A skippered charter is a bareboat with one professional aboard, and the distinction from a crewed charter matters more than the word suggests. A skipper sails the yacht. They do not cook, they do not clean, and they are not a host. Groups who book one expecting the other are disappointed by an arrangement that was described accurately.
What a skippered charter costs on top of the boat
It is usually charged as a separate weekly line on top of the boat rather than folded into the rate. In Croatia one company publishes it openly at 1.260 euro a week, paid at embarkation, against bareboats of 4.000 to 6.000 euro. Elsewhere the arrangement is packaged: The Moorings publishes Bahamian bareboat from $5,579 and skippered packages from $12,479, which is a much larger step because the package is on bigger boats.
Where the skipper sleeps, which decides your cabin count
This is the question groups forget. On many boats the skipper takes a forward cabin or the saloon, which means a four cabin yacht sleeps your group in three. Some companies fit a skipper's cabin in the bow accessible from the deck; most do not. Ask before you book, because discovering it at handover means either a cramped week or a bigger boat at short notice.
What you actually get for the money
Local knowledge, mostly, and it is worth more than the sailing. A skipper knows which bay is sheltered in tomorrow's forecast, which town quay will have space at four o'clock, where the shallow swimming is and which restaurant will hold a buoy for you. A competent bareboat crew can sail the same route; they cannot know those things in their first week in a cruising ground.
Skippered sailing vacations against crewed ones
Crewed adds at least a cook or host, and with it the provisioning, the meals and the clearing up. That is a different holiday and a much larger bill. Skippered sits between bareboat and crewed deliberately: you keep the informality and the self catering and you hand over the responsibility for the boat. For most first time groups in an unfamiliar cruising ground it is the right rung.
Questions people ask about skippered yacht charter
How much does a skippered yacht charter cost?
The skipper is usually a separate weekly line: one Croatian company publishes 1.260 euro a week on top of the boat. Packaged, The Moorings publishes Bahamian skippered charters from $12,479 against bareboat from $5,579.
Does a skipper cook?
No. A skipper sails the boat. Cooking and hosting come with a crewed charter, which is a different product at a considerably higher price.
Where does the skipper sleep?
Often a forward cabin or the saloon, so a four cabin yacht may sleep your group in three. Some boats have a dedicated skipper's cabin reached from the deck. Ask before booking.
Is a skipper worth it if we can sail?
Frequently, in an unfamiliar cruising ground. What you buy is local knowledge about shelter, berths and anchorages rather than seamanship you already have.