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Charter a motoryacht if you prefer a few hundred horsepower to play with

Do what you want, when you want ...

Charter a motoryacht for total freedom to cruise on your own voyage of discovery. The motoryacht is yours for the holiday to explore the cruising area at your own pace. Being the skipper of your own motoryacht gives you total flexibility every day. Set off early to the next island or get up late and potter round to the next bay. It may depend on the weather, your crew or just your mood that day. Just imagine setting off with new places to visit every day - it's the ultimate multi-centre holiday without the packing and unpacking!

Be adventurous and explore

Set off for a different destination every day - without the clouds and crowds of the Solent! There’s always another bay, another harbour, another island to explore. And when you arrive, step ashore for dinner in a waterfront taverna. You'll be supporting the local community and you'll feel like a traveller, not a tourist. There's always time for a swim off your yacht or a walk to a market or cliff-top view. Or just relax - there's no rush and no timetables.

It's cheaper to charter

It's expensive to own a motoryacht, including maintenance expenses and mooring fees, and realistically how often do you get to spend a week onboard? Charter is the sensible alternative to satisfy your head and heart. Board your motoryacht in any of our glorious holiday destinations and drive away! Your yacht provides self-contained accommodation with plenty of cabins for everyone. All the yachts have a fridge and cooker onboard and self-catering for breakfast, lunch and drinks helps keep the costs down. At night, party animals can hit the local bars or you can chill out with dinner in a taverna on the water's edge.

What motoryachts can I charter?

Flybridge cruisers offer the ultimate in motor cruising with a sociable top deck for helming and sunbathing. Sports cruisers are built for speed and sunshine - perfect for the Med! Power catamarans are so popular for their stability, spacious accommodation and all-round comfort. Both cruisers and catamarans provide power, comfort and luxury. They also generally cruise faster than sailboats and most are fitted with air conditioning.

Motoryacht charter choices

Top questions

  • What experience & qualifications do I need?

    For motoryacht charter you should have previous skipper experience to Day Skipper standard, gained from motoryachts in the UK or a previous motoryacht charter. You should be competent at handling a motoryacht in close quarters, anchoring and mooring in varying conditions and be able to use your navigation and pilotage skills to plan a day passage and know your position at any time. You should be assisted by at least one competent crew.

    The port authorities in Croatia, Greece and Mallorca require an internationally recognised certificate of competence for the skipper, eg RYA International Certificate of Competence (ICC) Motor or RYA Day Skipper (Motor) Practical. The RYA ICC will be ever more required by overseas port authorities but if you have skipper experience it is easily obtained in a day from RYA schools in the UK.

    Add a skipper to any of our bareboat motoryachts if you don’t have the experience to charter bareboat or if you would like a helping hand with a larger yacht or a guide to a new cruising area. The skipper will be perfectly capable of handing the yacht. He will encourage you to get involved as crew, although he is not an instructor. You will have to allocate a cabin for the skipper's use and provide him with food and drink.

  • What type of motoryachts can I charter?

    We have an excellent selection of quality motoryachts for bareboat yacht charter ranging from 30' to 52' including all the well-known names, Princess, Fairline and Lagoon. For those looking for something larger, choose from a variety of luxury crewed motor yachts - just let us know your requirements and we will suggest our most suitable options for you.

    Sportscruisers are fast and fun. You all sit together in the open cockpit so it's safer with children and more sociable.

    Flybridge cruisers give you more accommodation below decks and two steering positions dependant on the weather.

    Power catamarans with their spacious cabins, all equal size, and masses of deck space are ideal for warm weather cruising. Powercats are very popular in the Caribbean where you spend most nights on anchor.

    Crewed motoryachts are the ultimate luxury holiday. Vast space, wide ranging amenities and a crew to ensure an unforgettable experience.

  • What back-up is there?

    All our charter yachts are fully equipped for cruising in comfort and have full safety, navigational and domestic equipment.

    On arrival at your charter yacht you will be given a technical briefing on your yacht and cruising area. We do recommend that you check your yacht carefully before you leave the marina as things can so easily be put right at the base.

    Once you have set sail you are given contact numbers for the base, including emergency out-of-hours telephone numbers, so help is just a phone call away at any time. Should any repairs be necessary during your charter, the base manager will usually arrange for these to be done in your nearest harbour.

"We got back from our charter in Corfu on Saturday and I just wanted to say thanks. Sun Charter were great, the boat was in excellent condition and very clean and tidy. Most of all, we had a terrific time with good sailing and beautiful anchorages."

Corfu 2016 - E.K.
Trustpilot

Sailing Qualifications

To skipper a bareboat charter or flotilla yacht, you need to hold a practical sailing certificate equivalent to RYA Day Skipper Practical qualification or RYA International Certificate of Competence (ICC). For charters in Greece, you must now have the ICC certificate. You must also be assisted by at least one competent crew member over the age of 18.

The port authorities in Greece are now insisting on one of the following practical certificates: RYA ICC (International Certificate of Competence), RYA Coastal, RYA Yachtmaster, ASA IPC (International Proficiency Certificate) or the IYT (International Yacht Training) Passport. If you hold an RYA Day Skipper or ASA104 it will no longer be accepted and you need to obtain either an ICC or IPC from the corresponding issuing body (RYA or ASA). If your RYA Coastal/Yachtmaster or ASA105/106 certificate is more than 12 years old and does not have a photo ID, then we would also strongly advise applying for an ICC or IPC. If you are a member of the RYA or ASA, you may qualify for a discount or free certificate, otherwise, you will have to pay. The approximate cost is £50. Please use this link - RYA application for the ICC or ASA application for the IPC.

For charters in Croatia, Malta and the Canaries, at least one member of the crew or the skipper will also need a VHF licence.

RYA qualifications can be obtained by RYA sailing schools in the UK or alternatively choose from one of our overseas centres in Gibraltar, Greece or Turkey.

For Seychelles, the local authorities require an ICC for the skipper of a bareboat or flotilla yacht charter.

For Caribbean and Tropical charters, formal qualifications are not compulsory, however, you should be Day Skipper standard and be assisted by at least one competent crew. A brief sailing resume should be provided to outline your experience.

If you don't hold the relevant qualifications then why not add a skipper?

Sailing Levels

Level 1

Winds force 2-3 (4-11 Knots)combined with generally shorter distances. Good for beginner or intermediate sailors. Line-of-sight navigation but basic knowledge of charts and ability to plot your position required.

Level 2

Winds force 3-5 (7-21 Knots) with approximately 15-20nm per day. Intermediate experience required. Predominately line of sight navigation but an understanding of how to sail in open water.

Level 3

Winds force 4-6 (11-27 Knots) with mileage of approximately 20nm+ per day. Ideal for experienced skippers looking to venture out to new destinations. Day skipper standard but with experienced crew would be recommended.