Month: January 2023

10 minutes read
Published by Eldin Basic (TpMBA)

To charter a superyacht, one has to plan with a considerable expense of around 50,000 Eur per week, for the charter fee alone, with expenses coming on top. However, in order to understand the pricing of a yacht, any yacht, let alone a superyacht, one has to define it first. For a start, we can say that there are yachts, luxury yachts, superyachts, megayachts and gigayachts on the charter market. Yachts tend to be any boats from 40ft upwards, but that will have an owner on board or they may just be bareboat yachts without any crew. When it comes to chartering a luxury yacht, in most cases we assume this to be crewed yacht with a captain and hostess or chef/hostess. Such yachts are usually around 50-65ft in size, and in most cases tend to be monohulls or catamarans, at times motor yachts.

A typical example of such a yacht is a new Bali 5.4 sailing catamaran, a cat such as Privilege 510 Signature, smaller Oyster sailing yacht of around 60ft or even bigger Hanse yachts such as Hanse 588 or Hanse 675. Amongst motor yachts these are boats such as Sunseeker Manhattan 55 and even Manhattan 68 or Sunseeker Predator 60 Evo or Predator 65. All these yachts may be in a different price range when it comes to buying them outright; 50ft catamarans from around 1 – 1,5 million Euros, 58ft sailing boats at half that price probably and 65ft motor yachts at twice the rate or well above 2 million in any case. All of them are crewed by 2 or maybe 3 crew however and that does not classify them as superyachts, but only as luxury yachts.

GIGA YACHTS
On the other end, the range between a superyacht and megayacht for example is huge potentially, while giga yachts have their own exclusive place in this pyramid. Gigayachts are simply out of this world boats that most of us, even those UHNW individuals who belong amongst 1%, do not own or will never charter. Gigayachts are in other words extremely exclusive, almost untouchable. Arguably, one can say that these yachts are exclusively owned by multi-billionaires who tend to keep them off-the-grid and private for their own entertainment. Most of these cannot be chartered in other words, although there has been some movement in the recent years with sublime 162 metre or 533 feet ECLIPSE, the boat launched in 2009 by prestigious German shipyard Blohm & Voss, offered for so called giga yacht charters. Accommodating 36 guests in 18 spectacular staterooms, all serviced by a staggering number of crew of 70 she is priced at a rate from around 2 million Euros per week.

Other giga yachts falling into this range are:
– 126 metre OCTOPUS by Luerssen which costs from 2,2 million Euro per week
– 108 metre IJE by Benetti which costs from 1,8 million Euro per week
– 93 metre LADY S by Feadship available from 1,47 million Euro per week
– 85.5 metre SUNRAYS by Oceanco which costs from 1,15 million Euro per week
– 88 metre PROJECT X by Golden Yachts available from 1,1 million Euro per week
– 86 metre MAN OF STEEL by Oceanco available from 1,2 million Euro per week
– 90 metre PHOENIX 2 by Luerssen available from 1 million Euro per week
– 89 metre CLOUD 9 by Oceanco available from 1,1 million Euro per week
– 91.5 metre TRANQUILITY by Oceanco available from 1,1 million Euro per week
– 95 metre O’PARI by Golden Yachts available from 1 million Euro per week
– 83.5 metre SAVANNAH by Feadship available from 1 million Euro per week
or even boats such as KENSHO, a 74.85 metre giga yacht by Admiral which only costs from 850,000 Eur per week

Apart from enormous costs, probably starting from around 500,000 Eur per week plus expenses, the giga yachts would also distinguish themselves from other yachts by number of crew which would be at least 20 and above all else their size and specific features such as helicopter landing pads, a swimming pool, wheelchair access and most recently a supercar garage.

