The Charter Glossary: 24 Terms Every First-Timer Should Know
Direct answer
The essentials: the charter fee is the boat and crew; the APA (25–35%) covers fuel, food and dockage at cost; gratuity (5–15%) is separate; MYBA is the standard contract. Beyond that, displacement vs planing describes the hull, draft is how deep it sits, and Posidonia is the protected seagrass that dictates where you can anchor.
Skip ahead — the office handles the rest
Every world has its vocabulary, and the charter world's can make a first enquiry feel like an exam. It isn't — but a handful of terms come up again and again, and knowing them turns the conversation from intimidating to easy. Here are the two dozen worth carrying.
The terms that actually come up
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Charter fee | The price of the boat and her crew for the period |
| APA | Advance Provisioning Allowance — 25–35%, spent at cost on fuel, food, dockage; balance returned |
| Gratuity | Crew tip, separate from the fee — typically 5–15% |
| MYBA | The industry-standard charter contract |
| Day charter | A single day, usually 8 hours; no nights aboard |
| Weekly charter | Six to seven nights, the classic Mediterranean booking |
| Embarkation | Boarding — the start of the charter at the marina |
| Displacement hull | Pushes through the water; economical, steady, slower (≈ 12–15 kn) |
| Planing hull | Climbs onto its bow wave; fast (25 kn+), thirstier |
| Beam | The boat's width — drives deck space and stability |
| Draft | How deep she sits — decides how close to shore she can anchor |
| Flybridge | An upper deck with a second helm, dining and sun space |
| Tender | The small boat that runs guests to shore |
| RIB | Rigid Inflatable Boat — fast, agile, often the tender |
| Stabiliser | Anti-roll system; zero-speed types work at anchor |
| Seakeeper | A gyroscopic stabiliser, common on sport boats |
| Bimini | The fabric sun shade over the cockpit or helm |
| Provisioning | The food and drink stocked for the charter |
| Sundeck | The top deck — sun pads, dining, often a spa pool |
| Beach club (boat) | The fold-down platform and toy area at water level |
| Knot | One nautical mile per hour — boat speed |
| Nautical mile | ≈ 1.15 land miles — distances at sea |
| Posidonia | Protected seagrass; you anchor on sand, not over it |
| Lee side | The sheltered side, out of the wind — the calm anchorage |
Office note
You are not expected to arrive fluent. The office speaks plain language by default and explains anything on this list without being asked — the glossary just means nothing in your quote will read like a foreign word.
The Office
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