Yacht Charter Terms Glossary: VAT, APA, MYBA & More

Croatia yacht charter quotes and brokerage contracts use a handful of industry terms that aren’t always explained on the page. Here’s a plain-English reference for the ones that come up most on this site. For a full walkthrough of how VAT and APA affect your actual charter cost, see our yacht charter cost guide.

Costs and contracts

  • VAT (Value Added Tax): A tax added to the charter price in Croatia and most other charter destinations. The rate and whether it’s already included in the advertised price vary by yacht and itinerary — always confirm before booking. See our cost guide for a worked example.
  • APA (Advance Provisioning Allowance): Money paid in advance of the charter to cover running costs such as fuel, food and drink, and port or mooring fees. It isn’t an extra fee on top of those costs — it’s prepaid funds set against them, with any surplus refunded (or shortfall billed) at the end of the charter. See our cost guide for how APA is calculated and settled.
  • MYBA contract: The standard charter agreement used across the yacht charter industry, published by MYBA (the Mediterranean Yachting Brokers Association). It sets out the payment schedule, cancellation terms, and how APA and operating costs are handled.
  • Plus-expenses charter: A charter rate that covers the yacht and crew only — fuel, food, drink, and port or mooring fees are paid separately via the APA. Most crewed yacht charters are quoted this way.
  • All-inclusive charter: A charter rate that bundles most or all running costs (fuel, food, drink, port fees) into one price, with no separate APA to settle. Less common than plus-expenses, but it makes budgeting simpler.

Charter types

  • Bareboat charter: A yacht chartered without a crew — the charterer (who must hold an appropriate sailing qualification) skippers the boat. This is the opposite of a crewed charter, where a professional captain and crew are included.
  • Gulet: A traditional wooden sailing vessel, originally from Turkey, typically with one or more masts and broad, comfortable decks. Popular for relaxed group cruising in Croatia and across the wider Adriatic and Aegean.
  • Crewed charter: A yacht chartered with a professional captain (and, on larger yachts, additional crew) included. This is the opposite of a bareboat charter, and it’s how most motor yachts, catamarans, and gulets in Croatia are chartered.

People and logistics

  • Skipper: The professional captain who runs the yacht on a crewed or skippered charter — responsible for navigation, safety, and day-to-day sailing decisions.
  • Crew gratuity (tip): An optional but customary thank-you to the crew at the end of the charter, typically 5–10% of the charter fee, paid directly to the crew rather than included in the charter price.
  • Provisioning: Stocking the yacht with food, drinks, and other onboard supplies before the charter starts, usually arranged by the crew and paid for out of the APA.
  • Embarkation / disembarkation: The day and time guests board the yacht at the start of the charter (embarkation) and leave it at the end (disembarkation) — usually set by the charter base, often around midday.
  • Turnaround day: The day a yacht finishes one charter and starts the next. Many Croatia charters run a same-day turnaround — the previous guests disembark around 9–10 AM and the next guests embark between 3 and 5 PM, depending on the yacht — while others use a full 24-hour turnaround, with a full day in between to clean, provision, and prepare the yacht.

On board and at the marina

  • Tender: The small auxiliary boat carried aboard a yacht, used to ferry guests to shore, for watersports, or for short trips when the main yacht is anchored offshore rather than docked.
  • Flybridge: An open upper deck above a yacht’s main helm station, with its own steering controls and often extra seating — common on motor yachts, giving an elevated view while underway.
  • ACI Marina: ACI (Adriatic Croatia International Club) runs a chain of full-service marinas along the Croatian coast. Many Croatia charter itineraries use ACI marinas for overnight berths, fuel, and provisioning.
  • Chandlery: A shop selling boating and sailing equipment and supplies — rope, fittings, safety gear, and similar essentials — usually found at or near a marina.
  • NM (nautical mile) / knots: A nautical mile is about 1.15 standard (statute) miles — the distance unit used at sea. A knot is a speed of one nautical mile per hour, so a yacht cruising at “10 knots” covers roughly 11.5 land miles every hour.
  • Berth: A docked parking spot for a yacht at a marina, alongside a pier or quay with direct access to shore — as opposed to a mooring or anchorage out in open water.
  • Mooring: Securing the yacht to a fixed buoy or line in the water (rather than docking at a berth or dropping anchor) — common overnight in bays and smaller harbors around Croatia.
  • Galley: The kitchen area on board a yacht.
  • Cockpit: The outdoor seating and steering area at the stern (back) of the yacht, usually where guests gather to eat, relax, and enjoy the view.
  • Ensuite (cabin): A cabin with its own private bathroom attached, rather than a shared bathroom down the hall.
  • Swim platform: A low, flat deck at the stern, at or just above water level, used for swimming, water toys, and boarding the tender.

Don’t see a term here, or want it explained further? Contact our team and we’ll be happy to walk you through it.