MEGA YACHTS
ECLIPSE, or any of those listed above and classified as giga yachts are hardly an example of a superyacht though and therefore provide poor insight into what it costs to charter a superyacht. Going a step back therefore, one has to discount mega yachts from this equation too, as they tend to be boats of around 150ft+, ones that cost from around 150,000 Eur per week and up to 1/2 million Euros per week or onward. Some of these 150ft to approximately 250ft yachts can indeed be classed as superyachts, especially if they are lower priced classics, luxury gullets, converted tug boats, explorer yachts or similar, average priced superyachts. It is therefore already clear that to charter a superyacht one has to plan with an expenses of up to around 150,000 Eur as anything above that is likely to fit the mega yacht market. Those luxury motor yachts featured in the Below Deck TV programme, charter from around 140,000 – 220,000 US$’s per week for example. One can class the lower priced as a superyacht, but the higher priced as a mega yacht. This is mainly due to the size, but also age of the boat and resulting number of the crew. Thus, mega yachts tend to be charter boats with at least 6 crew and costing well above 150,000 Eur per week. Mega yachts are likely to have most of the facilities and features such as giga yachts, but will lack in extraordinary size, crew numbers being up to around 20 and their accessibility and pricing being much greater so that HNWI can also afford to charter them.

SUPERYACHT CHARTER RATES
Going back to the subject of the blog, a superyacht can also be an 80ft luxury sailing yacht such as OYSTER 825, CNB 90 or Southern Wind 100. All these yachts tend to be crewed by 4 crew, a distinguished captain, professional chef, a deckhand or an engineer and a professional hostess. Having four crew, rather than 2 or 3 on board is therefore probably the best way to distinguish from a luxury yacht charter and a superyacht charter. New Sunreef 70 sailing catamaran is as an example crewed by 4 members, while a smaller Fountain Pajot 67 Alegria tends to have 3 crew in most cases. The difference in size is only 3ft on paper, yet difference in purchase price is much higher, probably 100% given that Alegria 67 is definitely a boat that costs well below 3 million Euros (mind-boggling price anyway) yet a Sunreef 70 is probably a 5million+ supercat for sure.

FINAL WORD
This brings is nicely to a definition of a superyacht. A luxury yacht that is crewed by 4 crew, amongst who are both chef and an engineer as well as a captain and a deckhand or stewardess. If you have chartered a luxury boat with 3x crew yet it was a 100ft sailing boat, an 80ft motor yacht or a 70ft catamaran, they are likely to be classed as superyachts by their size and cost of purchase, yet as an experience, quality of service and formal atmosphere on board were probably that of a luxury yacht rather than a superyacht.

The costs of chartering superyacht is therefore starting somewhere around 50,000 Eur per week during low season and more during peak of the season. A new Lagoon 65, similar to Alegria 67 is likely to cost around 40,000 Eur during high season. A Hanse 588 is likely to cost below 20,000 Eur while an Oyster 595 or even an Oyster 675 are unlikely to cost more than 25,000 or 35,000 Eur per week respectively. In order to plan and budget for a superyacht charter therefore, we recommend that you plan with at least 50,000 Eur on the charter fee alone with VAT likely to take another 10-20% and APA Expenses or costs of charter a further 20-40% depending on the itinerary or the type of yacht (20% for a sailing boat = 10,000 Eur and 40% or 20,000 Eur for a fast cruising motor yacht such as Sunseeker 88 Yacht or Ferretti Yacht 1000.

So there we go, a superyacht is first and foremost a luxury yacht crewed with at least 4 crew. In order to experience a superyacht charter, you will probably need to plan with a total cost of around 60,000 – 100,000 Eur as a minimum and you will need to charter a modern boat such as Sunreef 70, Lagoon 77 or Sunreef 80 amongst sailing catamarans, a Sunseeker Yacht 100, a Ferretti Yacht 920 or Infinito 90 or bigger and an Oyster 885 S11 or Oyster 125 amongst sailing yachts. Some de-luxe gullets may cost only 20,000 Eur and have up to 5 crew on board, may even include a concierge or a 6th crew with more water toys on board than on any more luxurious superyacht, yet they may not qualify as superyachts or as a superyacht charter experience simply due to quality of accommodation, professionalism of some of the crew or general set up as an informal yacht charter experience. For the gullet to qualify as a superyacht therefore, she needs to be an exclusive yacht with 5-star accommodation, at least 6 crew and bigger than 125ft.

High-end superyachts are likely to be models from all of the above named shipyards at around 125-150ft and costing well above 100,000 Eur per week in total. Above 150ft or 45metres on newer boats, we can start talking about mega yachts and their cost is likely to be 150,000 Eur+ per week in low season with other costs such as VAT AND APA EXPENSES coming on top.

