Yacht Charter Glossary
Day Charter
Also known as: Daily Yacht Charter · Day Hire · Single-Day Charter
Full explanation
Day chartering is the entry tier of yacht chartering - useful for testing the market, anchoring an event (birthday, proposal, corporate offsite), or supplementing a land-based holiday.
Embark at 10am, cruise to a swim spot, lunch aboard or at a beach taverna, return by 7pm. Day charter pricing in Greece, 2026: small motor boats (8–12 metres): €600–€2,500/day.
Mid-size motor yachts (15–24 metres): €3,500–€8,000/day.
Luxury motor yachts (24–40 metres): €10,000–€30,000/day.
Superyachts (40m+): €25,000–€80,000+/day with significant minimums in peak. What's included on a typical day charter: crew (captain + 1 deckhand for smaller, 4+ crew for luxury), fuel for a normal day's running (~4 hours), basic food and drink onboard, snorkelling gear, water toys on larger yachts. What's extra: premium catering (€80–€200 per guest), additional fuel for longer routes, marina fees if mooring elsewhere. Day-charter limitations vs term charter: you cannot sleep aboard, the menu is fixed not bespoke, you cannot island-hop in any meaningful way (the yacht must return to base by evening), and the experience is fundamentally a long lunch rather than an immersion.
Why it matters for UHNW charterers
Day charter is the product UHNW buyers ask for when they don't know they want a 3-day or 5-day charter. A €15,000 day charter, repeated 3 times in a week, costs more than a €38,000 mid-tier crewed 4-night charter with proper bespoke service. A good broker asks 'How many days are you in Greece?' before answering 'How much for a day?'
Worked examples
Mid-tier day charter, 22m motor yacht, Athens Riviera
Embark 10am Vouliagmeni, anchor at Cape Sounion, lunch served aboard, return by 7pm. Cost: €4,500 + €600 fuel + €700 catering for 8 guests = €5,800.
Luxury day charter, 35m motor yacht, Mykonos, July
Day rate: €15,000. Catering for 10: €2,400. Fuel: €1,200. Total: €18,600 for 8 hours. Same yacht 7-night charter: €105,000 base - equivalent of 5.6 day charters and dramatically better value.
Frequently asked
About day charter
Can I sleep aboard on a day charter?
No. A day charter explicitly excludes overnight accommodation. If you need overnight, you book a 'mini-cruise' or 'short break' charter - typically 2–3 nights minimum.
What's the difference between day charter and term charter?
Day charter: same-day embarkation and disembarkation. Term charter: minimum 1 night aboard, typically 7 nights, with bespoke service and itinerary.
Is a day charter cheaper than a week charter divided by 7?
No. A day charter typically costs 1/4 to 1/3 of a weekly rate, not 1/7. The day rate prices in the crew time, fuel inefficiency, and the lost-opportunity cost to the operator.
Can I do a day charter on a superyacht?
Some superyachts accept day charters, but with very high minimums (€60,000+) and only in off-peak periods. In July–August superyachts are typically locked into 7-night contracts and don't entertain day charters.
Related terms
Other definitions worth knowing
Crewed Charter
A crewed charter is a yacht hire that includes a professional crew - captain, chef, deckhands, stewards -…
Bareboat Charter
A bareboat charter is a yacht hire without a professional crew - the charterer or a friend skippers the ve…
Charter Fee (Base Fee)
The charter fee is the base weekly rate paid for the use of the yacht and its crew. It excludes APA, VAT, de…
Tender
A tender is a small boat carried aboard a yacht for transferring guests between the yacht and shore, water-s…
Continue reading
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.