STADIUM MARINE

Captain’s Briefing

At a suitable moment, once the Charterers have joined the yacht, the Captain should deliver a short briefing, in which he explains the basic safety procedures and other issues of concern. These may include, but are not limited to, general safety and security onboard, the use of water sports equipment, smoking, recreational drugs and the yacht’s specific policy towards children, and internet usage/charges. This should also include details of any local laws/ restrictions of countries or regions to be visited during the charter.

The Captain should confirm to the Central Agent that the charter has started in accordance with the Charter Agreement (i.e. start port, date and time, correct number of guests and with the Charterer named on the Charter Agreement).

Due to potential tax implications, the Captain should not ideally make changes to the itinerary while a Charterer is on board without discussing first with the Central Agent, the Retail Broker and the client.

An explanation of the fuel used and pre-agreed costs for any delivery / redelivery transit should be given clearly to the charterer at the start of the charter, and also if a recalculation of fuel fees needs to be made.

Insurance

As well as ensuring that the vessel is properly covered for charter, the Captain should be fully conversant with the terms of the vessel’s policies. The vessel’s insurance documentation should be available to the Charterer upon request.

Uniforms

Crew uniforms should be worn throughout any charter.

Logbooks

A copy of the vessel’s logbook for the period of the charter should be made available to the Broker upon request.

Visas

It is the Captain’s responsibility to ensure that all crew have the correct visas for the chosen itinerary.

Confidentiality & Ethics

The Captain and crew are bound at all times to keep all information related to any Charter, the Owner, the Charterer and all guests as confidential, even after their employment onboard has ended, and no information or photos are to be disclosed to any third party without prior permission in writing. It is becoming increasingly important to monitor the crew’s usage of internet chat rooms and social networking sites at all times.

When chartering to clients of a Broker who is not from the vessel’s Central Agency firm, all central agency literature must be placed out of sight. Should the Charterer express an interest in re-chartering or purchasing the vessel (or any other vessel) he should be given

whatever help the Captain can offer, but should always be referred back to the Broker who booked the vessel, rather than to the Central Agent. The Captain or any member of the crew should not pass any contact details of the guests to the Central Agent or Owner. As common courtesy and to aid communication between all parties, please ensure that the charterer’s broker is copied into all correspondence between the crew and the charterer.

All correspondence coming from the booking Broker should be kept confidential and not copied to the Central Agent. Please be careful with email trails, maintaining Charterer’s confidentiality with their Broker.

The Charterer is the Broker’s client, not the Captain’s client, and Captains are expected to debrief the Broker after a charter. However, this information should not be released to the Central Agent.

 

Charter Agreements

The Captain should ensure a fully signed copy of the relevant Charter Agreement is onboard for each charter booked. Time should be taken to read and understand the terms and conditions of this Agreement, drawing particular attention to any applicable Addenda, and make sure that all accounting and other procedures comply with those terms and conditions.

The Charter Fee includes the charter of the vessel with all its equipment in working order; tools; stores; cleaning materials and basic consumable stores for engine room, deck, galley and cabins; laundry of ship’s linen; the crew’s wages, uniform and food; the insurance of the Vessel and crew. The Charterer will pay, at cost, for all other expenses. These include, but are not limited to, shore side transport for guest party, fuel for the main engines and generators; fuel for tenders and water sports equipment; food and beverages for the Charterer’s Party; berthing dues and other harbour charges including pilots’ fees, local taxes, divers’ fees, customs formalities and any charges for waste disposal, charges for water and electricity taken from shore; ships’ agents’ fees where applicable; personal laundry; Charter Party communications including internet use (if not included in the charter fee), and hire or purchase costs of any special equipment placed onboard at the Charterer’s request.

 

Booking conditions

A 50% of the total charter fee is required as down payment, to book the yacht. The rest 50% of the charter fee is payable one month prior to embarkation in form of Bank transfer or certified bank check. Upon signing the Charter Agreement the first payment, normally 50%, is due to the account shown on the Agreement. The Agreements are then sent to the Owners for their countersignature and a completed copy is returned to the charterer. Charterer will then receive a detailed questionnaire requesting information on his travel arrangements, guest list, likes and dislikes, special requirements, etc. This information will be discussed with the charterer in some detail to ensure we gather as much information as possible. This is then sent to the Captain so that he can pre-book any berths, order the right provisions and arrange the crew to prepare that special birthday treat or other such celebration. The balance is normally due one month prior to embarkation in the form of bank transfer or certified Bank check.

