Blog — Tips on charter, the kitty & crew

Printed charter contract with a ballpoint pen on the teak cockpit table of a sailing yacht, next to reading glasses and a cup of coffee in the morning light

tipps-und-anleitungen 10/09/2026 9 min read

Charter Contract and Deposit: 8 Clauses to Read Before You Sign

The charter contract is the most expensive text of your trip — and the least read. These eight clauses can decide thousands of euros if things go wrong: deposit, excess, governing law, cancellation, check-in times, named skipper, cruising area and extra costs.

Open laptop showing an empty spreadsheet on the wooden saloon table of a sailing yacht, next to receipts, euro coins, a pen and a coffee cup in the afternoon light

bordkasse 06/09/2026 7 min read

Boat Kitty Spreadsheet Template: Free Download with Automatic Settlement

A kitty spreadsheet that actually does the maths: enter expenses, tick the crew, balance per person calculated automatically. For Excel, LibreOffice and Numbers, no sign-up. Plus the honest answer on when a spreadsheet stops being enough.

Four smartphones side by side on the teak cockpit table of a sailing yacht in the evening light, with a folded nautical chart, sunglasses and a length of rope between them

tipps-und-anleitungen 06/09/2026 10 min read

Sailing trip apps compared 2026: Bordcrew, plan2sail, Splid and Sailto

Bordcrew, plan2sail, Splid and Sailto all want to end the same chaos: group chats, spreadsheets and scraps of paper before the trip. They go about it differently. A comparison by Sailto that also says where Sailto isn't the best choice.

Nautical chart of the Croatian Adriatic on a wooden table in the morning light, with dividers, plotting triangle, coffee cup and a notebook with a checklist; a hand points to an island

tipps-und-anleitungen 05/09/2026 11 min read

How to plan a sailing trip: the complete guide in 10 steps (with timeline)

A sailing trip isn't planned on the pontoon but in the months before. Ten steps in the right order, with a timeline, common mistakes and the checklists you need.

Euro notes, coins, receipts and a notebook with a column of figures on the cockpit table of a charter yacht, with a Mediterranean harbour blurred in the evening light in the background

bordkasse 05/09/2026 9 min read

What does a sailing trip cost? A realistic kitty budget per person

The charter price is only half the bill. What harbour fees, diesel, provisions and tourist tax really cost, how much kitty per person per day is realistic — and why most crews budget too tightly.

Open handwritten logbook on the chart table of a sailing yacht, with dividers on a nautical chart and a stainless steel mug beside it

ausbildung 31/08/2026 8 min read

Sea miles log: how to record your miles for SKS, ICC and RYA qualifications

The miles have been sailed — but afterwards nobody can prove them. How many you need, who may confirm them and how to record them while you still can.

Soft holdall on the teak floor of a sailing yacht, with a sailing jacket, deck shoes, head torch, sun cream, nautical chart and dry bag laid out beside it

packliste 31/08/2026 9 min read

Sailing trip packing list: what really needs to come aboard (and what doesn't)

Most people pack too much for a sailing trip and still bring the wrong things. What really has to come, what's already on the charter yacht — and why the suitcase is the most common beginner's mistake.

Fresh provisions being unpacked in the galley of a sailing yacht: tomatoes, bread, lemons, olive oil and pasta on the teak worktop

tipps-und-anleitungen 01/06/2026 8 min read

Sailing Trip Meal Planning: No More Provisioning Chaos

How much bread do eight people eat in seven days? Quantity rules of thumb, the reality of a boat fridge, and a method that takes the crew's allergies and preferences into account automatically.

Skipper showing the crew on the deck of a sailing yacht how to use a lifejacket, with four crew members listening closely

sicherheitseinweisung 01/06/2026 7 min read

Safety briefing on board: the 15 minutes that can save your trip

A briefing nobody remembers isn't a briefing — it's a box ticked for your conscience. What really belongs in it, how to make it stick and how to protect yourself as skipper.

Base manager with a clipboard and a skipper inspecting the hull of a white charter yacht together on the pontoon

charteruebernahme 01/06/2026 6 min read

Charter Check-in Checklist: How to Take Over the Yacht Without Losing Your Deposit

The base manager has three crews on the pontoon at once and everything has to be quick. That is exactly when it is decided whether you get your deposit back — here is the systematic antidote.