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Sailing With Friends
Group sailing holidays involve friends chartering one yacht or several boats to sail together. Agree who wants to share a cabin, how you will split expenses and what pace of holiday you want.
Your Own Boats
A big group can charter several boats and sail together as its own private flotilla, for example thirty friends across several boats. Nobody needs sailing qualifications or experience on a skippered charter; for bareboat, the skipper needs the right qualification for the country. Bring us your numbers and cabin preferences so we can advise on layouts, crew levels and routing.
Quick Navigation
- 1 Sleeping Arrangements Start With Cabins
- 2 Sharing Costs Agree What You Share
- 3 Who Skippers? Experience Before Assumptions
- 4 Your Private Flotilla Several Boats Together
- 5 Lively or Quiet? Agree the Holiday
- 6 A Crewed Gulet Discuss the Crew
1.Sleeping Arrangements
Start With Cabins
Agree who will share a cabin before choosing a boat. Catamarans with four or more cabins and sailing yachts with five or more are common in our bareboat fleet in Greece and Croatia.
When choosing a boat for your group, think about shared space as well as sleeping arrangements. Catamarans have more space inside and out than monohulls. Compare the available cabin layouts with your agreed sharing arrangement.
2.Sharing Costs
Agree What You Share
Agree how you want to share expenses before choosing the charter. A security deposit is paid at the start and covers damage up to the deposit amount. Decide how the group will contribute to that deposit as well as the charter fee.
On crewed and other high-end charters, the Advance Provisioning Allowance, or APA, is another consideration. It is typically 25 to 35% of the charter fee for sailing yachts and catamarans, with motor yachts higher. It pays for fuel, food and drink, laundry, port fees and local taxes outside the charter fee. The captain holds it and pays fuel and mooring fees from it. Decide together how you want to share those expenses.
3.Who Skippers?
Experience Before Assumptions
Nobody in the group needs sailing qualifications or experience for a skippered charter. Ask whether anyone intends to skipper before comparing that option with bareboat.
For Bareboat Charter, you or one member of the crew needs the right sailing qualification for the country you choose. Countries differ in what they require and accept. Ask the person proposing to skipper about their qualifications, then discuss the destination with us. Make that decision before asking everyone to commit to a particular boat or route for the holiday.
Group Catamarans in Croatia
4.Your Private Flotilla
Several Boats Together
A big group can charter several boats and sail together as its own private flotilla. Thirty friends, for example, could spread across several yachts rather than look for one boat to hold everyone. Agree who will share each boat, then discuss cabin layouts, skipper arrangements and routing with us.
Under UK merchant shipping rules, a passenger ship is one carrying more than 12 passengers. Crew and children under one year old do not count as passengers in that definition. This is a UK definition, not a universal limit for charter yachts. Tell us your full numbers so we can check the proposed arrangement with the operator.
5.Lively or Quiet?
Agree the Holiday
Agree what everyone wants from the holiday before choosing the route. If you are chartering several boats as a private flotilla, have that conversation across all the boats. Discuss how much time you want to spend sailing and what you want from your overnight stops.
Bodrum and its nearby islands offer sheltered, quiet overnight stops. Tell us your preferences and ask for routing and bad-weather advice before settling on the sailing plan.
6.A Crewed Gulet
Discuss the Crew
Most gulets we list are crewed and based in Turkey, around Bodrum, Fethiye and Göcek.
A crewed charter can mean adding a cook or chef, a hostess, or both to a skippered charter, or a uniformed crew of ten or more. Ask about the crew on the boat you are considering rather than assuming the same arrangement everywhere. We advise on crew levels and cabin layouts, so discuss both before choosing the yacht.
Crewed Gulets in Turkey
Your Questions Answered
How Do Groups Usually Share the Cost?
Agree your own sharing arrangement for the charter, the security deposit and any expenses outside the charter fee. On crewed and other high-end charters, the APA is typically 25 to 35% for sailing yachts and catamarans and pays for expenses such as fuel, food and mooring fees.
Does Anyone in the Group Need a Licence?
Nobody needs sailing qualifications or experience on a skippered charter. For bareboat, you or one crew member needs the right qualification for the country where you sail.
What Is the 12 Person Yacht Rule?
Under UK merchant shipping rules, a passenger ship is one carrying more than 12 passengers. Crew and children under one year old do not count as passengers in that UK definition.
Can a Big Group Charter Its Own Private Flotilla?
Yes. A big group can charter several boats and sail together as its own private flotilla, for example thirty friends across several boats. SailChecker works with no flotilla providers. Discuss your numbers, cabin sharing and skipper arrangements with us.
Talk to us about the charter you have in mind. We have advised on charters since 2011 and are tied to no operator. The Art of Charter.
Christopher Lait
Chris founded Drake Academy, a sailing company that provides leadership training to businesses. Now the CEO of SailChecker.com you will find him handling many of your enquiries as he attempts to drive SailChecker.com forward as the company of choice for yacht charter and sailing by focusing on quality advice and great customer service.
