You found a yacht for 20,000 euros a week. You will actually budget closer to 27,000. The difference is the APA, and it is the single most misunderstood number in chartering, so let us kill the sticker shock before it happens.
What APA is
APA stands for Advance Provisioning Allowance. It is the standard mechanism in the MYBA charter agreement, the contract used for nearly every crewed weekly charter in the Mediterranean, for paying the running costs of your week. Typically it is 25-35% of the charter fee, paid before you board.
What it pays for
- Fuel for the yacht and its tenders
- Food and drink aboard, provisioned to your preferences
- Berthing and port fees along the itinerary
- Anything extra you ask for during the week
The captain administers it, keeps receipts, and accounts for every euro. Whatever is unspent comes back to you at the end of the charter. It is your money throughout: think of it as the house account for your week.
Why it exists at all
Because no two charters cost the same to run. A group that anchors in quiet bays and eats simply spends a fraction of what a group burning fuel between marinas with a wine cellar aboard spends. Rather than pricing every itinerary into the rate, the industry standardised on a deposit that tracks real consumption. It is honest, but only if someone explains it before you sign, which is the point of this page.
How to budget it without surprises
When you compare weekly quotes, always compare the base rate plus expected APA plus VAT, never the base rate alone. When we quote a week we state all three lines. A fuel heavy itinerary, long passages or a fast yacht push APA toward the top of the range; a slow cruise between anchorages keeps it near the bottom. Tell us how you want to spend the week and we estimate it honestly. The full contract mechanics, including deposits and cancellation, are in our MYBA contract guide.