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The charter cost checklist

Updated 3 Nov 2026 · every figure links to its source, with the date we checked it · sources

The price on a charter listing is usually just the boat. Go down this list before you pay, tick what's included, and write in what's extra. The examples are real, published prices from operators and official fee lists in Croatia, Greece and the BVI. Your boat's numbers will differ, so ask your operator for theirs.

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1. Costs you pay before you sail

• Base charter fee, per boat, per week. Compare it with the normal price for that season, not with the "was" price.

  BVI: The Moorings' own bareboats start at $3,284 for 7 days in low season and $14,484 in high season.^{[The Moorings]} Typical weekly prices for each area are on our destination pages.

  Your boat: ____________

• Security deposit, held on a card (or paid in cash) at check-in and returned if there's no damage.

  Croatia: about 1% of the yacht's value at Nava Boats in Split.^{[Nava Boats (Split)]} Greece: €2,500 on Melisandra's yacht.^{[Melisandra (Greece)]} Some bases don't take debit cards or Amex.^{[Hermes Yachting (Lavrion, Greece)]}

  Deposit: ____________   Card or cash? ____________

• Damage waiver (deposit reduction). It's non-refundable, it lowers what you can lose, and with some operators it's compulsory.

  Greece: €250–350 a week with Hermes Yachting (compulsory), and you still leave €800–1,000.^{[Hermes Yachting (Lavrion, Greece)]} BVI: about $600 a week on a small monohull or $910 on a 44 ft catamaran with Sunsail^[Sunsail]; $50 a day (max $500) at BVI Yacht Charters.^{[BVI Yacht Charters]}

• Transit log / end cleaning / "base package", usually compulsory and paid at the base. Ask what it covers: cleaning, linen, towels, gas, dinghy.

  Croatia: €220–300 depending on boat size at MH Charter, including end cleaning, dinghy, bed linen and towels.^{[MH Charter (Croatia)]} Greece: €230–400 at Hermes Yachting, including cleaning, gas, linen and your berth at the base marina^{[Hermes Yachting (Lavrion, Greece)]}; Melisandra charges €150 for end cleaning.^{[Melisandra (Greece)]}

  Amount: ____________   Includes: ____________

• Tourist tax, cruising permits and other per-person fees

  Croatia: tourist tax of €1.33 per adult per day and €0.66 for ages 12–18; under-12s don't pay.^{[Nava Boats (Split)]} BVI: cruising permit $4 per person per day^{[Government of the Virgin Islands (via BVI Shipping Registry)]}, and the National Parks permit is $160 a week per boat for up to 8 people from 1 Nov 2026.^{[Virgin Islands News Online]} Greece: ask what's included; Hermes says its rates include local taxes and VAT at a reduced 12%, on the condition that the skipper brings back a stamped port declaration.^{[Hermes Yachting (Lavrion, Greece)]}

  People × days × rate: ____________

• Skipper, if you need one or want a check-out day. They need their own cabin and you pay for their food.

  Croatia: €200 a day plus food at MH Charter.^{[MH Charter (Croatia)]} Greece: €200 a night plus food and a €350 skipper deposit at Hermes^{[Hermes Yachting (Lavrion, Greece)]}; €210 a day plus food at Melisandra.^{[Melisandra (Greece)]} BVI: $300 a night, or $250 for a one-day check-out skipper, at BVI Yacht Charters.^{[BVI Yacht Charters]}

• Optional extras: outboard for the dinghy, SUP, Wi-Fi, extra linen, gennaker.

  Croatia: SUP €130 a week, outboard €100 at MH Charter.^{[MH Charter (Croatia)]} Greece: SUP €100, Wi-Fi (20 GB) €50, outboard €80 a week at Hermes.^{[Hermes Yachting (Lavrion, Greece)]} BVI: Wi-Fi $135–205 a week at BVI Yacht Charters.^{[BVI Yacht Charters]}

• Family kit: children's life jackets and a guard-rail safety net.

  Greece: kids' automatic life jackets €30 per child per week and a safety net €200 a week at Hermes^{[Hermes Yachting (Lavrion, Greece)]}; safety net €120 at Melisandra.^{[Melisandra (Greece)]} Ask if they have the right sizes for your kids.

• Early boarding or a night aboard before you sail

  Croatia: €150–180 at MH Charter.^{[MH Charter (Croatia)]} Greece: early check-in €150 at Hermes.^{[Hermes Yachting (Lavrion, Greece)]} BVI: $75 per person at BVI Yacht Charters.^{[BVI Yacht Charters]}

2. Costs during the week

• Marinas, harbours and mooring buoys. Usually only the first and last night at the base are included.

  Croatia: a 12 m boat pays €86 a night at ACI Supetarska Draga and €168 at ACI Split in July–August, and Split adds 10% on Fridays to Sundays. Catamarans pay more.^{[ACI marinas]} BVI: about $30–55 a night on a mooring ball depending on the bay.^{[Sunsail][BVI Yacht Charters]} Greece: not included at Melisandra.^{[Melisandra (Greece)]}

  Nights in marinas: ____ × ____   Nights on buoys: ____ × ____   Nights at anchor: ____

• National park and protected-area fees

  Croatia: Kornati costs €95 a day for an 11–18 m boat from June to September if you buy before entering, and €190 if you buy inside the park (€50/€95 the rest of the year).^{[Kornati National Park]} BVI: covered by the $160 weekly permit above.^{[Virgin Islands News Online]}

• Fuel. You usually start full and pay for what you use at check-out.

