Yacht Charter Glossary
Bareboat Charter
Also known as: Bareboat Hire · Self-Skippered Charter · No-Crew Charter
Last updated August 2026
Full explanation
Bareboat chartering puts the charterer in the captain's chair.
You collect the yacht from the base, you navigate, you cook, you anchor every evening.
The yacht-management company hands over the keys after a technical briefing and you bring it back at the end of the week. Certifications required in Greece: at least one person aboard must hold an internationally recognised sailing qualification - typically RYA Day Skipper or above, ASA 104, IYT Bareboat, or equivalent.
A second crew member must hold at least Competent Crew or hold a Greek-recognised radio operator's licence.
The Greek Coast Guard checks these documents on departure. What yachts are available bareboat: sailing yachts 30-55 feet, catamarans 38-50 feet, motor yachts under 50 feet (rare in Greece).
Above these sizes, bareboat is not offered - the yacht's value and complexity require professional crewing. Bareboat vs crewed cost: the bareboat operators publish their own weekly rates, per boat, and they sit below a crewed week because you are the crew.
On the Greek Charter Index 2026 the smallest crewed week, a 15 metre catamaran with captain and cook-hostess, lists from EUR 17,000.
The saving is real, but only if the charterer is genuinely qualified and willing to do the work, because bareboat is a vacation that includes labour.
Why it matters for UHNW charterers
Bareboat is a different product than crewed chartering. UHNW buyers who say 'I want to bareboat' usually want a low-stress crewed week on a smaller yacht - in which case they should look at a 15 to 16 metre crewed catamaran with captain and cook, EUR 17,000 to 22,000 a week on the Index (EFFIE STAR, BABALU), not a bareboat. Asking the right qualifying question is the broker's job.
Worked examples
Standard bareboat, 45-foot sailing yacht, Cyclades, 7 nights
Charter fee: quoted by the bareboat operator, per boat per week. APA: not applicable, you provision yourselves. Fuel and marina fees: paid as you go. The cost is the fee plus your time, your qualifications and the work.
Crewed instead: a 15.6 metre catamaran from Athens, 7 nights
EFFIE STAR, a Lagoon 51 with captain and cook-hostess: EUR 17,000 to 22,000 a week on the Greek Charter Index 2026, plus APA of 20 to 30% and Greek VAT at the certified rate. Nobody in the party stands a watch, anchors the boat or cooks.
Frequently asked
About bareboat charter
Can I bareboat charter a superyacht?
No. Above 50 feet, yachts are exclusively crewed. The skipper certifications required for vessels above this size (Yachtmaster Offshore minimum, often Master 200 commercial) are not held by typical charterers.
What licences do I need to bareboat in Greece?
At minimum: RYA Day Skipper or equivalent ICC for the skipper, plus VHF radio licence. A crew member with Competent Crew is also normally required.
Is bareboat insurance included?
Bareboat operators include basic hull insurance with a deductible and sell a waiver against it; both figures are theirs to quote. On a crewed charter under the MYBA form the owner's insurance covers the yacht and the crew, and the charterer's exposure is the security deposit.
Can I hire a skipper for a bareboat yacht?
Bareboat operators generally can, and the arrangement is usually called a skippered charter: a professional aboard to run the boat, without the chef and interior crew of a full charter. It is not something George Yachts brokers. This house writes fully crewed weeks only, so if that is what you are after a Greek bareboat operator is the right call and we will say so.
Related terms
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Ready to charter in Greece?
George P. Biniaris and the George Yachts team broker yachts in Greek waters under MYBA-standard contracts. Speak with us directly.