I certainly hope this complex definition of a superyacht and round and round explanation of a superyacht charter cost is clear now and that you can start planning your next yacht charter holiday, be this just a regular yacht charter, luxury yacht charter, long-term yacht charter or an exclusive superyacht or megayacht or maybe even a gigayacht charter.

If you are a sinophile, excluding divisive and unfortunate politics of course, one of the best ways to announce could be to commission an Italian designed superyacht with unique, bespoke and historic Royal Chinese Cloisonne Patterns from Ming Dinasty.

As we enter the NEW Chinese Year, which is ushering the Year of the Rabbit while ending the Year of the Tiger, we should think about best ways of celebrating. For many, this will simply be putting up New Year decorations, once again, for some it will be offering sacrifices to ancestors and yet for most it will just be enjoying a reunion dinner and staying up late on the day as well as watching the New Year Gala. Majority of those celebrating are likely to hand out red envelops with ‘lucky money” to kids too; where possible during a luxury yacht charter vacation in the East Caribbean, Bahamas or Virgin Islands for sure.

All this is likely to bring forth the luck and prosperity, for some combined with numbers 5, 6, 7 and 8 maybe, and removing the old and the bad, while welcoming the new and the good. Based on the lunar calendar, this new year is starting on 21st January and ending on 20th February and we certainly hope it will be prosperous, amazing, rewarding and a happy one. Ideally, one will also embark on a long-term luxury yacht charter holiday throughout the next twelve months, and visit locations with large Chinese communities around the World.

For the few lucky ones, it will certainly be best year ever. For those with success already behind them, but in need of a bit of inspiration, I hope this blog may bring some new ones. Wouldn’t it be amazing if you are to own a floating hotel in one of London’s marina’s, maybe near the Tower Bridge, and enable all Chinese students and visitors to the UK to experience a luxury superyacht built in China and decorated with unique, exclusive, bespoke JING designs ? Imagine all UK tourist brochures showing an image, advert or a special offer to visit a Chinese built superyacht with Ming Dinasty decorative patterns? These cloissonne designed patterns are displayed in both the interior of a master suite they will spend the night in as special guests on a weekend getaway, as well as on the exterior, so everyone passing by or seeing the yacht cruising alongside the river Thames, can enjoy this special sight!.

Can a Chinese built superyacht inspire the World to peace and prosperity !?

I can and also feel this may contribute towards the Western World understanding more of what Chinese culture is about and narrowing the cultural and historical gap that exists between the two important worlds, enabling everyone on this planet to benefit from further cultural exchanges, visits, tourism, investment and understanding, therefore prosperity and better life for all. A superyacht in London could do much more than simply bringing two remote worlds closer together, it could also change lives to the better, improve living conditions of many and usher a new world of mutual work, co-operation, co-existence and love. And, if not London and the UK, there are many other locations where a yacht with Royal Chinese Cloisonne Pattern designs can attract attention by all types of visitors and luxury or superyacht charter clients, and ensure the new year is even more successful than planned. Hong Kong would be ideal; Singapore preferred and Dubai a fabulous location as all these super destinations need to add to the current offering each year, if not each month, in order to entire more visitors or older ones to return. Ming Dinasty is certainly one of the most interesting of Royal families in the history of the world and one should indeed promote it to billionaires, multi-millionaires and everyone else indeed. Thus, if you are counting yourself lucky to be one of the UHNW and HNW individuals and a keen chinophile or sinophile, raise your eyebrows and pay attention.

I namely invite you to visit Puccini Yachts shipyard in Fujian Province on the East coast of this huge and important country and prepare your deposit money to order one of the most interesting superyachts of the year 2023. Puccini Yacht 78 Fly ”JING” is probably the best value motor yacht out there and Puccini Yacht 82 Fly ”JING” is probably one of the best looking superyachts of the year 2023. Make sure one of them will be yours and order her early this year so you can enjoy the first cruise in 2024. With an option to have only one master suite and a crew cabin, with most of the rest of the interior housing either a game room, a dance floor or cinema room, as well as adding electric or hybrid engines, instead of typical diesel ones or employing a specific interior designer to work on your behalf in order to attract the best Feng Shui interior there is for your family and guests, your options are unlimited as both project management and shipyard will be glad to work on realising your vision to the full extent possible.

