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No sailing experience required, yachts with a professional crew

Relax, these yachts have a professional crew...

If you want to relax on your sailing holiday or you do not have the experience to sail your own yacht, choose a crewed yacht with professional skipper and crew onboard. This is a wonderful sailing holiday - perfect for a honeymoon, romantic anniversary or special holiday with friends and family.

A most memorable holiday...

Imagine island hopping aboard your own private yacht while enjoying all the services and comforts of a small, intimate hotel. Wake up onboard your yacht anchored in a quiet cove. Take an early dip and over breakfast consider the options, a windsurfing lesson, snorkelling round the shoreline or a trip ashore to explore. A crewed yacht is likely to be the most memorable vacation you will ever take.

Invite your friends and family...

Most of the crewed yachts can easily accommodate groups so there's plenty of room for everyone. For 4 couples or 2 families, a catamaran in the Caribbean offers spacious accommodation in a dream destination. The crewed yachts in the Mediterranean will sleep from 4 to 8, or just charter a cabin. The Turkish gulets sleep from 12 to 16 so are very popular with 3 or 4 families.

Add a skipper

Add a skipper to any of our bareboat yachts 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 a competent local sailor and perfectly capable of sailing the yacht. He will encourage you to get involved as crew, although he is not an instructor. He does not cook or clean and you will have to allocate a cabin for the skipper's use and provide him with food and drink.

Crewed yachts choices

  • Overview
    Lagoon560_600x400

    Lagoon 560 in Greece

    Lagoon560Sailing_600x400

    Lagoon 560 in Greece

    Lagoon560Exterior_600x400

    Lagoon 560 seating area

    Lagoon560Nets_600x400

    Lagoon 560 deck

    Icarus9_600x400

    "Icarus" skipper, Robert

    Icarus4_600x400

    "Icarus" moored in Fiscardo

    Icarus6_600x400

    "Icarus" anchored in a bay

    Icarus8_600x400

    "Icarus" crew Robert and Veronica with Joanna Lumley

    • Sit back and relax whilst your crew ensure a memorable holiday
    • Let the skipper recommend all the best spots
    • Enjoy freshly prepared meals onboard or at traditional local restaurants
    • Crewed yachts & catamarans available in Greece and the Caribbean
    • Add a skipper to any of our bareboat charters worldwide
    • Families, couples and groups are all welcome
    • Whole gulet charters for groups or cabin charter for individuals/couples
  • Caribbean crewed yachts
    Caribbean crewed yachts

    Caribbean crewed yachts

    Imagine island hopping aboard your own private yacht. You may be celebrating a honeymoon, anniversary or special birthday or just want to relax.

    Crewed yachts in the Caribbean
  • Mediterranean crewed yachts
    Mediterranean crewed yachts

    Mediterranean crewed yachts

    Perfect for a honeymoon, anniversary or special vacation with friends or family, these luxury yachts have a professional crew so you can relax

    Crewed Yacht in Corfu
  • Turkish gulets
    Turkish gulets

    Turkish gulets

    Traditional gulets are ideal for families or friends to enjoy a cruising holiday in Turkey

    Turkish Gulets

Top questions

  • Do I have to join in the sailing?

    Not if you don't want to! The crew are perfectly able to sail the yacht and they do not need or expect your help. So relax with a cool drink, a good book and your suntan cream and watch the world sail by.

    If you are keen to help out or learn a few new skills then the crew will be delighted to involve you in the sailing. They will soon have you helming and setting the sails like a pro!

  • What is it like living on a yacht?

    All the crewed yachts are very comfortable to live aboard. There is a spacious lounge (saloon) and guest bedrooms (cabins) most with ensuite shower and WC (heads). The crew have their own quarters, separated from the guests. The yachts have a well equipped kitchen (galley) with fridges and freezers, hot and cold water and cookers.

    When "living aboard", most of your time is actually spent on deck or in the water, basically outdoors. Most of your meals will be taken sitting in the shady cockpit at the back of the boat. You'll go to the front deck to lie out in the sun.

  • What do we do all day?

    Every morning you'll wake up in a new anchorage. What about a refreshing swim before breakfast? The crew will serve a full breakfast with fresh bread on the shady aft cockpit. You might want to explore ashore - visit a market, shop for souvenirs or walk up a hill for a spectacular view. You may prefer to relax with your book or work on that tan.

    By mid-morning the yacht will set sail and find an idyllic anchorage for lunch. You can dive off the yacht and swim and snorkel on the reef. Most of the yachts have water sports toys, such as snorkels, kayaks, water skiing or tubing. The crew will prepare and serve a light lunch.

    An afternoon sail will take you to the evening's destination. There may be time before dinner to go ashore, for sightseeing. Meal times will depend upon cruising schedules and the wishes of all on board. Dinner on the aft deck is usually the highlight of the day - a long leisurely meal sitting under the stars listening to the water lapping at the hull.

    After all the activity and fresh air, you'll easily fall asleep in your cabin rocked by the gentle motion of the yacht bobbing at anchor.

  • What should I pack?

    Keep your packing light and pack everything in a soft, foldable duffel bag that is easier to stow away on a yacht. You'll spend your days in shorts, swimsuits, and t-shirts, but at night you might like to dress for dinner in a summer dress or shirt and slacks. You could bring a sweatshirt or lightweight jacket in case it's breezy.

    The standard aboard the yacht is to not wear shoes. Sandals or deck shoes are fine for ashore. Bring sunglasses, a baseball cap or a hat with a broad brim to shade your face. And don't forget your sunscreen and camera!

    All your towels and bedding are provided and the yachts are fully equipped with safety equipment so you don't need any "sailing gear".

"We had a super week in Corfu. The Sun Charter staff were excellent, being both friendly and helpful. Our brand new yacht was in very good and clean condition and was quite comfortable for the four of us on board. We had great weather, warm sunshine and with good winds - the sails were out for the best part of each day. I would like to thank all at Nautilus and also Sun Charter for the hassle free booking and all the useful help and tips provided, it was our first time booking a bareboat charter but definitely not the last!"

Ionian 2016 - C.H.
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.