Cancellation policy

In the event of cancellation of the charter by the charterer, for any reason, the following cancellation policy will apply and depending on the time interval between the booking confirmation and the cancellation date:

1. A cancellation fee of 30% of the total charter fee, for bookings, canceled within a period of more than 60 days prior to boat embarkation.
   b. A cancellation fee of 50% of the total charter fee, for bookings, canceled within a period of 59-41 days prior to boat embarkation.
   c. A cancellation fee of 100% of the total fee, for bookings, canceled in a period less than 40 days prior to boat embarkation.

It is the Charterer’s responsibility to purchase adequate travel or cancellation insurance to cover themselves and/or their crew against any losses, accidents or cancellations.

 

APA & Reporting of Charter Accounts

The Captain is answerable directly to the Charterer (or, if requested by the Charterer, the Broker) for the disbursement of the Advance Provisioning Allowance (APA) and should ensure that this is spent in a responsible manner, with proper regard as to its value. The amount of APA is 20% of the gross charter fee. The Captain is also accountable for any funds disbursed by any member of his crew. During the charter, it is the Captain’s duty to observe the level of expenditure and to keep the Charterer informed of the status of the accounts on a regular basis. The Captain may request additional funds from the Charterer during the charter if necessary. At the end of the charter, the Captain should present the Charterer with a statement of account showing the disbursement of the APA with all supporting receipts.
Any outstanding additional expenses must be mentioned in the APA account and a realistic amount withheld to cover the expense.

A copy of the final accounts should be given to the broker if s/he requests it.

 

Provisioning

Since the Charterer is to be charged for provisions at cost, it is highly recommended that the use of agents should only be considered if necessary when purchasing provisions. All professional Brokers should be in a position to assist Captains and crew in finding the best local addresses for provisioning, and crews should not hesitate to ask for assistance. If it is absolutely necessary to use an agent, Captains are requested to be judicious and prudent about the costs and to check the invoices carefully.

 

 

 

 

Basic Consumable Stores

Included in the Charter Fee are ‘basic consumable stores’ and these should include filters, lubricating oil, paints, varnishes, etc. as well as sun lotions, soaps, shampoos, paper products, magazines not specifically requested by the Charterer, etc. In the galley, all basic dry goods such as salt, pepper, spices, herbs, sugar, etc. are all basic consumables and should be stocked by the vessel.

Port Fees

The Charterer should only be charged for port fees incurred during the Charter Period (unless any member of the Charterer’s Party arrives earlier than contracted or stays later as mutually agreed, in which case any additional port fees incurred will also be for the Charterer’s account).

Any dockage fees incurred while provisioning the yacht for the charter will be for the owners account.

 

Flowers

The initial decoration of the vessel should be part of the welcoming presentation of the vessel by the Owner. However, as those initial displays need replacing, it is quite reasonable for the Chief Stewardess to ask the Charterer if he/she wants them replaced and provide an indication of extra cost.

 

Communication Charges

These should be charged at cost and properly invoiced. Where an invoice is not immediately available, the Charterer should be advised of the approximate cost of communications and charged accordingly, on the understanding that any adjustment will be settled at a later date. As most vessels charge differently for internet usage, the charging rate, if applicable, should be pointed out to the Charterer during the initial safety briefing.

Fuel Costs

Captains should aim to provide fuel at the best available price and at Duty Free cost where possible. An explanation of the fuel used during the charter should be given clearly to the Charterer when the final account is presented.

 

Laundry

All ship’s laundry including sheets, towels, table linen, crew uniforms, etc., are included in the Charter Fee and normally carried out by the vessel’s crew onboard. It is therefore possible to charge the Charterer for personal items although it is common practice on most vessels for moderate quantities of personal laundry to be carried out by the vessel’s crew onboard as a service and as a matter of goodwill.