Presenting a JING superyacht can be a great experience, especially if you own one. Share the Royal Chinese designs with the world in the best possible way and let us urgently plan the design and of your Ming Dinasty superyacht so that the tourists, visitors and families in special locations can enjoy the sight of these spectacular design patterns.

Whatever your plans and decisions, or luck, may your year ahead be filled with delight and well taken care of. And as the Chinese would say, Gong xi fa cai.

If you are keen to buy a yacht but worry about the costs, maybe this blog will help you make the right decision.

The cost of a yacht ownership is very expensive for most and in a way, this has always been the case. The initial outlay may be the smallest problem at times, as once you start considering purchase of a yacht, surely you must have earned some money to consider doing so. The problem, as with many other hobbies or activities can be a cash flow or the cost of maintaining such a yacht. This is where modern yacht ownership options change a lot for many of those considering purchase of such an expensive toy as a yacht, in particular a luxury yacht.

Today, one can even talk about profitable yacht ownership indeed. The most popular of all, 50-67ft luxury catamarans such as Vaan R5 but in particular the most popular models such as Bali 5.4, Lagoon 55, Sunreef 60, Alegria 67 are rented up to 20 weeks during the Mediterranean season alone. Purchase price of these boats is in the region of 1,5 – 3,5 million Euros, yet income is also around 20% of the purchase price in the year one alone and as a minimum in most cases. If such boats than head to the East Caribbean for the winter season and make another 20 weeks, this income is not only covering leasing rates, crew salaries and port or insurance fees, but give a handsome return on investment too.

The cost of running such a yacht with professional crew is probably around 200,000 – 300,000 Eur per year, yet average price of a Bali 5.4 is also around 20,000 Eur net. Multiplying it by 40 weeks which such a yacht can make, without potential transatlantic crossing charter income added, makes for a very interesting read indeed. Yacht such as Alegria 67’s are for example almost 70% booked out already for most of Mediterranean summer holiday months and we are still in January. Sending such a yacht to a winter seasons destination, at n average weekly rate of 40,000 Eur, ensuring 40 weeks are made in a 55 week period brings an income of 1,6 million Euros. Deduct management fee of 15%, brokerage fee of 15%, crew wages and usual running costs of around 200,000 Eur and you as owner are still left with a total yearly income of around 1 million Euro on a purchase price that is likely to be 2,5 million Euros. Try buying anything else for 2,5 million Euros and see how you can finance it, let alone collect 1 million Euros income and most of the investment advisors in your own bank will want to listen to you.

Similar, albeit not as good investment proposal is available with a luxury motor yacht or indeed a genuine superyacht. The talk here is about a Puccini Yacht 65 Fly or Puccini Yacht 82 Fly, both JING models. JING stands for a rare, indeed unique offering in yachting. Puccini Yachts are namely the only shipyard in the World that is trying to combine sleek, modern designs with traditional styling that includes the use of Royal Chinese Cloisonne patterns. This combination of fashionable yachts, as well as cutting-edge technology and the integration of traditional handicraft is a great and innovative concept that any sinophile or chinophile would need to consider. Imagine your own hotel or villa on the water, located in a marina near the London’s Tower Bridge, promoting the traditional expression of thousands of years of Chinese civilization, all in modern & stylish environment that is also a high-quality CE and Lloyds classed boat.

At a cost of around 4 million Euros, PUCCINI YACHT 82 Fly Jing is the most expensive of all mentioned her, yet thousands would flock to London every year just to see this floating museum of Ming Dinasty’s greatest designs, thanks to world renowned art details of Royal Chinese Cloisonné designers. As a world famous traditional handcraft, the Cloisonné is appreciated worldwide due to the artistic characteristics of the craft, summarized by the four symbols of shape, grain, colour and light. A beautiful cloisonné designed luxury yacht will therefore have a good shape, a decorative pattern, gorgeous blue colour determined by carefully chosen materials and finally the chosen patterns will be finished in gloss and gold plated. A masterpiece without a need for any art, as the yacht is art in itself in other words. Thus, this collection of art, craft, sculpture, inlay, glass melting, metallurgy and other professional technologies, all with a distinctive Chinese style and cultural connotation, combined with an ultra-modern European design, will make each of these JING styled yachts a very individual creation, would entice many to pay a premium price just to visit the yacht. Many others would want to enjoy a stylish meal on board coupled with daily or hourly cruise down the Thames. Others would even consider her for a long term stay while visiting the UK or conducting a business event in London. The possibilities to generate income from a superyacht that is also a sort of a museum, a painting, a piece of art are endless. Sale price alone may be higher than purchase price under circumstances, so that even flipping her may be the best investment decision anyway. With a smaller PUCCINI FLY 65 JING costing less than 2 million, more then 50% less than the 82ft-er, your investment into this type of a luxury motor yacht may be even more profitable.

