The Base Charter Fee is essentially the cost of hiring the yacht itself, with all equipment in working order, the crew, and the Owner's insurance. A deposit to cover potential onboard expenses is known as an Advance Provisioning Allowance (APA). APAs are typically computed at 30% of the charter charge. When you arrive, APA is forwarded to the Captain so that the yacht is fueled, provisioned, and ready to go. All expenses are charged at cost to you with no markup, and upon disembarking, transactions are checked with the captain and any residual funds are returned to you. VAT (if applicable): This is most usually applied on charters departing from the EU, but other destinations charge VAT/Tax (Turkey, Bahamas etc.). Because these percentages fluctuate on a regular basis, we recommend that you consult with your charter broker to obtain an accurate proportion of VAT for your yacht charter. Crew gratuity is usual but entirely optional. Tipping is customarily done at the end of the charter and delivered to the captain, who divides the sum between the crew. It typically ranges between 10% and 20% of the regular charter charge.