Crewed Charter Guide: Exploring Possibilities
Embarking on a crewed charter offers a world of choices: a skipper, a hostess, a cook – or perhaps all three? Our guide ensures your sailing adventure aligns with your desires.
Starting a sailing adventure in Croatia’s beautiful waters is really exciting. You’ve picked your boat, and you might even have the necessary license. But maybe you are still thinking about whether to get a skipper, a hostess, or both. If this is your first time sailing in Croatia, we suggest having a local with you, so let this crewed charter guide help you choose which crew professional to hire. If you feel really confident and sail extremely well, having a hostess or a cook could be very helpful. They can show you the best places to go, give you tips to avoid crowds, and even help on the boat. On the other hand, a skipper is great if you want to fully enjoy your vacation without worrying about the technical parts of sailing.
We have a lot of experience in boating, especially in offering charter services. We know the best caterers, restaurants, places to visit, and of course, skippers, cooks, hostesses, and other boating experts. These experts take your holiday to the next level, by keeping you safe and making sure you have a great time throughout the cruise.
Read on, because this crewed charter guide brings detailed tasks of each crew memeber.
Role of The Skipper
Our skippers are professional sailors, qualified by all necessary sailing certificates and licenses. Moreover, they are highly experienced and have logged many miles under their belts. Even if you’re a seasoned boater, having a skipper on board has many advantages and benefits. The skipper will handle all boat-related matters in port and at sea. Here is a list of some of their duties:
- check-in and check-out procedures – boat handover with marina staff
- briefing your crew to prepare for the cruise
- monitoring weather forecasts and sea conditions
- preparing daily sailing routes and suggesting activities
- keeping the boat in excellent working order and the deck clean
- refueling, resupplying water, and connecting electricity
- handling harbor entrance and departure and submitting necessary documents to port authorities
- providing local guidance on sights, attractions, activities, shops, restaurants, car and motor rentals
- navigating the yacht while you relax or engage in other activities
- sharing knowledge about sailing and navigation
- supervising the yacht when at anchor
However, a skipper’s responsibilities do not extend to cooking, dishwashing, cleaning the interior, shopping for food, or babysitting.
Role of the Hostess
A hostess is someone who does her best to make your vacation more memorable and pleasant. She is on board to maintain the boat’s cleanliness, prepare food and clear after meals and helps you choose the most suitable restaurant for your dinner, give advice on places of interest.
Her tasks vary on the number of crew members and usually include:
- preparing the interior of the boat and checking the galley inventory, cleaning utensils and products, as well as bedding
- greeting you upon your arrival and helping you to settle in
- advising you on provisioning for the charter and payment methods before departure (it is common practice that at least one crew member accompanies the hostess during the first shopping to make joint decisions while choosing the best food for the trip and also help in carrying – we can arrange basic groceries delivered to the boat in advance to reduce shopping and carry to the minimum)
- stowing provisions ready for sea
- daily shopping for fresh bread and other necessities
- preparing and serving breakfast and lunch at agreed times, other meals can be arranged at additional cost
- washing up and putting away the dishes after meals and tidying up the saloon
- checking and cleaning your showers and heads once a day
- if agreed, the hostess will make your bed in the morning
- Baby-sitting service is also a possibility but as this adds to her tasks, additional hostess-fee depends on the number of children and the time spent babysitting
Yet, a hostess isn’t a professional chef, and you shouldn’t request particular meal types. This includes dishes that are specialties of foreign countries or those requiring extensive preparation. She will make every effort to offer a varied Mediterranean menu, abundant in local cuisine, featuring fresh vegetables, fruits, and seafood…
Also, all our hostesses are marine trained, so they help during dock maneuvers and some sailing activities. When required, the hostess has to help the skipper during maneuvers (coming in and out of marinas, dropping anchor, refueling, etc.) and then finish her other duties. Remember, safety on any boat always comes first!
A Hostess or a Cook?
What are the main differences between a hostess and a cook? Our crewed charter guide also has a table to make your decision easier;
Tasks:
| Tasks | Cook / Chef | Hostess |
| Meal preparation | as many as required | breakfast + one light meal |
| Meal types | all types (international, local) even more complicated meals but bearing in mind the galley equipment and conditions on board | usually local and less complicated meals but very tasteful and in accordance with your wishes |
| Cleaning | galley and salon only | the boat’s interior as well as cabins, heads and showers |
| Helping with maneuvers | always a priority | always a priority |
| Baby-sitting | – | available upon request and with a surcharge |
Bear in mind that
- any crew member needs a separate cabin or berth on board (most of our catamarans have one or two crew cabins in the bow, so this is what they’ll use, as for sailboats and motorboats that don’t have a separate crew cabin you’ll need to arrange that with the crew on the spot)
- in case the crew cabin does not include a separate toilet, usage of one guest toilet during the day should be granted to the crew
- you need to provide food for the crew members
- although all our boats are very comfortable, the space on board is limited and cooperation and tolerance are required from all crew members
- all crew members need their daily rest after they have finished their tasks and duties
What About Tipping?
Tipping is not obligatory, but is a good way to show appreciation for the crew’s services. Usually, it’s 10-20% of the booking price of the charter. Read our full guide on tipping.
If you’re still looking for a boat, remember that practically all our boats can be hired with a skipper and/or hostess. We also have some boats that are only available for charter with a skipper:
with skipper and hostess:
with skipper, hostess and a cook:
For all other boats, we would be delighted to assist you in finding the best crew to create the perfect holiday. Feel free to reach out to our dedicated charter team for assistance.
Did you find this crewed charter guide helpful? What were your experiences?