Whatever your plans, in today’s market, yacht ownership can be a great way of enjoying the lifestyle you crave but also not paying for it. At least not in full. The popularity of sailing and yachting as a social distancing exercise in a privately secluded environment is also on the rise, so much so that in the coming years, investing into your own yacht is not only desirable, but also recommended in a way. There is of course no guarantee of success, neither it is advisable to buy any kind of yacht, at any time, unless you can fully finance it, without falling into difficulties, yet given the current market conditions, high demand and track record of many similar yachts or indeed exclusivity of a project such as Puccini Yacht ‘JING’, it is certainly worthwhile considering jumping into a cold water.

Superyacht charter should be a pleasant experience, both for the owner and in particular for the yacht charter clientele and the crew!

Quite often we assume, and rightfully so, that superyacht charter is the ultimate type of holiday.  UHNW and HNW individuals and families indeed enjoy such vacation at least once, if not two or even a number of times per year. A vacation dreams are made of, and best way to enjoy your well-deserved luxury type of a getaway. Sailing between the best hotspots one can find on this planet, eating best and freshest food, served by the best in business in the most beautiful way possible, visiting the most historic, newest and exclusive sites, beach clubs and restaurants is a fabulous experience. In particular as this is done while island hoping in the most amazing corners of the planet, which makes it a pleasure worth naming as the holiday of a lifetime. This in particular when it is combined with a luxury environment one can only find or experience on a superyacht or a mega yacht.

The best type of a vacation there is:
Indeed, both luxury yacht charter, superyacht hire and mega yacht charter fall into the similar type of a holiday that can only be beaten by a specialized package. This package may include private charter flight, high-end luxury yacht charter experience, coupled with a 5-star villa holiday and helicopter transfers, submarine excursions and Micheline star menu in local restaurants along the way. In reality, such package does not exist however, as pricing it and arranging it would be very expensive, in particular matching all services with available private charter flights.  Celebrity concierge service available with SuperSailYachts.com can certainly make such a package a reality, but on a day-to-day basis, all these are in most cases packaged individually and based on specific desires and requirements of each client separately. 

Superyacht charter clients enjoy top menu’s prepared by highly skilled and experienced chefs, most of which have worked in Micheline starred restaurants in the past.  Captains are highly organized professionals who sailed international and itinerary-based national waters numerous times before and can plan a fantastic yacht charter itinerary that would include best hot-spots of the Mediterranean or the East Caribbean in most cases. Best of all, a typical itinerary will include rarely visited and secluded anchorages with private beaches where carefully chosen crew can prepare a birthday party, even a wedding or just a romantic BBQ dining experience.  These type of luxury charter yachts are also full of water toys and gadgets that allow yacht charter clients to be as adventurous as they wish and enjoy such activities as kite surfing, windsurfing, jet-skiing or water-skiing and simple staff as just sunbathing, snorkeling or rendez-vous diving. 

