The Advance Provisioning Allowance is the number that surprises first-time charterers, and it shouldn't. It is simply the week's running money: a fund of 20-35 percent of the base rate — sailing yachts and quiet itineraries at the lower end, thirsty motor yachts and marina-heavy routes at the top — paid to the captain before boarding, so that the crew can provision the boat, fill the tanks and pay the berths without running a tab on your credit card all week. At the end of the week the captain produces the receipts, reconciles the account, and hands back the unspent balance or asks for the shortfall. It is your money throughout. The APA is not a fee and it is not a tip.
This explainer reflects standard charter practice under industry-standard crewed contracts as of the 2026 season; the exact percentage for your boat is written into the charter agreement.
What the APA actually pays for
Everything consumable and operational beyond the yacht and her crew: fuel for the main engines and the generator, food and wine to match your preference sheet, marina berths and buoy fees, communications costs, excursions and dockside transport arranged by the crew, and the small damage-free incidentals of a week afloat — fishing gear, a birthday cake, the tender's fuel. What it does not cover: the crew's wages, the yacht's insurance, and VAT, which are settled separately in the charter agreement.
How the reconciliation works
Aboard a well-run yacht the APA ledger is a living document. The captain logs spending as it happens; on larger yachts the purser does. At the end of the week you should be offered the account — receipts against the running total — and either a refund of the balance or a request to cover an overrun. Overruns are common and are not a scandal: a fast itinerary, a night in Porto Cervo and a long water-sports afternoon will outrun a quiet sailing week. What is a scandal, and rare, is a ledger that doesn't add up; that is what the charter broker is for.
How to run an APA well
Three habits keep it painless. Agree the itinerary shape early — anchorage-heavy versus marina-heavy is the single biggest variable in APA burn, and the captain can price both honestly before you commit. Be specific on the preference sheet, because provisioning to vague tastes produces expensive guesses. And treat the mid-week conversation as routine: a good captain will flag the burn rate around day three, not day six, and adjust the plan before the account does it for you.
The questions worth asking
Before signing: is the APA percentage fixed or estimated? Who holds it — the management company or the captain? What happens to the balance at the end, and how quickly is it returned? Is fuel for the tender and toys inside it? None of these is a rude question; all of them are answered every day by professional crews, and a yacht that answers them vaguely is telling you something.
What the APA is not
It is not the tip, which is separate and customary. It is not a deposit against damage, which is insurance and the security arrangements in the contract. And it is not negotiable down to zero — a week with no APA is a week with no fuel, no food and no berth, which is not a week anyone wants. Budget it, ask about it, read the ledger. The boats where the APA feels like a trick are the boats where nobody asked.