These terms allow a crew member to decline politely to do excessive quantities of laundry and also to refuse to handle particularly delicate items. The crew can, of course, arrange for any dry cleaning to be done ashore if time allows and with the prior agreement of the charterer.

 

Damage

If there is any damage caused by guests during the charter, the Captain should inform both the Broker and the Central Agent immediately to discuss how to proceed. Should it be decided that the damage repair should be at the Charterer’s expense, the Captain should show the damage to the Charterer as soon as possible after the incident and take photographs for evidence.

The Captain should promptly establish a realistic amount to cover the repair (e.g. by obtaining quotes) and this amount should be withheld from the APA. Should further funds be required in addition to the APA, these should be wired to the Stakeholder prior to the Charterer’s disembarkation. The Captain should clearly note an explanation of the damage on the APA account stating the amount withheld, which will need to be signed by the Charterer before disembarkation. After the damage is repaired, any refund should be returned to the Charterer (arranged via the Broker). If the Charterer is not informed of any damage during the charter and it is not acknowledged by the Charterer signing off the APA account it would be unreasonable for the Charterer to be asked subsequently to pay for the damage.

These accounts should be clearly presented and self-explanatory, but the Captain should be on hand in case the Charterer has any questions. If there are any queries, these must be noted and the Broker informed as soon as possible. If the accounts are accepted, the Charterer should sign them off and a copy should be transmitted to the Broker. The Charterer should have the option to receive any refund due on the APA by bank transfer if he does not wish to accept cash. At the end of the charter, the Captain should present the Charterer (or his Broker) with a list of any provisions purchased but not consumed, particularly wines and spirits. The Captain should ensure that the Charterer is aware that duty free goods cannot be taken off the yacht without making the appropriate customs’ declarations, and should advise the Charterer of his options.

 

Outstanding bills

The Captain should endeavour to ensure that there are no outstanding bills or VAT deduction after the APA account is signed off at the end of the charter. Captains should notify all suppliers and agents that if they present any invoices after the charter ends, due to the nature of the charter industry it is unreasonable for the invoice to be paid. However, if there is an extraordinary event where an invoice cannot be prepared before the APA account is finalised, the Captain should deduct a reasonable amount to cover the invoice from the APA and make a note on the APA account that the full invoice will be settled by a specific date. Any balance should be returned to the Charterer (arranged via the Broker).

 

Wear & Tear

A Charterer should only be charged for cleaning any specific part of the vessel (i.e. carpets) if the damage caused cannot be considered “fair wear and tear”.

 

 

 

Declaration of Cash on Board

The laws governing cash movements are strictly regulated and Captains should ensure that they are aware of these laws and are operating in compliance with them. In order to curtail having large sums of cash APA onboard, it is advised that large amounts are accessed via the use of either credit card, cash card or invoice payment via wire transfer, wherever possible. It is the Owner/Captain’s sole responsibility to handle these APA funds and given the various custom laws and regulations governing amounts of cash allowed onboard (in many instances a maximum of Euros 10,000 before declaring to Customs), it is the Owner/Captain’s responsibility to ensure that a payment method as indicated above is utilised.

 

Notices

If the Captain feels that there has been a breach of contract during the Charter Period, he should advise the Stakeholder and the broker (preferably in writing) as soon as possible. In the same way, the Captain shall immediately notify the Broker and Stakeholder of any breakdown, disablement, crew changes, accidents or other significant incidents that occur during the Charter Period.

 

Crew Gratuities

Gratuities are left solely at the Charterer’s discretion. Brokers generally suggest to Charterers that a gratuity calculated between 5% and 15% of the contracted gross Charter Fee only is appropriate if the crew has given excellent service. However, it is important to understand that a Charterer is under no obligation to leave a gratuity and at no time should a gratuity be solicited, either verbally or in written form when settling the final account.

 

Vessel Specification, Crew Profiles & Sample Menus

One often overlooked aspect of the Captain’s job in helping promote charters aboard is to keep the vessel’s specification and crew information up-to-date at all times. As such, it is vital that the Captain or other member of the crew informs the Charter Central Agent of any changes to the vessel’s specification, most importantly being the crew profile. Sample menus are also a great help to inquiring brokers when selling a charter.