What can happen to turn exceptional into a problem?
Experiences made on these exclusive yachting holidays are mesmerizing, unforgettable and irreplaceable in the memories of most guests. That is one of the reason, most of them come back year in and year out or may charter twice a year, during the summer in the Mediterranean and during the winter in the Caribbean or as far as South Pacific and Indian Ocean.  However, there are at times unexpected issues that may prop up and here we analyze two that can occur most often.  One of them is a technical issue with the boat that may not allow the crew to set off on a carefully planned itinerary.  This can be for variety of reasons, but the simplest one can be an engine or hydraulics issues that for obvious or safety reasons may not allow the captain to leave safety of the port.  In that case, the clients will face a choice of giving up on their bespoke yachting holiday or looking for a replacement vessel. Given that specific nature of lastminute charter, this may mean lack of any choice or poor choice or indeed end of their yachting holiday as such.  The clients may have to reconsider and rent a high-end villa or just rooms in luxury hotels. In most cases, such accommodation tends to be booked out and unavailable however and replacements boats either not in the area or simply not suitable.  This is where the clients may choose to stay on board and put up with waiting times and hopes that engineers will repair the yacht in good time, allowing for the planned superyacht charter to continue.  There is not much wrong with this option, given that crew are likely be even more attentive, chef will prepare sublime menu and captain or chief stewardess will be able to advise on local excursions, alternative dining outlets or local cultural offering such as museums, galleries, theaters or archeological sites.  In case the repair will last a day or less than 48hrs, and charter is at least one week long, any such experiences of delayed departure could be minimized.   This is where the main problem can occur. Namely, the pick up location may be in a non-touristy type of a port or away from usual tourist trail, forcing the clients to stay on board in a unpleasant industrial marina and a location not made for superyacht charter client. If than repair takes more than 48hrs and charter is indeed just 7 day  or less, the clients are likely to be frustrated, unsatisfied and in expectation of a major refund. The owners may see the situation completely differently though and claim that clients have stayed on board for the duration of the charter, have used the services of the crew and their yacht and as such do not deserve any refund.  It is therefore of ultimate importance that you make a sound decision if staying on board is best choice or if you are better off putting up with an alternative solution until the boat is fully repaired and ready to go, or accept delay.

Anything else one has to be aware of ?
The other main issue that can cause stress or change the expected experience for the worse is differing views on the final or ongoing fuel consumption. This is in particular the case with motor yachts that cruise at higher speeds of 20kn+ and where weather can come in play.  As an example, your boat may have quoted fuel consumption of 600L/H at cruising speed of 25kn. However, what if that cruising speed is only 20kn, yet your fuel consumption is higher ?  This can happen in case the waves are bigger than say 1m or swells are continuous for long distances.  You may not reach a destination you desired on time, yet your bill can be 20% higher.  On top, if situation extends to a full week charter and your bill at the end is 000’s of Euros higher than assumed, yet you only managed to cover 50% of your itinerary, a dispute or dissatisfaction can be very bad.  It is therefore advisable to confirm expected fuel consumption both at calm weather, and if adverse weather kicks in.  This is especially important on superyachts that cruise at speeds of 25kn+ but it can be even more frustrating on sailing catamarans that may cruise at only 8kn, yet their expected 2,000 Eur bill after a weeks charter, turns out to be 4,500 Eur.  Fuel prices can often play a major role too, especially if there is a major pricing change as it happened in 2022 following the war in Ukraine.  You will in most cases book your yacht 6-12 months in advance namely, and fuel prices can change substantially before embarkation takes place. If the price of fuel is 50% higher and your expected bill is 10,000 Eur, suddenly, this can turn into a 15,000 Eur bill due to increase in pricing and maybe even 20,000 Eur due to higher waves, bad weather and slight or bigger variance in actual fuel consumption, cruising speed and information given by the captain. The suggestion is therefore to plan for such adverse scenario in advance, double check rates at different cruising speeds and by change of prices and than decide if motor yacht or any superyacht you are keen to charter is indeed within the budget or desirable enough to ignore such potential adversity in final costs.

There are indeed a few other scenarios, experiences or issues that can occur, unexpectedly or in case of poor preparations. These two are the most likely ones; yet a professional charter broker can indeed identify many others and ensure most are dismissed well in advance of the start of your next luxury yacht charter or superyacht hire in the most popular yachting destinations of the East Caribbean or the Mediterranean.

Published by Eldin Basic (TpMBA)
Yacht Charter & Sales Broker  at SuperSailYachts

And why you should consider doing so.

Following covid-19 pandemic, we have seen an increase in enquiries about superyacht charters and luxury yacht charters in particular.
Social distancing rules and self-isolation have become increasingly popular and in demand, therefore sailing and yachting holidays have by their nature become of a more interest to many families and couples.  Given the lack of specific information for these type of clients, who are about to charter their first yacht or who are likely to consider a luxury yacht charter or indeed a superyacht charter in the coming months and years, here is a top 10 breakdown of what needs to be known before you embark on such a project. For more information, you can also follow our superyacht charter guide available on SuperSailYachts.com.

