings).

5. Extra

As a rule of thumb, any additional fees that a charter company can charge you cover a final cleaning cost (approx. €150) and the hire of an outboard motor for the dinghy (approx. €100).

6. Deposit

Damage insurance includes both: yacht damage, such as grounding or torn sails, and domestic damage, such as a broken bathing platform and other results of vandalism. When the crew and skipper are responsible enough, usually no breakdowns occur, and the deposit is fully refunded. The amount is roughly the same as the rental price, in most common cases this money is just held on the card and unlocked at the end of the trip.

Also, refunds depend on the cleanliness of the charter company - there are cases when owners deliberately conceal defects and then ask for payment from deposit. We have a special blacklist of such companies, and we don't recommend them to our clients.