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Booked charter yacht not available: what counts as an equivalent boat?
Short answer
If the yacht you booked is out of action,
the charter company can usually only offer an equivalent boat.
That is measured in cabins, type of boat, length, age and equipment,
and any discount for a lesser boat is agreed in writing before you take it over.
A week before the flight, or worse, at the base on Saturday afternoon, the crew learns that its yacht is not ready: damage from the previous charter, a yard job that overran, or a double booking. Most charter agreements have a clause for this that lets the company provide an equivalent or larger boat instead. That is allowed, but the word equivalent carries weight. It does not mean whatever happens to be free on the pontoon; it means a boat on which the holiday you booked can go ahead as booked.
Equivalent is measured against what your crew actually needs. Cabins, berths and heads come first, because six people do not fit into three cabins when four were booked. Then the type of boat: a catamaran instead of a monohull, or a motor yacht instead of a sailing yacht, is a different product even at a similar price. After that come length, year of build and the equipment the booking promised, such as a generator, in-mast furling or a tender with outboard. Finally the port and the handover time: a suitable boat in a marina two hours away is only a full substitute with a transfer and time made up. A bigger boat, on the other hand, may come with a larger deposit or require a higher certificate. The detail is in the charter agreement and in the rental law of the country where the base sits.
Ask for the substitute boat in writing with its model, year, number of cabins and equipment before you agree, and compare it with your booking confirmation. If it is smaller, older or less well equipped, negotiate the discount before handover and get it confirmed in writing; complaining after the trip means you accepted the boat. If it simply does not work for your crew, turn it down in writing with your reasons and ask for your money back. If you booked through an agent or a platform, send the same message to them as well.
Worth remembering
Cabins and boat type
must fit the crew you booked for
Discount
in writing, before handover
Equivalent means the same holiday is possible. Anything less, you negotiate before you slip the lines.
Questions
What owners ask us about this
Do I have to accept a smaller replacement boat?
Usually not, if it does not fit the crew you booked for or is clearly inferior. You can refuse it and ask for a refund, or accept it and agree a discount, ideally in writing before handover.
Is a catamaran an equivalent replacement for a monohull?
Normally not without your agreement. The type of boat, the deposit and the berthing fees differ, and some bases ask for more experience on a catamaran. Whether you swap is your decision.
What if the replacement is bigger?
That is often the easiest answer. Check that the deposit, extras and the certificate required stay the same, and get written confirmation that there is no surcharge.
Related
Not sure whether you qualify?
Whether it is “Booked charter yacht not available: what counts as an equivalent boat?” or another question: send us your residence and the flag your boat flies. You will get a straight answer in one email; including a no, if that is the answer.
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