QUESTION:
What is the difference between a crewed yacht charter and a bareboat yacht charter? I keep coming across both terms when I search for yacht charters online but don't really understand what the difference is.
ANSWER:
Editorial Team
A crewed charter means that your yacht will have a captain whose job it is to steer the boat for the duration of the charter and an accompanying crew, which vary in number, who carry out all the other duties on board including cleaning the boat, chef duties, stewarding etc.
A bareboat yacht charter is when the customer rents a yacht without any crew onboard, either because he or she intends to pilot, or bring their own crew onboard, including the Captain. In order to do this, you will need to hold some type of qualification, an example of which is the ICC (International Certificate of Competence).
Different countries have different requirements so it is worth checking this before embarking on a bareboat charter.
A superyacht is in essence a crewed yacht whose length is above 24m/80’, the LOA that defines the minimum above which a vessel must be professionally crewed — unlike smaller vessels where non yachting professionals with the relevant licenses can take the helm.