  BVI: Sunsail estimates $150–500 a week.^[Sunsail] Elsewhere it depends on how much you motor, so ask the base what a typical week uses.

• Food and drink on board (or provisioning ordered in advance)

  BVI: $28–35 per person per day for full pre-ordered provisioning at BVI Yacht Charters; Sunsail budgets $50–75.^{[BVI Yacht Charters][Sunsail]} APA (advance provisioning allowance) is a crewed-charter thing: you pay a fund up front for food, fuel and berths, and settle the difference at the end. Bareboat charters normally don't use one.

• Eating out

  Restaurant nights: ____ × ____

3. Getting there and the extras people forget

• Flights and airport transfers

  BVI: a shared taxi from the airport to the base costs about $16 per person.^{[The Moorings]}

• A hotel night if your flight lands after check-in or leaves before check-out time.

• Tips for a skipper or crew.

  BVI: 10–25% of the charter fee for a skipper (Sunsail); BVI Yacht Charters suggests 10%.^{[Sunsail][BVI Yacht Charters]}

• Travel and cancellation insurance, plus deposit insurance if you want it. Operators' terms usually exclude both.^{[Hermes Yachting (Lavrion, Greece)]}

• One-way fee if you finish at a different base.

  Greece: €350 at Melisandra.^{[Melisandra (Greece)]}

Questions to ask the operator before you pay

1. What do I pay at the base, how much, and in cash or by card? (transit log, cleaning, tourist tax, damage waiver)
2. How much is the deposit, and is it a hold on a credit card? Do you take debit cards?
3. Is the damage waiver optional or compulsory, and what does it still not cover?
4. Is the outboard for the dinghy included? Bed linen and towels for everyone?
5. Which marina nights are included? When do I have to be back: the evening before, or on the morning of check-out?
6. Which licences do you accept, and do I need a VHF certificate?
7. How old is the boat, and when were the sails last replaced?
8. What's the payment schedule and the cancellation policy?
9. Do you have children's life jackets in my kids' sizes and a safety net?
10. Is VAT included, at what rate, and are there any conditions?

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Sources

Prices change. We checked each source on the date shown; confirm with your operator before you book.

1. The Moorings: How Much Does A BVI Yacht Charter Cost in 2026? (15 Jul 2026, prices updated Apr 2026; checked 26 Oct 2026). https://www.moorings.com/blog/how-much-does-a-bvi-yacht-charter-cost
2. Nava Boats (Split): Charter Croatia FAQ: extra expenses, tourist tax, security deposit (checked 3 Nov 2026). https://navaboats.com/charter-croatia-faq
3. Hermes Yachting (Lavrion, Greece): Yacht charter terms and conditions (checked 3 Nov 2026). https://hermesyachting.com/terms-and-conditions/
4. Melisandra (Greece): Rates & terms 2026 (checked 3 Nov 2026). https://www.melisandra.gr/index.php/en/rates-and-terms
5. Sunsail: How Much Does a BVI Yacht Charter Cost? (28 Feb 2026; re-checked 26 Oct 2026). https://www.sunsail.com/blog/how-much-does-a-bvi-yacht-charter-cost
6. BVI Yacht Charters: General Questions about Chartering (checked 26 Oct 2026). https://www.bviyachtcharters.com/general-questions-about-chartering/
7. MH Charter (Croatia): Weekly prices 2026 and extras (PDF price list) (checked 3 Nov 2026). https://mh-charter.com/pub/media/pdf/pricelist.pdf
8. Government of the Virgin Islands (via BVI Shipping Registry): S.I. 2024 No. 83: Cruising and Home Port Permit (Amendment of Schedule 2) Order, 2024 (in force 1 Jun 2025; checked 26 Oct 2026). https://bvimaritime.vg/Portals/0/DNNGalleryPro/uploads/2026/3/5/SINo83of2024-CruisingandHomePortPermit(AmendmentofSchedule2)Order,2024.pdf
9. Virgin Islands News Online: After 36 years, NPTVI increases park entrance fees (8 Oct 2026; checked 26 Oct 2026). https://www.virginislandsnewsonline.com/en/news/after-36-years-nptvi-increases-park-entrance-fees
10. Kornati National Park: Ticket prices and fees for 2026 (PDF) (checked 3 Nov 2026). https://www.np-kornati.hr/images/uvodne/CJENIK_2026_EN.pdf
11. ACI marinas: Price list, effective from 1 April 2026 (PDF) (checked 3 Nov 2026). https://aci-marinas.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/ACI_Marinas_Prices.pdf
12. The Moorings: British Virgin Islands: Useful Information (checked 26 Oct 2026). https://www.moorings.com/destinations/caribbean/british-virgin-islands-yacht-charters/useful-information

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