How to Charter a Yacht With No Experience

Can you charter a yacht with no sailing experience?

Yes. Unambiguously, yes. Millions of people who have never set foot on a sailing boat enjoy yacht charter holidays every year — the key is choosing the right type of charter for your experience level.

Here are the four main routes to a charter holiday without a sailing licence.

Option 1: Skippered charter

The simplest solution. You hire the boat and the captain. The skipper — typically a RYA Yachtmaster or equivalent — handles all the sailing: navigation, anchoring, mooring, weather routing. You and your crew are guests. You decide where you want to go; the skipper makes it happen safely.

A professional skipper adds approximately £150–300 per day to the charter cost, depending on destination and season. They typically sleep aboard in the forecabin or a separate cabin, sharing the boat companionably as any good sailor would.

Skippered charter is the best option for those who want the complete yacht experience — waking up in a new bay each morning, sundowners in a remote anchorage — without any of the responsibility of sailing.

Most charter companies can arrange a skipper at any destination. Book the boat, then request a skipper through the operator.

Option 2: Flotilla sailing

A flotilla is a group of six to twelve yachts, all chartered by independent groups, sailing together as a loosely organised fleet. A lead boat with a professional crew (skipper, hostess, engineer) sets the day's route, leads the flotilla between destinations, and provides assistance at every mooring.

Flotilla sailing is the ideal arrangement for couples or small groups who want to begin learning to sail — you're helming your own yacht, making your own decisions, but with professional support available throughout. Companies such as Neilson and Sunsail run well-organised flotillas in Croatia and Greece.

Most flotilla operators offer a basic sailing introduction before departure. After one flotilla week, many guests go on to take a formal RYA Day Skipper course.

Option 3: Gulet charter in Turkey

A gulet is a traditional Turkish wooden motor-sailer, typically 15–30 metres, crewed by a captain, cook and deckhand. The crew handles absolutely everything. You are a passenger.

A gulet holiday (the Blue Voyage, or Mavi Yolculuk) typically includes all meals prepared on board — breakfast, lunch, dinner, afternoon cake — along with mooring and navigation. You simply arrive, bring your luggage and swimwear, and let the week unfold.

No qualifications needed. No experience required. This is the most fully catered charter option available anywhere in the Mediterranean.

Gulet charters are priced per boat, not per person — typically £2,000–8,000 per week for the entire vessel (8–12 guests), all-inclusive.

Option 4: Learn while you charter

The most ambitious option: complete an RYA Day Skipper practical course alongside your charter holiday. Several operators in Greece, Croatia and Turkey offer combined sailing course and charter packages — five days of instruction followed by two or three days of independent sailing.

The RYA Day Skipper practical course qualifies you for bareboat charter in most European countries (combined with the ICC application, which costs around £30 through the RYA). After five days, you'll be able to handle a 38ft yacht in moderate conditions with confidence.

What licence do you actually need for bareboat?

For bareboat charter in EU waters (Croatia, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Montenegro), you need:

• ICC (International Certificate of Competence) — issued by the RYA on completion of an RYA Day Skipper practical course
• VHF SRC (Short Range Certificate) — a one-day radio licence, available online from the RYA or RYA-affiliated centres

In Turkey, a Turkish coastal licence or equivalent ICC is required for bareboat. Many charter companies in Turkey also accept skippers with a minimum number of logged sea miles.

Some charter companies may also ask to see your logbook demonstrating previous offshore experience. If you're light on miles, a skippered charter or flotilla is the honest recommendation.

Starting point

If you're reading this as a complete beginner, the realistic path is:

1. This year: book a skippered charter or flotilla holiday. Sail as crew, learn constantly, absorb everything the skipper does.
2. Winter: take the RYA Day Skipper shorebased theory course (available online, approximately 40 hours).
3. Following spring: complete the RYA Day Skipper practical (5 days on the water, approximately £700–900 at an RYA-affiliated school).
4. Next summer: bareboat charter your own boat.

Browse destinations suitable for beginners or send us an enquiry — our team can match you with the right operator for your experience level.