1. What is a superyacht charter?

Yacht chartering in general is the practice of renting, or hiring or indeed chartering a sailboat, motor yacht or a gullet and traveling to a number of different coastal or island destinations. Usual duration is one week, from Saturday – Saturday, yet many clients opt for 10 days, 2 weeks or even long-term charters of up to 2-18 months on some occasion.  The usual charter is completed during your summer or winter holiday time, but it also can be a business event for some.  Cannes Film Festival and Monaco Grand Prix are typical events where business may hire a superyacht.  In terms of superyacht charter, this includes crew of at least 4, including professional captain, chef, engineer or deckhand and a stewardess or hostess.  Biggest yachts may have crew of up to 30+ to include bodyguards, nannies, chief stewardess, yoga instructor, fitness instructor and personal concierge.  Midweek charters or embarkation on any day is possible on most superyachts, in particular in destinations such as the Caribbean or Indian Ocean. Some Mediterranean yachting destinations, such as Croatia, may limit embarkation and disembarkation times to specific days ie. Saturday, yet this is usually the case on smaller boats

2. How much does it cost to charter a super yacht?
   This really depends on a variety of factors such as size, type and age of the yacht.  A typical superyacht will cost around US$ 100,000 per week plus APA expenses. If you opt something smaller, older or with less appeal, the price varies between US$20,000 and US$80,000. For a megayacht rental (boats from around 200ft/60m, and much bigger than a superyacht), you can expect to pay upwards of half a million dollars. The larger the yacht, the higher the cost, although classic yachts may at times cost much less than a much smaller new superyacht. 
   
   
3. What are APA Expenses?
   These are all costs one can incur during a superayacht charter.  This can include all fuel, marina fees, costs of food and drinks consumed, tips to the crew, any local tourist or boat taxes, National Park fees, special requests and arrangements, even airport transfers.  They are usually set at around 30% of the charter fee, thus US$ 30,000 in case the charter fee is US$ 100,000 but can be higher, around 40%, on fast superyachts such as Pershing 115 or Sunseeker’s Predator range or newest Sunseeker 131 yacht, while sailing catamarans such as Sunreef 60 or the new Alegria 67 by Fountain Pajot may accept 20%.
   

4. Is a superyacht charter holiday worth it?
   Yacht charter is an absolute best way to enjoy a summer or sea holiday.  Changing your overnight location every day is an amazing experience, in particular if you enjoy sailing experience itself and feeling the lovely breeze on your face. Waking up to a new view, sights, smell and expeirences every day is just a mesmerising feeling and nothing beats it.  If you and your family are sailors and want to explore different parts of the world, chartering a boat in a different location, depending on the season and your budget, is a very fun and rewarding experience.
   
   
5. How much is a super yacht per night?
   At times you may wish to charter just for a night, weekend or a shorter period of time.  All superyachts are offered from around 3,500 US$’s per day plus expenses and the longer you rent, the average costs may be lower.  Superyachts are classed as boats bigger than 80ft or 25m, yet some newer boats that may only be 70ft, can have a bigger volume than a classic 100ft superyacht, thus may offer better value despite costing more.  All charter fees are always subject to local tax/vat and this can add from 4-22% on top of the usual charter rate. APA Expenses are on average 30% too.
   
   
6. Can I bring more than 12 guests?
   Most superyachts or yachts in general are limited to maximum 12 guests sleeping.  During the cruise this number may be increased and for stationary events in secured ports many will accept 50 guests on board, others even more than 100.  Smaller yachts may carry only six people, but even many superyachts are capped at 12 passengers.  This is mostly due to the SOLAS Convention (Safety of Life at Sea) set in law by the International Maritime Organization.  If your party has more than 12 guests, in location such as Croatia in particular, there is a range of high quality superyachts which can accept up to 40 guests on board. Some mega yachts, which can cruise in various locations from the Caribbean to the locatioins in the Arabian Sea can also accept up to 32 guests for overnight stays as well as cruising.
   
