Can You Tell me the Name of the Skipper We Have Hired?

The terms and conditions of hiring a skipper vary. The answer to this Frequently Asked Question is based on the most common arrangement, to set expectations and to explain why it is how it is.

The most typical arrangement is that your yacht charter operator has a pool of skippers and they have allocated one to you. If it’s a big operation, there will be some turnover of staff, sickness and other issues that can affect allocations right up to the day of your charter.

With smaller charter companies, who typically charge a little more for the charter in general, you may well have a skipper they will be able to tell you about well in advance, but it’s certainly not something that can be guaranteed.

How do I guarantee a Skipper?

You will always be guaranteed that the operator will supply a qualified skipper, so the real question is how do you get more control. One way is to use a SailChecker Skipper who isn’t working back-to-back charters and had gone through a string vetting process. They will be around 150% of the going rate.

The way to get greater control of your crew is through a Crewed Charter. The Crew live on the boat, will typically have more experience than freelance skippers, and will have to go through a more challenging hiring process. They will typically be paid more.

How can I get our Skipper’s CV?

Very often you can’t. It will depend on your operator, typically the more you pay for a charter, the more the operator has to invest in scrutinising.

What is the Contractual Arrangement?

Despite the fact that your charter operator has taken on this responsibility, in most cases, you will be entering into a private freelance arrangement directly with the skipper. In some cases you will pay and tip the skipper directly, in other cases, you will pay the operator and they will sort this out for you.

When can we Discuss the Route?

So having ordered a skipper, what will you find out about them before you arrive and can you contact them? The answer is, and there are many exceptions, you can expect very little.

Skippers end their charter on a Friday evening, they have one night away from the boat, and they are back the next morning to hand the boat back, and then, meet you. During the charter, there is very little time for them to be on their phone, how are you going to enjoy the skipper dealing with questions for the next 3 charters? The fact is they cannot do this and give you their full attention.

For that reason, you will rarely get any time before your charter to communicate with them, but from the moment you meet, you can expect their undivided attention. There are some exceptions, in small yacht charter operators,they might well know well in advance who your skipper will be, and save for emergencies, they can feel confident sharing. A skupper might not be working back to and have some time for correspondence, yet this is not the norm.

How do I find out about the route?

With the best intentions in the world, there is only so much that can be pre-planned. On day one that planning could be thown in the bin as you get the lastest weather forecast, find out where the party fltillas will be this summer, or that some mooringins are undergoing maintenace. In o