FAQ

Chartering

How do I choose the right yacht for me?
The decision to charter a yacht is a personal choice or preference depending on your budget, your party size and your experience in sailing, among other factors.

All sailing yachts have a set number of cabins hosting from 2 up to the stated amount of passengers. For a party of 6, for example you would choose a yacht with a minimum of 3 cabins. Other factors to consider is your comfort level and your budget. Generally, a yacht of 38ft and larger offers more space and head room than a smaller size yacht. You will want to sail in comfort without being cramped in tight quarters. Year build may also be a significant factor. The newer models are more spacious, better designed with newer engines and performance capabilities.

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What is the Booking procedure?
·          You can e.mail or fax our charter department for details of availability, prices and boat details.
·          You can use our online bookings procedure - Ilixo, Mister Booking, Yachtbooker

Once a yacht and dates have been agreed we will send you the following paper work:
·          Invoice
·          Bareboat or crewed boat contract
·          Provisioning forms (if requested)
·          Client’s preference list to be filled (Crewed yachts)
·          Booking Form (Crew List )

To confirm the booking we allow 4 days after the invoice was issued for you to transfer the money to our bank account. Once you have done the payment please kindly fax us bank transfer slip at this following number +66 76 238 974. We shall confirm to you as soon as the fund arrive to our account.
The booking will be confirmed once the deposit is received.

As for the contract please kindly fill in and sign on every page. We require you to fax, e-mail the contract back to us at least two weeks before departure.

In additional: all clients hiring either bare boat or crewed boat must take out travel insurance for personal injury (accident medical costs /repatriation during your sailing vacation) before arriving to take their charter yacht in Thailand. This is normally quite a cheap insurance and is often covered by ones’ credit card company. Please send us a copy of each persons cover before arrival.

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What is The Cost of a Crewed yacht/Bareboat?
The cost of charters varies depending on the size of vessel, power or sail, number of people on board, etc. The duration of the charter is usually a week, but can be any length. Generally, all food, beverages and water activities are included. Diving is usually extra.

Motor yachts cost more than sail. Groups on larger yachts can often be less expensive per person than a couple on a small yacht. Yachts are available for parties of 2 or more. Large groups may prefer to charter more than 1 yacht and travel as a flotilla. This is very common, especially for corporate groups.

Gratuities are the norm when the service merits it. Remember that your crew work hard to ensure your holiday/vacation is a great one. They are your chef, bartender, tour guide, waiter etc...

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What do I need to bring with me?
Pack light is the key to enjoying your sailing Holiday/vacation. You will find that you will use half the clothing you pack. Essentials are: light summer clothing such as shorts, tops, skirts, sun hats or caps, sandals, trainers/sneakers or soft soled athletic shoes, bathing/swim suites and warmer clothing for night wear such as sweatshirt, sweater, windbreaker, jeans, light pants. A few of the more formal restaurants require long pants and collared shirts and occasionally a jacket, but "smart casual" is the norm. For cooler months we recommend warmer clothing and a rain-jacket.

We recommend soft sided luggage as most appropriate. They will fit in the cabin compartments and be easier to secure in cases of windy weather. Also hard luggage can damage woodwork and paint. Consider bringing additional foldable baggage to pack items you purchase on your visit.

Yacht sailing is a "soft adventure", be prepared for calm seas as well as windy conditions. If any lean towards sea sickness, over the counter medications or prescriptions may be handy. Ensure you have an adequate supply of prescribed medications as you may not be able to refill medical prescriptions whilst away.

Your own mask and snorkel if you’re inclined, but all yachts carry an assortment of sizes. If you are expecting to scuba dive, check with your broker to make sure of the available equipment on board the yacht.

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What kind of activities are there to do?
Some yachts have water sports and will vary depending on equipment. These might include snorkeling, Scuba Diving, knee boarding, water-skiing, windsurfing, kayaks, fishing and, of course, sailing.
If the Yacht has Water Sports equipment on board it is usually included but some activities are extra, and can be arranged by your crew. These would be diving and parasailing.
On shore activities can be recommended by your crew and will vary depending on the location.

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What's our itinerary going to be like?
The itinerary is based on your preferences of activities, we are also familiar with most locations and can advise accordingly. The crew knows the territory very well and will tailor the cruise to fit your requests.
It is usually not possible to see everything in one visit however, and you may need to adjust your itinerary to accommodate your schedule and activities you have chosen or return again in the future for another charter.

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What type of food and drinks are served?
The menus are designed around your food preferences. The professional chefs are excellent and can generally accommodate most diets with advanced notice and prepare any dish requested.
Drinks such as wine, beer and alcohol are included as part of the "ships bar". The amount and variety will vary depending on the cost of the charter with larger, more expensive yachts providing finer wines and premium liquors.

