Yacht Charter Manager
A yacht charter manager runs the charter business of one yacht or a small fleet on the owner's behalf. You set the rates, keep the calendar, sell the yacht to the broker community and make sure every booking is legal, paid for and handed over cleanly to the crew. The role sits in the office, mostly in Monaco, Antibes, Palma, London or Fort Lauderdale.
The jobWhat fills the day
The charter manager acts as central agent. When a retail broker in New York or London wants your yacht for a week in Sardinia, they come to you. You check availability, confirm the rate and the itinerary, draft the MYBA contract, chase the deposit and pass the funds and the preference sheet to the captain. You also write the yacht's marketing copy, update the e-brochure and charter platforms, and keep the owner informed of what is booked and what each week earned.
Much of the job is compliance. You need to know which yachts can charter where, how French and Italian VAT apply to a Mediterranean charter, when a Spanish charter licence or a Greek cabotage permit is needed, and what the flag state and insurers require. With a 35m yacht you may handle everything yourself, from APA reconciliation to crew contact. On an 80m yacht with a tight owner calendar you work closely with the yacht manager, the captain and the owner's family office.
Most hires come from two places. Former chief stews, pursers and captains bring an understanding of what a charter week asks of the crew and the yacht. Others arrive from luxury travel, hotel sales or a broker's office as a charter coordinator and learn the yachts from the shore. Agencies look for organised people with strong written English, a second language such as French, Italian or Spanish, and the confidence to tell an owner his asking rate is too high.
A new starter usually begins as a charter coordinator, handling contracts and invoicing for a senior manager's fleet. After two or three years you take your own portfolio. Senior charter managers look after flagship yachts and the owners who bring the most revenue, and some go on to run the charter management department. Others move across to retail charter brokerage, where earnings are commission-led, or into full yacht management.
Skills employers look for
- MYBA contract drafting
- Charter VAT and licensing
- Rate setting and yield
- Broker relationship management
- Owner reporting
- APA and charter accounting
- Written marketing copy
A working dayMonday in July, charter management office, Monaco
Read the weekend's emails. Two yachts finished charters on Saturday, so you check both captains have sent APA statements and guest feedback.
A broker in Miami asks about a 48m yacht for a week in Croatia in August. You confirm the dates are free, quote the rate plus VAT and APA, and place a 48-hour option.
Call with an owner who wants to block two weeks for family use. You show him what those weeks would earn on charter and agree to release one.
Draft a MYBA contract for a Corsica booking, checking the French VAT position and the delivery and redelivery ports with the captain.
Lunch with a London broker visiting the Riviera. Half social, half finding out what their clients are asking for next season.
Reconcile last week's APA against the captain's receipts and send the client a refund of the balance with the statement.
Update rates and photos on the charter platforms for a yacht fresh out of refit, and rewrite her brochure text.
Coffee on the terrace with the yacht manager to compare notes on a crew change ahead of a booking.
Send the weekly booking report to three owners and plan viewings for the Monaco Yacht Show in September.
Pay by experienceAnnual salary. Estimates. Bars share one scale.
Most packages add an annual bonus linked to the charter revenue of your fleet, and some pay a share of the central agency commission. Salaries are taxed, unlike crew pay, and summer weeks and boat show travel run long. See the Charter & Yacht Brokerage salary guide for figures from live adverts.
Qualifications
Must have
Gets you hired
- MYBA charter contract training
- IYBA or MYBA membership through your employer
- Basic accounting or bookkeeping course
- STCW Basic Safety Training, useful if you came from crew
- Fluency in French, Italian or Spanish
Where it leadsA typical career path
Yacht Charter Manager jobsOpen now on SuperyachtRoles.com
Questions crew ask
What is the difference between a charter manager and a charter broker?
The charter manager works for the owner and markets one yacht or a fleet. The retail charter broker works for the client and finds them the right yacht from the whole market. They split the commission on each booking, and the broker's pay depends far more on commission.
Do I need to have worked on yachts?
No, though it helps a great deal. Former chief stews, pursers and officers know what a charter week takes, and owners and captains trust them for it. People from luxury travel or hotel sales get hired too, usually as coordinators first.
Where are most charter management jobs based?
Monaco and Antibes have the largest share, followed by Palma, London, Athens and Fort Lauderdale. Big houses such as Burgess, Fraser, Y.CO and Northrop & Johnson have charter management teams, and so do many smaller boutique agencies.
Is the job seasonal?
No. Positions are permanent and full-time. The work moves with the seasons: the Mediterranean summer is all live bookings and problem solving, and winter goes on Caribbean charters, rate setting and the boat shows.