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The difference fits in one sentence. On a skippered charter someone else is responsible for the boat; on a bareboat charter you are.
Everything else follows from that: who needs a licence, what the price includes, how the week feels. Most people know which one they want once they have read the two side by side.
Skippered: a guest on your own yacht
A professional skipper sails the yacht. You decide what kind of week you want and he works out how to deliver it: where to swim, which bay is sheltered tonight, which harbour has the taverna worth the walk.
On our yachts a skippered week works like this:
- No licence and no experience needed by anyone in the group.
- We sail on Saturday evening, after check-in, so the first night is already somewhere other than the marina.
- The skipper has his own cabin. On Beleza that leaves room for up to five guests, though four is the comfortable number; on Oasis up to six.
- One price for the week. It is an all-inclusive total, so you are not adding up a boat, a skipper and the extras.
- His knowledge comes with him. A local skipper does not only drive the boat. He knows the hidden spots, where to spend the night, and where to eat.
You can help sail as much as you like. Many guests end the week able to take the helm and drop the anchor, without having carried the responsibility for any of it. What a skipper actually does is worth reading if you are wondering how that works day to day.
Bareboat: the boat is yours
On a bareboat charter you are the skipper. You plan the route, read the forecast, anchor, moor and bring the boat back on Friday.
To take a yacht bareboat in Greece you need:
- A valid licence: an ICC or an equivalent certificate. ASA 104 is accepted. The details are in do you need a licence to charter a yacht in Greece.
- A short sailing resume: what you have sailed, where and for how long.
- A crew list: one of you is declared as skipper and everyone else as crew, on the list we pass to the port authority.
The price is the charter, plus what is paid at the base. Fuel is not included: the boat goes out full and comes back full. A security deposit is held for the week and returned when the boat comes back as she left.
Side by side
| Skippered | Bareboat | |
|---|---|---|
| Who sails the boat | Our skipper | You |
| Licence | None | ICC or equivalent, for the skipper |
| Experience | None | Enough to anchor, moor and read a forecast |
| Price | One all-inclusive total | Charter price, plus fuel and harbour costs |
| Cabins for guests | All but the skipper’s | All of them |
| Local knowledge | On board all week | Ours by phone, yours on the water |
| Who is responsible for the boat | The skipper | You |
Choose skippered if
- Nobody in the group holds a licence, or the one person who does would rather be on holiday.
- It is your first charter, or your first in Greece.
- You are bringing children and want both parents free to watch them.
- The point of the week is the swimming, the islands and the evenings, not the sailing itself.
- You want the places only someone local would know.
Choose bareboat if
- Someone holds a licence and has skippered a yacht recently, not only once on a course.
- Someone else on board can handle the lines and the anchor while the skipper is at the helm.
- Planning the passage and choosing the anchorage is part of the fun for you.
- You are comfortable mooring stern-to in a busy harbour with a crosswind.
If the last point made you hesitate, read it again. It is the honest test.
The middle ground
You do not have to choose all or nothing.
If your experience is real but rusty, a short sea trial at check-in is a good way to settle it. A professional skipper for just the first day or two is sometimes possible too, but ask early: skippers are hard to find for a couple of days, especially in high season.
Or sail with a little company: flotilla sailing keeps you in your own boat with support close by.
How to decide
Tell us who is coming and what each of you has sailed, and we will say honestly which week suits you. If the experience is not there yet, we will say so, and suggest the skipper.
See the skippered charter from Lefkada, the bareboat charter, our two yachts Beleza and Oasis, or write to us.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What is the difference between a skippered and a bareboat charter?
On a skippered charter a professional skipper sails the yacht and you are a guest on board. On a bareboat charter you take the yacht yourself, as the skipper, with no crew from us.
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Do I need a licence for a skippered charter?
No. The skipper holds the licence. Nobody in your group needs any sailing experience.
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What do I need to charter bareboat in Greece?
A valid ICC or an equivalent sailing licence (ASA 104 is accepted), and a short written sailing resume from the person who will skipper. Everyone else goes on the crew list as crew.
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Is bareboat cheaper than skippered?
The charter price is lower, because there is no skipper to pay. But fuel and harbour costs are on top, the security deposit is yours to protect, and the week runs on your own skills. Compare the whole week, not the headline price.
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Where does the skipper sleep?
In his own cabin. That is why a skippered week takes one cabin out of the guests' share: on Beleza up to five guests, with four the most comfortable, and on Oasis up to six.
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Can we help sail on a skippered charter?
As much or as little as you like. Plenty of guests take the helm, trim the sails or learn to anchor during the week, without the responsibility for the boat.
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We have some experience but not much. What should we do?
Tell us honestly what you have done. A short sea trial at check-in often settles it. If the experience is not there yet, skippered is the better week.
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Is the Ionian a good place for a first bareboat charter?
It is one of the gentlest in Greece: short distances, line-of-sight navigation and sheltered water inside the islands. It is still the sea, so the licence and the experience matter.