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Do you offer Special Cruises?
Yes, there are cruises to meet almost every need. Some of these include:
Scuba Diving
Many programs are available for diving from beginner up to Advanced Diver. The variety of diving and the beauty is unmatched in some of the Locations and includes reef, night, cave and wreck dives.
Captain Only
A few yachts are available with the captain only. The yacht is available with the captain at a lower rate than fully crewed and the charter guest pays all the expenses. These would be provisions (including enough for the Captain), fuel, water, taxes, etc. Also, you prepare the meals and look after your cabins. This might be a good choice for those that want to eat ashore frequently and don't need the personal service that a fully crewed charter includes.
Special Diets
Most of our yachts will do everything to accommodate your personal dietary requirements. Many can do vegetarian menus that will delight everyone, not just the vegetarians! The most important thing is to get in touch with the yacht as soon as possible and communicate your special needs early. With enough warning, most things are possible even in the remotest parts of the world!

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What is included & not included in the charter fee for bare boats?

Included
·          Use of the vessel noon to noon
·          Boat and area briefing
·          Use of yacht and navigation equipment including sea charts
·          Use of dingy & outboard
·          Bed linen & towels
·          Snorkeling equipment
·          End cleaning (yacht must clean upon handover)
·          VAT

Not Included
·          Provisioning and Fuel
·          Security Deposit
·          Optional Gear ( Spinnaker, windsurfer,etc...)
·          Diving
·          King’s Cup and Regatta supplements
·          Skipper and Cook
·          National Park and Marina Fees

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What is included & not included in the charter fee for crewed yachts?

Included
·          24 hours use of the vessel
·          All on board meals and soft drinks
·          Services of the captain, cook & crew
·          Snorkeling equipment
·          Fuel (for motor yachts up to 5 hours steaming a day or unless stated otherwise)
·          VAT

Not Included
·          Bar and alcohol
·          Land transfers
·          National Park and Marina Fees
·          King’s Cup and Regatta supplements
·          Visa expenses for Burma and Andaman Islands

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Is there a discount policy?
For most yachts the following discounts apply (except MYBA terms):
·           5% off booking of 8 days +
·           8% off booking of 14 days +
·           10% off booking of 21 days +
·           15% off booking of 28 days +

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What is the payment policy?
When booked 90 days in advance:
·          25% deposit to confirm booking
·          25% payment 90 days before charter commences
·          Balance payment 40 days before charter commences

When booked less than 90 days in advance:
·          50% to confirm booking
·          50% balance payment due 40 days before charter commences

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What is the cancellation policy?
·          More than 12 weeks before the charter date, 25% of the total charter fee
·          Between 12 and 8 weeks before the charter date, 50% of the total charter fee
·          Between 8 and 4 weeks before the charter date, 80% of the total charter fee
·          Within 4 weeks of the charter date, 100% of the total charter fee

In each case, an additional administration fee of Euro 150.- is applicable.

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What is the Insurance & Security Deposit policy?
Bare Boats: All boats are fully insured however the dingy is not covered by the insurance.
The security deposit varies from 1,600 Euro  to 3,000 Euro, can be increase for races.
Please check on our rate list, the amount for security deposit.         
We take the security deposit in the form of cash or credit card slip upon arrival at the base.

What qualifications do I need to charter a bare boat sailing yacht?
We require that the skipper chartering a bareboat should have a minimum of 3 years sailing experience as the skipper of a yacht similar to the one he/she would like to charter.

We require the client to fill in the second page of the contract with details and the contract must faxed back to us once the deposit paid,

We do not require a skipper’s license but if client has one please send us a copy.

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Do you provide boat briefings?
The chartered and his or her party will be given general briefing covering the local cruising grounds. Questions about navigation, anchorages, prevailing conditions, or any part of the desired itinerary can be answered. A more specific boat briefing aboard the yacht will then be given, covering all the operating systems, including rigging, electrical system, water system, windlass, stove, dinghy, outboard and emergency systems.

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What Types of Payment Facilities do you offer?
Online Credit Card payment: Available. Please note a surcharge of 3% for Visa and Master cards, 3.5% for American Express cards.

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Yacht Management

I have a professional captain, why do I need a manager as well?
The role of yacht management is to support the operations of the yacht and to make yacht ownership as exciting and pleasurable as possible. From our offices we are best poised to handle the day to day operations required to run a multi million dollars asset. Our management service can be full or partial and can include crew services, budget control, MCA/ISM Compliance, payroll, insurance, charter, refit management and much more.

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Can I make money from charter?
To make a yacht available for charter can be an attractive option for an owner who may not be able to use the yacht as much as he would like and wishes to reduce operating costs. Asia Marine will make an assessment of the vessel and the objectives of the owner to determine potential revenue. Should you wish to operate your yacht on charter, Asia Marine will act as the central clearing agent and operate the yachts diary. We will also be able to propose and implement a marketing plan to promote the yacht and maximize earnings.

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How much does yacht management cost?
We recognize that each yacht and each yacht owners’ objectives are unique. We will take the time to establish what each client wishes to achieve out of yacht ownership and then develop a budget to suit.

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When do I get professional management involved?
It is important to have professional management at the earliest possible stage of ownership. Even at the point when you start looking for a yacht Asia Marine can be of assistance providing valuable information relating to suitability, delivery, budget and areas of operation.

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