   
7. Is food included in superyacht charters ?
   All superyachts have a trained, professional chef on board.  The crew is also trained to provide 5-star service and often multiple course meals with specialties ranging from sea food, Mediterranean, Thai, Japanese or Chinese even and in most cases cater for all types of foodies, from vegetarians, gluten-free, vegan or an specific allergy-free menu’s.  However, food is rarely included in the charter fee and requires separate payments. In most cases this is part of APA EXPENSES, but on some yachts, in particular in the Adriatic Sea or in Seychelles, a set menu cost is offered, either for half-board (breakfast and lunch or dinner) or full board (half-board plus dinner) with drinks added to the bill from ships bar or as part of expenses.  Where APA expenses are applied, superyacht charter clients may often bring their own drinks. Some clients for example drink only certain brands of wine or may also own a vineyard and will bring their own bottles on board. 
   

4. 8. Do you have to tip on a superyacht charter ?
   In general, all professional yachtcharter brokers advise tipping 10 per cent of the charter fee total in the Mediterranean.  On US registered boats in the Caribbean or any boat hired in the US waters, the recommended tip is 20 per cent of the base charter fee.  Tipping your crew is a customary practice at the end of all and any superyacht charter, yet it is in most cases not obligatory.  Some boats, in particular those in the US waters or US registered ones, will advise on obligatory amount of tips before the exchange of the contracts. In case your superyacht charter was a disappointment for some reason and crew may have played a major role in the experience, you are not obliged to leave a tip of course.  If however your experience was amazing, or even life-changing adventure, you can tip as much as you like.
   
   9. What’s the best way to charter a superyacht?
   The best way is to decide on your ideal or maximum budget and approximate time or period you wish to charter.  You should than approach a superyacht charter broker such as SuperSailYachts and provide as much as other information as possible, such as total number of guests (split into couples, singles, children) and type of yacht required (sailing monohull, sailing catamaran, power catamaran, gullet etc.).  Indeed, some gullets can be classed as superyachts too but most of the superyachts tend to be luxury motor yachts above 25 metre in length.  Nowadays, the most popular yachts are sailing catamarans and those 80ft and longer are considered superyachts, Sunreef 80 and Lagoon 77 being the most desired ones.  For example, sailing catamarans of around 70ft and below are considered luxury or de-luxe charter yachts and are also very impressive but may not be seen as superyachts, while gullets must be new, 5-star service vessels and at least 120ft to be considered a superyacht.
   
   10. Where and when to charter a superyacht?
   The best locations to see and to be seen on a superyacht tend to be in the Mediterranean during the summer and the Caribbean in the winter.  If you want to be amongst others who charter superyachts, you should consider turning up for Cannes Film Festival or Monaco’s F1 Grand Prix for example.  End of July and early August is probably time to visit South of France and locations such as Cap d’Antibes or Porquerolles and inevitably St Tropez.  Mid August you are best going to Ibiza and private  island Tagamago as well as neighbouring Formentera or indeed Greek Island of Mykonos.  Dubrovnik and Island of Hvar in Croatia are popular throughout August and late July, while Portofino alongside Italian Riviera and Sardinia’s Costa Smeralda coast can be hit at the same time when visiting South of France, in particular if you are on a long-term charter of sailing on a fast cruising motor yacht (25kn+).

Bonus tips:
There may be a number of other variables that you should consider before chartering a superyacht, yet one cannot cover them all in a blog.  Most importantly, if you can afford it, you should definitely consider luxury yacht charter experiences, regardless of what type of yacht, period of the year or duration you are considering.  Making the experience will certainly be the best way to check if you will enjoy it and given the possibility to hire a superyacht for a day or long weekend, there is nothing in the way to stop you doing so.  On top, superyacht charter can takes place during your regular school holidays period at the end of July and August or last one or two weeks typically. The most popular charter times are during Christmas and the NEW YEAR, when most superyacht charterers head to Virgin Islands (BVI’s and USVI’s) and ultra-popular Saint Barths. Billionaires and Multi-millionaires tend to charter yachts throughout the year as and when the need arises and the latest special offerings are transatlantic crossing which start around mid-November and last up to mid-December each year. Other clients, albeit very few, tend to charter yachts for longer periods only, enjoying a full blown long-term sabbatical yacht charter vacation. Lately, clients have also enquired for ONE WAY charters, the most popular being between Split and Dubrovnik in Croatia, Athens and Mykonos in Greece and St Tropez and Portofino (in France and Italy respectively). The most adventurous of all, are one way charters from locations such as the Grenadines to ABC Islands, Martinique to San Blas in Panama or even Cuba to Galapagos!

Published by Eldin Basic (TpMBA) of SuperSailYachts.com